Service:
Through the Cornerstone Course, I taught a Junior Achievement Kindergarten classes at Wilson Elementary School and helped organize the Annual Wilson Elementary Carnival. Our Cornerstone team secured corporate sponsorships to help fund the carnival, enlisted volunteers to assist the day of the carnival, and helped coordinate the event. In the end, we taught 50 Junior Achievement lessons and raised over $5,000 in cash and gifts for the carnival.

Memorable Moment:
Being able to enjoy the result of a semester of hard work at what Wilson Elementary called their best carnival ever. Also, being asked to play carnival games with my happier-than-ever JA students.

Lessons Learned:
All the JA classes I've taught throughout my college career have exposed me to the state of our public education system. As a teacher, rather than an observer, you gain a better understanding of the students' abilities, backgrounds, and needs. Many times, I was shocked to learn about issues, like racial divide, education gap among students, resources to deal with special needs, and lack of funding, that teachers and schools struggle with on a daily basis. As I reflected on all the classes taught by BHC students through the JA program, I'm motivated by the fact that a consolidated effort is an excellent approach to improving our public education system.

Horizon Broadened:
In high school, I had to complete a certain number of hours of community service in order to graduate. Even though I didn't mind doing the service, I was never fully engaged in it. I now realize the key ingredient that was missing was reflection. The BHC's service learning approach reshaped my attitude and tone towards service. By reflecting on the personal lessons received from service, such as JA, I was able to personalize my experiences and reach profound discoveries about our community. In doing so, I am encouraged to find solutions to problems and enlist others in helping to improve our community.