I need to clock my 20 hours of service. National Honor Society requires 30 hours of service. I need to do service because colleges expect it or I’ll stand out from a crowded applicant pool for it. These are true, but at VCHS we want to move away from
service for self to
service before self and chase after our school’s mission – “lives of service.”
Let me give you a glimpse into some of my opening comments to students on Monday. Our theme this year is service, a word closely synonymous with kindness. Community is one of our core values, both the VCHS community and our Vail Valley community. We’re also going to focus on strengthening community through service.
And why are service and community so important to a
Christian high school? For Christians, Jesus set the ultimate example – “I did not come to be served, but to serve…” In some of His final teachings to His disciples, he set the standard by washing their feet (His community) and also challenged His disciples to do likewise outside of their immediate community – “as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to me.”
So let’s say the Christian message isn’t compelling for some. What else might provide motivation for service? Research is clear. Moving from me to we (from a focus on self to others) through service even boosts oxytocin and dopamine levels. Because of that, a person can move from sadness to happiness, stress to peace, negative to positive – simply through serving others and practicing acts of kindness. That seems like a great tradeoff.
However, we have no business serving others in the Vail Valley if we can’t do it in our own backyard -- right here at school. I challenged our students to practice acts of kindness with their peers and faculty and closed with 5 challenges. If you’re a parent reading this, please find one or two to reinforce at home.
1.
We need student leadership (underclassmen too and not just STUCO or NHS)
2.
Mock the minimum requirements (30 hours for NHS and 20 hours for everyone else)
3.
Focus (choose one or two ministries or non-profits) that match your love language or a talent or an emerging interest
4.
Campus cleanliness (one of the greatest acts of kindness to others, especially our cleaning folks). Cleanliness at home (dishes, bedrooms, etc. is a great place to start)
5.
Route service through your sports teams, fine arts groups, or clubs. Do it together. Do it with friends.
You’ll be hearing a lot more about service over the next months, and if you have any specific questions or want to share service opportunities with us, please contact Lori Hixon (
lhixon@vchsweb.org)
, Director of College Counseling and Service Coordinator.
