This semester, I took Honors MUCEP, a service learning class that would serve as a honors elective class in my schedule. I gained more from this class than I expected and I loved doing my service each week.
I served at Coyote Hill Christian Children’s Home with the equine program. Coyote Hill is a safe place for children in foster care to live with foster families. I loved helping the kids tack and groom their horses and supervise them on trail rides. I enjoyed the time with the children and working with the horses was fun and relaxing.
The class also opened my eyes to social injustice through the incredible books we read. In reading “Just Mercy,” I gained compassion for people who are incarcerated. Through reading “Ordinary Resurrections,” I learned the stories of children living in poverty. “Mountains Beyond Mountains” taught me about healthcare in developing nations and “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” helped me understand cultural barriers in healthcare.
All of these books and my service taught me things and helped me grow in ways that I would not have without this class.
You should take a service learning class at Mizzou because you can gain leadership experience, empathy for people in different life circumstances and grow as a student and as a person. There are a wide variety of service sites to choose from and it is a great way to incorporate service into your life. It also teaches you things that you may not learn in classes for your major or minor.
For more information on service learning programs at Mizzou, visit their website.