Campbellsville University

CU First-Year Experience celebrates Servant Leadership projects

CU First-Year Experience celebrates Servant Leadership projects

04/27/2012

Lauren Oliver, a freshman of Crestwood, Ky., and Jessie Harden, a freshman of Campbellsville, play bingo with residents of Grandview Nursing Home for their servant leadership project with Dale Furkin's class. The class visited once a week during the spring. From left are: Raymond Walter, Francis Bright, Oliver, Harden, and Johna Roby. (Campbellsville University Photo by Sarah Ames)

 Lauren Oliver, a freshman of Crestwood, Ky., and Jessie Harden, a freshman of Campbellsville, play bingo with residents of Grandview Nursing Home for their servant leadership project with Dale Furkin’s class. The class visited once a week during the spring. From left are: Raymond Walter, Francis Bright, Oliver, Harden, and Johna Roby. (Campbellsville University Photo by Sarah Ames)

April 27, 2012
For Immediate Release

 

By Christina L. Kern, office assistant and Natasha Janes, student news writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - “Thank you for not only serving us, but allowing us to serve,” Michael Jennings, a freshman of Edmonton, Ky., said to Dr. Michael V. Carter, president, and Campbellsville University's freshmen classes in a service celebrating servant leadership.

Campbellsville University's First-Year Experience (FYE) classes participated in servant leadership projects throughout the spring semester and shared their experiences in a celebration service. The service was a time of recognition for the students' accomplishments throughout the year.

The celebration was also a symbolic point of the completion of the academic year and to launch the students into their second year at Campbellsville University.

Hannah Clark of Winchester, Tenn. straightens items at the Central Kentucky Crisis Pregnancy Center. Dr. Candace Hansford's FYE class also painted. (Campbellsville University Photo by Ashley Wilson)
 Hannah Clark of Winchester, Tenn. straightens
items at the Central Kentucky Crisis Pregnancy
Center. Dr. Candace Hansford's FYE class also
painted. (Campbellsville University Photo by
Ashley Wilson)

There were 23 FYE classes this year, and they all completed a service-learning project, some of which presented their project during the celebration service.

Jennings said, “We've learned how to be servant leaders, so let's put it into practice. We've become a part of something greater. We've picked up a passion to learn, to serve and to live. Let's start a chain reaction of challenge.”

Kalyn Barnett, a freshman of Burkesville, Ky., and Autumn McKinley, a freshman from Somerset, Ky., presented the service learning project their class completed which included helping at the Central Kentucky Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Taylor County Elementary after-school program.

Barnett and McKinley emphasized their class was impacted by “realizing we could take a few hours out of the week to impact others.”

Arianna and Ariella Snyder, freshmen of Mt. Sherman, Ky., discussed how their class helped lay a foundation of knowledge for students about the environment. This class presented a rain garden barrel presentation to a group of students in the gifted-and-talented program at Campbellsville Middle School, and held an Earth Day celebration event, which included planting shrubs on CU's campus.

They said, “Even the smallest difference can make the biggest change.”

Kaitlin Bryan, a freshman of Alexandria, Ky., discussed the service project her class completed which consisted of helping at Mt. Gilead Church host the Agape shop, where members from the community can shop for needed items for free.

CU students work with Taylor County Head Start children in the CU pool. (Campbellsville University Photo by Ashley Wilson)
 CU students work with Taylor County Head
Start children in the CU pool. (Campbellsville
University Photo by Ashley Wilson)

Bryan said “when you can share God's love through service, you have the desire to serve more. Servant leadership begins with the desire to serve.”

Carter, president of Campbellsville University, encouraged the first-year students to continue their acts of service because if it is not seen at a Christian University, then Campbellsville is no different from any other schools. He told the students he hoped their service projects had touched a part of their hearts that they didn't know was there to be so in touch so Christ can touch them and motivate them to do more service.

Carter also said, “We find ourselves by serving others and serving God.”

Carter explained the difference in a Christian university like Campbellsville University is the “heart of Christ.” He hopes each freshman has “tapped that part of your heart you didn't know was there, and got in touch with that part of your heart so Christ can touch you, guide you and motivate you.”

Other service learning projects include: working with and tutoring at various after-school programs, serving at nursing homes, helping at animal shelters, developing a sports workshop for children, environmental and maintenance projects and hosting a dinner theater fundraiser.

The FYE class is required for all first-time students of Campbellsville University, and the goal is to assist new degree-bound students. The purpose of this class is to maximize the students' potential to achieve academic success and adjust responsibly to the individual and interpersonal challenges of college life. Students are assisted in the areas of academic persistence, social integration and spiritual formation.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.