Running head: SUMMATIVE SERVICE-LEARNING REFLECTION

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Summative Service-Learning Reflection

Mariah Blystone
NUR 4144 Professional Role Development: Servant Leadership
April 18, 2016

I have neither given nor received aid, other than acknowledged, on this assignment or test, nor
have I seen anyone else do so. Mariah G. Blystone

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Summative Service-Learning Reflection

Noticing and Interpreting
At the beginning of my nursing program, I did not have many expectations of servicelearning because I had never heard the term before. I assumed it just meant I would have several
opportunities to volunteer my time and services with community organizations. My expectations
were met and exceeded. I had multiple opportunities to volunteer my time and services, but it
was much more than that. Instead of only using my time in the physical act of service, I spent
time organizing, reflecting, and collaborating with peers. During the program I was able to make
lasting community connections through service-learning experiences.
There were many strengths and problems encountered during the service-learning
opportunities. Most of the problems related to a lack of resources. At the Northside YMCA, there
was not enough staff for the number of children enrolled. At St. Josephs Villa, most of the
children there lacked a stable home life and support system. At Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal
Church, those we were in contact with lacked the basic needs of food, shelter, and proper
clothing. Although these problems were present there was a strength shared among each
community resource; love. The staff, teachers, and volunteers at all three organizations truly
loved serving. It was clear through my interactions that these staff and volunteers were family to
those they served. This love of serving was the asset/solution to the lack of resources.
My values and experiences as part of a southern Baptist in a small, rural southern
Virginia community and my experience with needy communities helped to shape what I saw
and heard during the nursing program. I am not from the immediate Richmond area but a rural

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area one hour south of Richmond. I had little knowledge about any of the community resources I
had the opportunity to serve before the nursing program. The community I live in has similar
needs to the community I served, but on a smaller scale. My exposure through my church
missions gave me a basic understanding of the devastating effects that lack of resources can have
on a community. This initial exposure and basic understanding gave me the appropriate mindset
to serve the Richmond community.
Responding
The one thing I have learned about the needs of the surrounding community is
importance of supporting and developing the youth. Both the Northside YMCA and St. Josephs
Villa experience provided an outlet for at risk children. They focused on intervening during these
critical years. These organizations focused on education, self-esteem, teamwork, and basic needs.
The young children need these fundamental aspects in their life so that they do not become part
of the vulnerable population with more barriers to overcome. I am a firm believer that your
family support system makes or breaks you. Many of the children I was in contact with did not
have the family support they needed, so the community organization took on that role. My time
at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church allowed me to serve food and spend time with
homeless adults. Many of those adults were once like the children at the YMCA and St. Josephs,
but they did not get the help they needed.
I have found the service-learning to be truly relevant to the community and my learning
experience. Each organization I served with was very thankful for my time. They welcomed me
and my peers back in the future to continue to provide for the community. These organizations
were clearly meeting the needs of the community through education, providing stability,

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supporting, providing basic needs, providing an outlet, and having fun. I was able to not only
learn about the community and its needs, but about what it truly means to be a servant leader.
The organizations provided great examples of servant leaders that are really making a difference
in their community.
Reflections on Service-Learning
My service-learning experiences have positively influenced my perception of my call to
serve. I have always felt called to serve. My call to serve is not just as a nurse, but as a follower
of Jesus Christ to share the gospel. The service-learning opportunities showed me other areas that
I can serve other than nursing. I have come in contact with three amazing organizations and
learned about resources that are out there so I can share with others. The experiences I have had
influenced my through a widening perception of serving more than just the sick.
My concept of service learning has changed since I began my career as a nursing student
through expansion on my thoughts of it just being volunteering. It is more than just donating
your time to help others. It means acting for others and not being motivated by self-interest. It
means reflecting upon and thinking about who, what, when, where, and why you are serving.
Service-learning requires organization and preparation to ensure that what you are doing is really
benefitting a specific population. Although volunteering your time is a major aspect of servicelearning, I have learned that is not the half of it.
The term service-learning was first introduced in NUR 1100. This is when I completed
time at the Northside YMCA. I sat and checked in students, parents, guardians, and staff as they
came into the after school program. This was a need of the YMCA to provide safety and security
to the facility, but I did not fully understand what service-learning meant or what it required until

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NUR 3113. This is when I completed another service-learning experience at St. Josephs Villa.
This helped to prepare me for service-learning by providing the opportunity to really learn what
it was. I was able to organize and plan an activity with peers for a group of students in an after
school program. I had a great experience and really enjoyed interacting with the children and
learning about the resources this community resource provided. The game we played with the
children was a hit and they asked other groups to play when they completed their time at the
facility. Although I did not make a huge difference if these childrens lives, I walked away
feeling like I did something good. In NUR 4144 I had the opportunity to go to Grace and Holy
Trinity Episcopal Church and serve lunch to some homeless individuals in downtown Richmond.
This best helped me to prepare for service-learning because the whole experience came through
the organization and collaboration with my peer group. Also, this class presented servicelearning content during lecture. Most of the information was a review, but it was nice to put it all
together. I felt like this class was the cherry on top for service-learning at the end of the program.
Reflecting on Civic Engagement
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), civic engagement is
individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern
(American Psychological Association (APA), 2016). APA also adds that civic engagement and
service-learning are not synonymous terms. Civic engagement includes service-learning, but is
not limited to it (APA, 2016). For example, the specific action of serving food at a soup kitchen
falls under civic engagement, but depending on your motivation, it may or may not be servicelearning. In my opinion, both are essential in truly making a difference in a certain community.

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After graduation I plan to stay engaged with the local community through my church. My
church already partners with a great organization called Newborns in Need that comes together
monthly to sew and knit baby blankets for those in need. I have always enjoyed sewing and have
done some quilting with my mom. While in nursing school I have not had the time it requires to
fully become a part of this great organization. I now have the time and resources to play an active
role with this group. Also, I can try to connect my church with the organizations I have come in
contact with throughout this program if applicable. I am very excited about continuing my
service-learning experiences after graduation.

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References
American Psychological Association (APA). (2016). Civic Engagement. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-engagement.aspx