Service is in Waynesburg’s DNA
From the early days of the school when the students molded the bricks that would eventually become Miller Hall, Waynesburg University students have always had a passion for serving others.
Waynesburg University has been living up to its mission statement of faith, service and learning ever since the start of the institution in 1849. Though the school has weaved in and out of having a strong presence of faith on campus and the evolution of the learning styles has changed over the years, the practice of serving others has remained a staple for the students of Waynesburg. One thing that hasn’t changed in over 15 decades is the marks that students leave on this campus. Like the bricks that the original students molded, fingerprints of students can be found all across campus and everywhere that students have left their mark.
“Waynesburg is so passionate in service,” said Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services. “Service is in the DNA of Waynesburg University.”
From their first weekend on campus, Waynesburg students are embedded in the service experience. The Saturday of their freshman orientation weekend is dedicated to serving the community. This tradition started more than a year ago with the 2014 incoming class and is planned to continue on for many years to come, according to Hardie.
The initial project took place at Ryerson State Park. Through a joint effort, the class as a whole was able to clear away invasive species of plants as well as paint and fix up buildings. Then, in 2015, the new freshman class cleared away debris from Civil War graveyards that had fallen into disrepair.
After this initial service experience, Waynesburg students spend the rest of their college career being presented with numerous opportunities to serve others.
The Center for Service Leadership (CSL), overseen by Hardie, is the hub for community service on campus and the place students go to express their desire to serve. The center oversees all of the community service opportunities and service trips that go on at Waynesburg.
“It’s very important for our students, faculty and staff to leave their fingerprints domestically and internationally,” said Hardie, “That’s why we offer so many trips both locally and globally.”
Through the various organizations and clubs on campus, 1500 students, faculty and staff put in over 50,000 hours of community service in 2014 alone. Each year that number tends to grow, according to Hardie.
That number isn’t reached easily, as it takes a lot of effort from each of the clubs and organizations on campus to achieve it, said Hardie. Each student’s contribution is valued and essential.
Waynesburg University President Douglas G. Lee also stated how important it is for our students to serve others.
“It’s who we’ve always been,” said Lee. “A university committed to serving others like Christ.”
According to President Lee, the Corporation for National & Community Service as well as the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes Waynesburg University for the amount of service that the school provides.
During breaks from school, most students at other colleges and universities go home, but the same cannot be said for students at Waynesburg. Mission trip opportunities are available to give students a chance to serve both locally and abroad over their breaks.
The CSL has been finding ways to help incorporate a student’s major into the trip that they are going on. The Bonaire mission trip that is held over winter break lets communication majors get hands-on experience at Trans World Radio, a Christian radio station that broadcasts around the world.
“What better way for our communication department and communication students to use what they’re learning in the classroom, outside the classroom?” said Hardie.
Going on the trip for the second year in a row, Anthony Conn, senior electronic media major, values the unique opportunity the Bonaire trip provides.
“I enjoyed going to Bonaire because of the tremendous opportunities it provided in uniting my faith with my major,” said Conn. “The trip provided ways for communication majors to use their skills in new areas and also helped create a bond amongst our group.”
This year, history majors are going on the Bonaire trip to help residents write about the history of the island.
These opportunities will let students utilize their gifts and talents through a service trip, according to Hardie.
Those same history majors were also able to help locally during a service trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They had the opportunity to learn about the history while also preserving what was left of it.
Waynesburg University is also affiliated with a program called the Bonner Scholars. Select schools across the nation participate in this program and Waynesburg University is one of two in the state of Pennsylvania that offer it – one of the twenty-one in the country. Sixteen students from each class are admitted into the Bonner Scholars Program.
According to Bonner.com, “The founding mission for the Bonner Program is to provide diverse low-income, under-represented, and first generation students with the opportunity to attend college, while engaging their talents and educations in building and supporting communities.”
Over the four years at Waynesburg, students in the Bonner Scholars Program each need to complete 140 hours of service per semester, as well as completing two summers consisting of 280 service hours each.
Austin MacGregor, a sophomore psychology major, came in as a Bonner Scholar his freshman year. He helps out at the local Head Start program and the Waynesburg Historical Society.
“It’s good to have a sense of service,” said MacGregor. “We’re able to show the community that there is a lot of good that can come from college students.”
Both faculty and staff at Waynesburg lead by example and also serve others while spending their time at the university. Professors are often seen being guides and helping to lead service trips both locally and abroad.
Every Saturday during the fall semester, the CSL has hosted a service Saturday in which large groups of students have helped out in local areas around Greene County. This is a part of the steps to get more students active, according to Hardie.
Recently, the CSL added a new feature to the Waynesburg University myConnect page. Without having to sign in to any account, outside partners of the university will be able to post service opportunities for students to access and take advantage of.
Before getting to that step, however, they must first complete a proposal form.
These proposal forms will ask about the logistics of the project as well as the time and date to help better educate those interested in serving.
Hardie said that this will become a great addition to the CSL.
Students and student organizations can also propose service ideas of their own to the CSL in the form of either local initiatives or service trips. It is the students’ ambition that will help to grow and maintain Waynesburg’s commitment to service.
In the long run, service opportunities have the ability to grow into something bigger than originally intended. Ten years ago, one service learning class started a Good Neighbor Program at St. Ann’s Church. According to Hardie, that same program is still up and running in 2015.
“The students saw a need, and they went and made a difference,” said Hardie.
The tradition of serving others will continue on in the future as Waynesburg University continues striving to give back.
Check the service tab on myConnect or stop by the CSL to discover more about service opportunities on and off campus.
Together, between all of the effort put forth from students, faculty, staff and organizations, Waynesburg University will continue doing what they have always done — instilling the ideas of service in each student, so that no matter where they may go in life, their fingerprints will hold true to the mission of Waynesburg.