Candidate number: 000213-023
These preceding 2 years within the CASL program has broadened my scope and opened my eyes to issues within my community. I was exposed to service learning projects that could potentially improve the lives of those within the community. The activities I chose to take part in were varied in their intentions and the nature in the way they carried out and demanded my efforts.
The different clubs and groups I devoted my time to allowed me to gain new skills and abilities. As the co-chair of a club I was able to rid myself of the fear of speaking in public, I became for comfortable with addressing a room full of people. I was able to development and improve upon my own dexterity, getting more organized and managing my time well. I through CASL increased awareness of myself within my community and the role I could potentially play.
The new challenges I faced through the program were primarily focused within the area of leadership. As I was positioned in the leadership role for the Friends of Marich club and as well as the Captain role in the Basketball team. My weakest feature is presenting myself in public and commanding the attention of a room. This was the biggest challenged for me, and fortunately I was able to improve upon this.
The planned initiated activities I took part in was mainly part of Friends of Marich, the long term project we took part in was bridge building for the communities in the West Pokot region. In the last two years we have been able to raise enough money to build two bridges and install playground equipment for schools which we partnered with. The collaboration with an additional school is additionally seen in another activity I took part in with the basketball team. The activity was a Free-Throw-a-Thon in which each team member shot 1000 free throws to raise money for a local group named Africa’s Promise which raises money to supply shoes for rural kids. This collaboration combined action and service and was a very rewarding event.
Over the course of the program, I have stayed committed to all the clubs and groups that I’ve joined. I have taken responsibility for any failures that resulted from my absence and/or miscommunication. I have dealt with group members who disrespect the order and methods used to run different events and activities. Accepting blame, failures and when things do not go as planned is an immense lesson to have learnt from this program.
As mentioned above the CASL program has allowed me to look at my community and see where my help may be useful. This has be especially true within my Marich club where I was able to go out and visit the West Pokot region of Kenya before trying to help. Indulging myself in the local culture and atmosphere of the region allowed us to be respectful of the culture and ethnic requirements. We stayed in acceptable dress code and covered our legs when going into town or any public areas. In doing this I was able to grasp a firm understanding of the needs of the people and help without over stepping a social or ethnic boundary. I’ve been able to learn that doing many little things may be as or more helpful than doing one huge thing. Global issues can be solved locally, using global thinking to implement smaller scale projects.
The whole program has allowed me to learn new skills which I am able to value and take with me and implement throughout my daily life. Without this program I believe I would not have had the opportunity to build a bridge and see the life changing effects it had on the community. Balancing Basketball, Athletic Council, Friends of Marich and several side projects I’ve perfected my time management and developed my people skills. The dexterity I value the highest is my leadership, which I can say was never my strong suit to begin with, but over 2 years has developed to be one of my strongest qualities. I believe that the program has allowed me to increase awareness of my strengths, given me the confidence to take on new challenges, plan bigger and better activities in collaboration with different types of groups, stay committed to more than one activity, engage with issues of grave importance and lastly but most important develop new skills.
