A Reflection on My Service Learning Project: Opportunities and Benefits

Service learning presents students with invaluable opportunities to cultivate their civic engagement skills. By collaborating with community members, students, or anyone else, they can elevate their collective, organizational, and interpersonal proficiencies. Moreover, they can acquire vital experience by collaborating with diverse individuals within their communities. For my service learning project, I seized the opportunity to volunteer at Southeast Asian Literacy, a nonprofit organization that empowers Southeast Asian refugees in Milwaukee, enabling them to become active participants in this diverse, vibrant community. The organization's mission focuses on fostering educational and social competencies, nurturing future community leaders, and inspiring forthcoming generations.

Upon entering the building, I was greeted by a multitude of children hailing from different countries. Although the program welcomes all students, I noticed a significant number of young children from kindergarten to high school. Inside the building, a warm ambiance prevailed, occasionally enlivened by cheerful chatter. To accommodate older students seeking a quieter environment, the conference room, computer room, or a larger meeting space downstairs was available. A noticeboard caught my attention, offering volunteers the option to work with their regular students promptly. However, if the assigned student had not yet arrived, the volunteer could select a student from the sign-up board.

During orientation, they familiarized me with the volunteer procedures and provided valuable tutoring tips. Subsequently, I was paired with a Rohingya student who shared the same language as me, aiming to create a comfortable environment where understanding English was easier for them. Engaging in conversation and connecting with the students was a fundamental aspect of the tutoring process, aimed at instilling a sense of ease and fostering support. Such interactions played a crucial role in helping children develop fluency. We spent two hours working on her homework before both of us filled out a progress report in her folder.

The next day, I had the opportunity to assist another Rohingya student from Malaysia, who had very limited English proficiency. She expressed immense stress due to the overwhelming amount of homework and a sense of helplessness in seeking assistance. I offered her words of encouragement, assuring her that she was not alone, as many refugees in the United States had faced similar struggles. Mastering a new language and adapting to a new environment took time, practice, and self-care. After two hours of working together on her assignments, her face lit up with a big smile, proud of her accomplishments. She was elated to find someone who spoke the same language as hers, which was Rohingya.

In our lives, social groups play a pivotal role in bringing organization and structure. Within these groups, we establish our social networks. Social networking entails using internet-based social media platforms to connect with friends, family, classmates, customers, and clients. It serves both social and business purposes and occurs on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others. For instance, I discovered this organization through my sister, who had met the coordinator at her workplace and communicated with her. The agency instructed us to fill out the volunteer application online, and after completing it, my sister and I spent two days volunteering at the organization. This, indeed, exemplifies the power of social networking, connecting people for various purposes, including gaining knowledge and supporting one another.

Undoubtedly, this service-learning project has been profoundly meaningful for me, as it provided an opportunity to assist refugee individuals who face numerous challenges. As an immigrant refugee myself, I can relate to the struggles that refugee students endure, having experienced similar obstacles in the past. Volunteering at this organization opened my eyes to the immense support and aid they require. Even a small gesture can brighten a person's day and potentially alter a child's perception of their future. Each individual possesses the power to make a difference, no matter how small that contribution may be.