My Alternative Spring Break Journey: Wildflower Preserves and Marshes

On our final day of service, Friday, we visited the North Carolina aquarium to help with outside renovations of a wildflower preserve.

We not only laid down gravel on the pathway, but also pulled out vines that were growing everywhere. Some of the vines, at least the ones growing on the ground, were Japanese Honeysuckle. Other vines included various types of ivies.

We cleaned out vines and weeds from the wildflower preserve

Our site supervisor was a botanist experienced in horticulture, so it was exciting to hear about her work with plants. I enjoyed listening to her speak because you could hear the passion she has for her work and her thirty years of experience working in horticulture.

I learned it is crucial to weed and pull out vines from gardens and wildflower preserves because it helps clear the path for budding flowers. In addition, without vines or weeds, insects have an easier time engaging with the plants. For instance, bees and butterflies have easier times pollinating flowers and helping them blossom. Without weeds and vines, the soil that is necessary for these plants is healthier and cleaner. We can protect the ecosystem by removing harmful weeds and vines from gardens and wildflower preserves on a regular basis.

In the afternoon, we explored a marsh on Jockey's Ridge State Park. Here, it was cool to see the wildlife and seawater animals that live in the lake. Our week's worth of work has resulted in our learning and understanding of how to protect the environment and its wildlife, and I think it was a unique experience to wade into the water and find wildlife we have been learning about every day.

The marsh we explored at Jockey's Ridge State Park

In the marsh, we discovered baby flounder, shrimp, blue crabs, mud crabs, and anchovies. Not only that, but we also saw the impact of our oyster shell bags. As we opened up a bag of oyster shells from last year, we saw how the oyster larvae attached to the shell, and thus, has been growing for the past year. Also, we learned that mud crabs and small shrimp like to live inside the shells as well.

Shells are an important part of wildlife, too

Visiting the marsh reinforced the impact of our work over the past week. For instance, bagged oyster shells are not only important for helping oyster larvae attach and grow, but it is also important for other organisms to thrive. Bagged oyster shells and the marsh are crucial for our food chain. They are environments for various wildlife, and without them, wildlife would be put on harm's way.

In addition, our planet ought to be well-maintained and protected because it is the environment that we live in. People not only benefit from a clean Earth, but animals do as well. Wildlife, mammals, insects, and sea life are all impacted by our actions. The next time we think about throwing garbage out a car window or letting pollutants enter bodies of water, we should think about how these actions will effect the life of an animal.







All photos are my own.

Leading the Way Through Jumpstart

Jumpstart is a program that provides incoming first-year students with the outlet to transition well into the college life and learn about their community which they will call "home" for the next four years. As a participant, I felt grateful for the opportunity to engage in both community service throughout the city of Ithaca and learn about the Ithaca College experience from my leaders and staff members. Not only that, but for me, Jumpstart resulted in my three best friends today. The Jumpstart program eased the butterflies in my stomach on the first day of college classes and has helped me easily transition to connecting with my peers and making connections with my community and my campus. 

I decided to take upon the role of becoming a Jumpstart leader as an upperclassman because I wanted to provide incoming first-year students with the resources that Jumpstart has given me as a first-year student. For the past two years, I have participated in the same Jumpstart track - Community Plunge - and have bonded with several peers and future colleagues. Being a leader with my best friend whom I had met on Jumpstart one year earlier was a fun and nostalgic part of the experience. As I helped organize the students into groups and sign them in on their first day at Ithaca College, I felt that I had the capability to utilize my leadership skills to grow as a peer mentor and resource for students. 

Me and my co-leader whom I met through
Community Plunge one year ago

On the first day, my group and I volunteered at the Tompkins County Public Library sorting books and celebrating its 50th anniversary. During our time at the library, I was able to speak with individual students one-on-one and learn about their interests, hobbies, and successes. I wanted to implement a one-on-one meeting with each of the students because I feel that it would allow for introverted students to speak up and connect with me. Not only that, but the leadership position I held with the one-on-one mentorship helped me understand the characteristics of my group members so I can figure out the best team bonding activities that would allow them to connect with each other throughout the course of the program. By dinner time, I was able to engage the students in conversation and facilitate relationships that would turn into acquaintances and potential friendships. 

By the end of the second day of volunteering, the group had become one family. Although the second site, Caroline Elementary School, prompted each of us to labor outdoors pulling weed and transferring piles of mulch and gravel, the group was able to bond whenever there was free time. During lunch, we all sat outside and learned about each other and our journeys to get to Ithaca College. The hardest part about being a leader during the second day when we had tedious volunteer work was working to motivate and encourage all of the students. One of the ways I motivated students was through fun music and exciting topics of conversation. During the times we were transferring the mulch and gravel, I turned on different genres of music so everybody could have the strength to continue with their work. 

       

          My Jumpstart group after volunteering at the Tompkins County Public Library on Day One

I am grateful for the opportunity to act as a Jumpstart leader for first-year students over the past year because I have learned much more about myself, the students, the campus community, and the city of Ithaca. I learned that I have the capability to lead a group of younger students and take responsibility over the proper procedures. During the time that I was a Jumpstart leader, I have grown as a community member and a peer mentor; for, the students today still come to me with questions. When we see each other on campus, we make a point to say "hi" and catch up on each other's schedules and college experience. To me, being a mentor and resource is the most rewarding experience of the Jumpstart process. I am happy and proud to have given back to the Jumpstart program, especially knowing that I have made the transition to college a bit easier for the students new to the Ithaca community. 

