DEVON ROLLER

My name is Devon Roller and I am in my third semester at Berkshire Community College. I decided to become involved with service learning in the spring semester of 2010 working at Conte Community School in Pittsfield. Even though Conte was not on the list of schools to do service learning, I was very interested in going to this school. After meeting with Donna Leep, the principle of Conte, she decided to allow me to tutor in the school. I was placed in third grade with one particular student who was behind academically. After my fifteen hours were completed I realized how much I loved being with the students and decided to stay until the end of their school year. I completed 98 ½ hours at Conte and went on to do Conte’s Science S.M.A.R.T. Camp in July. Conte Community School is now on the list of schools for service learning.

I am now an AmeriCorps Student Leader in service working for the Service Learning Office as well as a full time College Student at Berkshire Community College. I also hold a part time job as a dietary aide at Hillcrest Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. I am majoring in Human Services and looking to become a social worker, planning to transfer after the spring semester of 2011. Before my service learning experience I was sure of becoming a substance abuse counselor and then going on to become a probation office, but my service learning experience made me realize how much I love working with kids. I have now found that whatever path I choose in social work will be related to working with kids. I am now at Conte Community School doing my Human Services internship with fourth and fifth graders which will go on until the end of the semester and I will most likely continue volunteering there afterwards. Service learning has definitely changed my life and I am very grateful for having the opportunity to have experienced what I did. Mary Parkman is awesome and so is service learning!

BEATRIZ PEREIRA

About ten years ago I immigrated to the United States from Colombia, South America. I landed in Lenox, Massachusetts where I attended Lenox middle school for the remainder of my fifth grade year. From Lenox I moved to Pittsfield where I to both Morris middle school and Herbert middle school. Then I entered Pittsfield High school where I entered both cosmetology and Culinary for my freshman and sophomore years. On my Junior and Senior years I focused my studies in the Allied Health program where I was placed in rotations for various locations. In one rotation, I was placed in Mount Greylock nursing home, where I was rotated around among their coworkers to see what options I had available within that field. I was moved from activities to cleaning, I learned the names of some of the patients and we were asked to keep a journal of our activities.

 After a month I was placed in Dr. Flores office at 510 where I was the nursing assistant to Debby Quintero. I learned to do office work- photocopies of certain information, answering phones, making appointments, and doing some translations. It was during my high school career that I participated outside of the school in St. Joseph’s church, I was going to the Hispanic mass there. I volunteered to do interpretations and translation when the Flu Clinic was around and when Attorneys’ came to talk about Immigration and what could be done for some of the parishioners there. Because of this past experiences I have decided to become part of the Learning Service team where I work at the Service Learning Office, so if you see me around ask me about our services. Anyway, this way I can give back to the city that accepted my family and me with open arms. I also can do what I do best– learn more skills.

MICHAEL VAN DEUSEN

My name is Michael Van Deusen and I am a newly appointed student leader in the Service-learning program here at Berkshire Community College. I am seeking degrees in both Fire Science and Spanish as a foreign language here at BCC. When I graduate in the spring of 2011 I hope to continue my education and achieve my bachelor’s in Fire Protection Engineering at the University of New Haven. I enjoy paintball, basketball, and hanging out with friends on the weekend.

In the Service-learning program BCC students go out into the community to tutor on a volunteer basis. Students benefit from giving back to the community and the experience gives them the opportunity to pass on what they have learned in the classroom. I completed my Service-learning project during the Spring semester of 2010. I tutored Spanish, at Egremont middle school, to Mrs Ricci ‘s third grade class. What I learned from my experience as a Service-learner was that the way you teach the subject matter is just as important if not more so than the subject itself. Making exercises and learning fun for students is critical in making that knowledge stick. To me the most important thing to remember about the Service-learning program is that it takes proper time management to balance volunteer work, school work, and free time. Though demanding, the Service-learning program is rewarding and is one of the greatest aspects of college life here at BCC.