Michelle Homer

Service: Through the national nonprofit Jumpstart program, I served as a team leader at the Parker Hill/Fenway Preschool. The goal was to build literacy and language skills in young children. I managed other college student volunteers. Twice a week, we went to the school and did activities with the kids to get them ready to read and write.

Memorable moment: It was rewarding to see the kids make progress using more English and writing their names. We sent them on a letter egg hunt. We hid plastic eggs with letters on them in a park. The kids had to find eggs with letters that spelled out their names.

Lessons learned: I wanted to improve my leadership, which is why I took the team leader position. I became a much better leader during the experience. I was so proud of my team.

Horizon broadened: We all became advocates for early childhood literacy. We also became much more aware of the varied cultures in the Roxbury community.

Education value: My service-learning course was one of the most informative classes in early childhood education. It combined the classroom with the social aspects. It was invaluable.

Service to career: I discovered I want to help foster kids who get lost in the system, and I wanted to run my own business. So in my senior year, I started SmileRelief Inc., which connects dental students with the qualified patients they need to pass the board exam. I devote the profits to help fund social programs. This was all shaped by my service learning with Jumpstart.