Critical Reflection #1: [Please give an original title]
Service-Learning is the integration of academic curriculum and community engagement in which students are able to learn about the root causes of issues that affect the well-being of communities. Service-learning also allows students to work with individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, which increases the learning experience. For example, in the reading, Sensoy and DiAngelo provide a definition for personal and cultural knowledge which “refers to the explanation and interpretations people acquire from their personal experiences, their homes, with their family and community cultures.” With this in mind, it is easy to see how Service Learning students can learn about lives and cultures different from their own. As a service-learner in the community, my role is to be actively engaging with my community partners, as well as bringing knowledge and skills from previous courses to my community partner.
The organization I will be working with this semester is the Ritter Center, which serves no/low-income families in Marin County. These families are also homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. I chose to work with the Ritter Center because I have heard really great things about the Ritter Center from a fellow peer. I also chose to work with the Ritter Center because I had previously worked with Health Hubs as a community resource intern and learned little about Marin County’s housing issues and would like to gain more insight into how the Ritter Center helps individuals affected by this problem.
One of my expectations for this semester is to assist the Ritter Center with its goal of decreasing homelessness in Marin. I also hope to meet people who could possibly offer some advice on my future endeavors as a Public Health professional. One challenge I might encounter is my interaction with the community. Since I have not worked with a homeless population before, I think I will have to find creative ways to practice community engagement without overstepping boundaries. It will also be interesting to see and discover my positionality within this community partner.
In class, we discussed possible roles that we might play in the community. One role I felt very comfortable in was the role of the proud disruptor. As a child, I was very shy and reserved but have since become more open and vocal about things that make me uncomfortable. I no longer fear the awkward situations. I’m no longer worried about standing up for myself or for others. I’m often the roommate who has to stand up for my other roommates because no one wants to speak up for themselves. I don’t like it when people push others around knowing that the other individual(s) won’t say anything. In a sense, I feel like I have become that the younger version of myself needed. On the other hand, I do not feel comfortable in the frontline responder role. I tend to become stressed in many situations and don’t believe that I can react to the best of my ability and in a timely manner. It’s different when an individual is no longer just responsible for themselves but for others. If need be, I do believe I could play the role of a frontline responder, but I don’t currently have the confidence to do so. Hopefully, it’s a skill I’ll become more comfortable with before graduation because it’s truly an important skill to have.
