Working at Forest Manor Multi-Service Center this summer has taught me so much and definitely affirmed the idea that every experience is a good one in that it can teach you something. And as leaders, servants and even human beings, if we’re not constantly learning then what’s the point? Through my time there, I learned that although parents paid a weekly fee for their child to attend camp, these fees did not cover all the many activities that the kids were involved in. So the organization applied for grants as well as had an entire host of donors to help supplement daily costs. Seeing all the good that an organization like this does, it was easy to see that they deserve as much funding as possible. So I one day hope to be involved in efforts that somehow helps non-profits to a greater degree in extending their outreach, whether this be through tax subsidies or more state/federal money being allocated towards these efforts. I feel that when a community has such a positive connection to an organization like Forest Manor, it needs to be given room to flourish and grow.

 
Being a camp counselor/ teacher also allowed me to bestow some of my knowledge gained at Valpo upon the little minds. For my theology course requirement at Valpo, I took “The African American Religious Experience” taught by Dr. Gregory Jones. While this course focused on religion in the African American community, it also provided many history lessons on influential African American figures. I was able to introduce a weekly Black History figure to my class which was pretty fun. We focused on figures such as Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, and Thurgood Marshall among others. I realized this was needed after a student mentioned Malcom X and the rest of the class had never heard of him. They only seemed to know about Dr. King, which to me was rather sad considering the entire class was African American. We also talked about various Indiana colleges just to get them in the mindset of going to college and making that a reality for them. It felt good to actually be able to teach them something considering I did not have a background in teaching.

Being involved in the CAPS Fellows program truly helped me realize that leading and service are not isolated entities not can they be performed alone. It was great to hear the other fellow’s experiences via Google Hangout and actually reflect upon what it is we all are trying to do. It really provides new perspective on servant leadership and how to belong to a cohort of fellow servants. This experience also forced me to humble myself. Often times it is easy to get caught up in the mindset that you’re such a great person for wanting to help others, but when working with children, I really saw that it’s not about that at all. I realized that some of those kids will remember me for years to come and the impact I left upon them-whether positive or negative. This really brings you down a notch and also helped me to focus on doing the best job I can do and always remember that serving is not about me at all, but those in need of help. I intend on continuing to experience as much as possible because I know it all can help me become the best servant leader if I know what to look for. The CAPS Fellow program has definitely enabled me with that.

Before a few months ago, I had never thought too much of working with children. Frankly I had convinced myself that kids were like the plague and had to be avoided at all costs. So how does a recent college graduate end up spending her first summer post graduation with 2nd and 3rd graders all day? Well when realizing that I had been selected as a 2016 CAPS fellow, I was overjoyed. This was another opportunity for me to represent Valpo and gain valuable professional knowledge.  As we received placement options, I began envisioning myself at multiple different organizations, all that would of course be a stepping stone on my career pathway while allowing me to serve. But then I had to sit back and truly think of what it means to be servant. Webster’s dictionary says it’s a person who performs duties for others. Most internships require you to “perform duties for others”, so I figured the definition of service in this context had to have a deeper meaning.

So I decided to search for an organization that would truly allow me to serve others. I happened upon Forest Manor Multi-Service Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Forest Manor Multi-Service Center  is a community based social service organization located on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The center by a group of concerned residents and was originally sponsored and operated by the City of Indianapolis. In 1977, the Center became a non-profit organization and in 1980, they began extensive, much-needed outreach programs to youth and adults. After doing more research, I realized that Forest Manor offered so many services to the community from after school programs to senior citizen programming. This struck a chord within me. This was my opportunity to actually be in direct contact with the community and see tangible results of that service. So after finding my placement location came the task of deciding which area in the organization that I wanted to offer my services. I could have easily been a receptionist but I thought back to the meaning of service and realized that this was not about me at all.  This was about serving others truly and putting my wants on the backburner. Hence my decision to become a lead teacher in Forest Manor’s youth enrichment program. This was a chance to be a positive role model that so many of those children never get to see in their lives. So I put my pride aside and got down to business.

Being a lead teacher in charge of around 25 kids a day is a challenging task.  This is not a job that you can be half-present for. I am constantly engaged nine hours a day and I am pleased to say that it is great! These kids push me to be better every single day. Having 25 young minds watch and listen to everything you say or do really keeps you on your toes. I’m convinced that children are the most brutally honest beings that exist! Four weeks into this experience, I can say that every day brings a new problem to fix, a different child to keep happy, and a new parent to face. I cannot wait to see what the next four weeks brings.