The team after volunteering at Caroline Elementary School on Day Two

Photo credit: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d3/23/9b/d3239b7b73e6a38f454961a36b1ad985.jpg

To Teach Is To Learn

With all these summer job applications and fall leadership programs, one of the common positions of interest lie in the field of peer mentoring, or tutoring, of some sort. Whether it is in academics, social adjustment, or emotional instability, anyone can provide support to the community and act as a role model for others. 

During freshman year of high school, I grew a strong interest in wanting to mold myself into a leader for not only my family and peers, but also for my community. I hoped I could teach others and allow myself to learn from others in the process. Now, I'd always wanted to become a teacher growing up, so when my high school offered positions as a volunteer peer tutor, I couldn't resist the opportunity. I applied to be a mathematics peer tutor, specifically in Algebra (I find that ironic being that math isn't exactly my forte, but hey, why not?). 

Within a few weeks the head coordinator contacted me with the name of my first tutee --- a seventh grader who struggled with Pre-Algebra. We met up three times a week for 45 minutes to review homework problems, study for tests and quizzes, and understand the concepts being taught in class. To my surprise, being a teacher was hard, but fun.

After the student saw an improvement in his grade, I was assigned a different tutee. Again, we reviewed and studied various material. The pattern continued until the end of the school year, with me being assigned students from grades seven, eight, and nine. I had hoped to grow as not only a tutor, but also a mentor during my time as a high school student. 

Upon entering sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school, I continued my role as a peer tutor. However, I expanded my subject area from math to science to world language. As a high school student, I tutored Algebra, Biology, and Spanish levels 2, 3, and 4. I enjoyed tutoring Spanish the most because it allowed me to practice the language, as well as learn new vocabulary words and grammar. Through teaching, I was able to understand the concepts better since I was explaining them to someone else. As I was helping the student understand the grammar concepts, I, in turn, was reinforcing what I had already learned. I learned that to be a peer tutor means to not only be an active teacher, but to also be an active listener; thus, I was learning while teaching. 

Despite teaching and helping students as a peer tutor, I also got to learn about myself in the process. Before tutoring, I was a shy and quiet student who only knew how to interact with students of similar interests; however, peer tutoring brought me out of my shell. Because I was forced to communicate and interact with students of other grades, as well as interact with head coordinators and adults, I would say that I became more outgoing. I slowly grew more comfortable speaking with others and interacting with adults. Tutoring helped me express my opinions and actively put me in the spotlight as a teacher. When I tutor, I am both a mentor and role model for the student. I feel that I grew as an individual who has strengthened her listening and communication skills. 

Peer tutoring pushed me past my comfort zone and gave me the opportunity to fulfill the role of my teachers. Through my abilities to act as a mentor, I also learned the definition of being a true role model. As I built connections with my tutees, I understood that to be a peer tutor means to also be a mentor in which one can count on. The tutoring experience helped me understand why teachers are often looked to for inspiration and guidance. Many times, teachers will be cited as role models or leaders of the community who provide encouragement, support, and sincerity. No teacher expects one to think within the box, but encourages one to think outside the box in order to express his/her creativity and individuality. I hope that my role as a peer tutor has influenced my tutees to learn with an open mind and accept their struggles while finding their strengths. 

"In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn" ~ Phil Collins

What It Means to Be A Leader

Happy February! I hope this short (and cold) month finds you well! 

Throughout high school, one of my favorite after-school activities was sports. Now, you may be wondering what sports have to do with being a leader in the community, but in fact, there are many reasons why sports are a great way to build leadership skills. Let me take you back to my high school years.

Basketball became a sport I enjoyed playing since I was a little girl. I couldn't wait for basketball practice and for the season to begin. When I entered the upper girls league, however, I found that the middle and high school girls' leagues were combined. This was a surprise, as I have always been on teams where the players were of the same age. The combined leagues had girls from grades seven to twelve mixed together on the same team. Seventh grade basketball was not only a surprising reality, but also a fun year. I guess you could say that it became the year  that I realized what it takes to become a leader.

Being one of only two seventh graders on a team of high school students, I felt defeated. I was unfamiliar to the new league and that made me insecure about my abilities as a player. The first few games of the season were rough. I had to adjust to the new basketball court, new players, and a new team. Being the youngest, I worried that I would rarely see the ball in my hands. That all changed further into the season as we held weekly practices.

During practice, the high school players (our team captains) would help out the younger players and teach them techniques to improve their shooting, dribbling, and passing skills. They would stop in the middle of the drill to correct our hand positions, footwork, and defense skills, incorporating me into the plays and molding all of the players into an efficient team. Slowly, I saw myself becoming an improved player. 

Now, what is the point? Well, I followed their lead upon entering my freshman year of high school as I found myself to be one of two high school students on a team of mostly seventh graders (needless to say, I became team captain). Learning from my team captains, I showed up to practice with optimism and enthusiasm so that I could do my best in helping the seventh graders adjust to the new league. Yeah, it was tiresome and frustrating, but I learned throughout my four years as team captain that being a leader is about patience, strength, and the ability to demonstrate rather than inform. 

The first year as team captain allowed me to really think about the role of a leader. Although most of the time it was just working with the coach and assisting them with demonstrations, being a team captain showed me how leadership skills build character. As I became more comfortable with communicating and interacting with the other players, I learned that to be a leader takes time. Being a leader means taking control of a situation when it gets out of hand and working with others for the improvement of a greater good. By taking control on the court, I was able to communicate with my team in a way that allowed us to work well together during the games. 

As the seasons progressed, I accepted my role of team captain with confidence. Even though I did not win any championships, basketball has taught me about much more than winning. Basketball has given me the opportunity to grow as both a leader and team player. It has taught me that confidence is key and that leadership is the gateway to building a strong character. 

"...leaders will be those who empower others" ~ Bill Gates