I have dedicated my time to communities inside and outside of Baton Rouge through extracurricular activities and service-learning courses.
Geaux BIG Baton RougeModeled after Texas A&M's "The Big Event," Geaux BIG Baton Rouge is LSU's largest annual service event, aimed at uniting LSU students with the Baton Rouge community through service to homeowners and non-profit organizations. After volunteering my first two years, I became the assistant director of logistics for 2017. I currently serve as the director of logistics for 2018. We identify social problems within Baton Rogue that we would like to address such as poverty, education, racial issues, etc., and work year-round to address them. By learning more about the issues underlying our community and educating others on it, we ensure that the service provided is long lasting and that a strong relationship is fostered between the university and the Baton Rouge community.
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Confraternity of Christian DoctrineI have volunteered my time as a 9th grade Sunday School teacher at my church for the past 4 years. I serve not only as a teacher, but also as a mentor to high school students. In addition to teaching the Christian doctrine, I have incorporated acts of service into my lesson plans. Students in my classes work on a project year-round to raise money for a charity of their choice. We have raised money for Feeding America, Project Hope, and All Hands Volunteers in the past. The current 2018-2019 class is raising money for Metanoia, a local organization that works to provide physical, mental, and spiritual health to survivors of human trafficking in Louisiana.
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Service LearningIn my time at LSU, I have taken two service learning courses, both of which work to create a partnership between LSU and impoverished Baton Rouge communities. Under the direction of Dr. Marybeth Lima in the Biological Engineering department, I worked with a group to design a playground for an elementary school desperately in need of a new area of play. In addition, I also volunteered through Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) to tutor students with below average reading and math skills.
Under the direction of Dr. Sarah Becker in the Sociology department, I volunteered my time at "From the Bottom to the Top," a community garden in association with the Baton Rouge Garden Alliance. The garden provides fresh produce to an area that would otherwise be considered a food desert. I performed ethnographic research while working in the garden to better understand the needs of the community. I am now interning with the Baton Rouge Garden Alliance to manage the Facebook and Instagram accounts. I continue to visit the gardens regularly to take pictures and to speak with those spending their time there. |
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