When Teresa Harms registered for English 102 at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) in the Fall of 1993, she thought she was taking a typical English class with research papers (which she didn't like to write). On the first day of class, her uneasiness about ENG 102 seemingly turned from bad to worse.
I walked into class and the Dean of Students was there, Marybeth Mason (Faculty) was there, and Duane Oakes (Director of Student Life) was there," Harms said. "There was way too many people there for something not to be going on. I knew I was in trouble."
As it turned out, Mason's ENG 102 class was piloting service-learning at CGCC that Fall. Students would complete 20 hours of community-service as part of their class work. Harms wasn't too excited about being a service-learning pioneer. She and her friend Danny sat in the back of the room shooting dirty looks at Mason and Oakes.
"I was upset," Harms said. "I thought I was too busy [to do 20 hours of community-service]."
After some encouragement from her friend, she passed up the option to move to another ENG 102 section and stuck with the class. With help from Mason, Harms set up a meeting with the Save the Family Foundation in Mesa, which helps homeless families get back on their feet. Harms selected Save the Family because of her interest in the issue of homelessness. After setting a schedule (4 hours a week for 5 weeks) with the Foundation's volunteer coordinator, Harms' apprehensions were diminished.
"I can handle this," Harms said of her thoughts after the meeting. "Twenty hours didn't seem like a lot." She spent her first day at Save the Family in the "professional closet" sorting out usable work clothes for clients seeking work. Later, she moved to the office where she answered phones, explained the program to clients, and made sure their applications were complete.
Academically, Harms said her service learning experience helped her in writing research papers. "I had a lot more to write about," Harms said. "It made papers easier to write." She said the experience also helped her overcome her shyness. "I never liked to talk to anyone," Harms said. "By the time I finished my service learning, I could talk to anyone."
Harms was later hired by and continues to work for Save the Family today. She also received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Save the Family Foundation at the end of the 1993-94 school year.
"I stayed because I got used to it, and I like the people here," Harms said. "I found it hard to stop [working at Save the Family]."
Harms also worked as a service-learning assistant at CGCC after completing Mason's ENG 102 class. Ironically, she had to help students just like herself overcome their apprehensions about service learning.
"I thought it was funny that some of the students came up with the same excuses I did," Harms said. "I told them they don't have them [excuses]. I've been there."
Harms recommended service-learning to any student looking to become more involved with their community. Harms herself said she had always wanted to volunteer before Mason's ENG 102 class, but didn't know where to start.
"I think of it [service-learning] as a way to get into the community," Harms said. "They [students] need that first step. The student and the community benefit."
Since the first ENG 102 pilot in the Fall of 1993, service-learning has expanded at CGCC and is now used in various English, biology, communications, humanities, honors, math, psychology, Spanish, education, and reading sections. Teresa Harms is just one of many student success stories of service-learning at CGCC.
*Special thanks to Marybeth Mason and Duane Oakes for help in writing this article.
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