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Expanded education
We sat quietly at senior awards night, proud parents of a graduating high-school senior. Each graduate was introduced, and his or her future plans were revealed. “Susan will enter the nursing program at Hesston.” “Kyle will attend Purdue University to study engineering.” “Marty will study communications at Northwestern.” Then the focus turned to our son. “C.J. will serve a year of voluntary service in a homeless shelter in Albuquerque.” It was without a doubt a proud moment for us, but we were well aware that our son was headed down a different path from many of his cohorts. He had chosen to take a year before college and enter Service Adventure. Sure, we were apprehensive. But looking back, we realize C.J. didn’t take a year off from learning — he basically extended his college experience by an extra year, gaining insights and experiences not available to most college students. That’s what Service Adventure can do for a young adult. As he boarded his flight to Albuquerque, the good-bye was just as emotional as when we took our oldest son to college for the first time four years before. And, like at the beginning of a college experience, we didn’t fully grasp the extent of the learning C.J. was facing. Nor did he. The year that followed provided an education not found in any college catalog. Of course, working with homeless individuals and families in an urban area was a rich education in itself. It tested C.J. emotionally, spiritually and physically. The year also gave our son access to a new faith community very different from our home congregation at the time, College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind. Albuquerque Mennonite Church provided a different worship style, different people, and a different missional focus that proved to be a highlight of C.J.’s year there. His New Mexico adventure also offered C.J. experience in managing a budget and sharing in a household: planning and preparing meals; learning how to negotiate and work with people very different from himself; and living in a culture quite different from the one he was used to in Goshen. A year later, as he entered his freshman year at Goshen College, C.J. possessed a level of understanding, maturity and passion that most incoming college students simply don’t have. We could not have been more proud of him — and more satisfied with his decision. Goshen College and College Mennonite Church made much of this possible. C.J. had applied to and been accepted at Goshen College, and the school deferred his scholarships and financial aid package for a year until completion of his Service Adventure program. We understand this to be a routine practice by Mennonite schools. In addition, our church family provided financial support to Service Adventure on C.J.’s behalf. While we recognize that choosing a year of voluntary service after high school isn’t appropriate for every young adult, we recommend it for those seeking a richer college experience. We found it to be an invaluable opportunity for our son, one that helped him mature and focus his interests before entering college. We learned that Service Adventure isn’t a matter of delaying education for a year. Rather, it expands a young adult’s educational opportunities in ways that college tuition can’t buy. In this issue: Features Highlights Viewpoints |
