Alessandra de la Osa

Service learning: I took two service-learning classes. “Human Services Research & Evaluation,” a research methods class, taught us about the research process. For my project, I worked with Community Servings, which delivers meals to people with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. I collected descriptive statistics on their clients and compiled the stats into a spreadsheet. For “Social Conflict and Community Service,” I taught a weekly third-grade class through Peace Games, to show children about being part of a community and how to be a peacemaker.

Reality in the classroom: These courses helped me apply in the real world what I was learning in class. It was hands-on experience, and also good for my résumé. I could relate what I was learning in class to what I was doing in my projects. And having the class to go back to for support was great.

Lessons learned: In my other sociology classes, I learned what was dysfunctional in the world. In my service learning, I had a chance to work with organizations that were serving a need, providing solutions. It was a positive experience.

Educational value: My class work taught me about what I was doing in my service projects, and my service fed into my class work. I drew on my statistics project to back up research for my final paper. And I used my first-hand observations with Peace Games in my other final paper.

Future in focus: My work with Peace Games confirmed my interest is sociology in education. Before these courses, I hadn't considered nonprofits for a job after graduation. Now, I'm hoping to work for a nonprofit for two years before getting a masters in either sociology or education.