<p>On a recent visit to my child’s elite college I was speaking with a student who was on her way to a meeting of a community service group.
I expressed my admiration for her good work and admitted that the cynic in me had always suspected that much of the “community service” work done by high school students was primarily motivated by a desire to pad college applications.
Her answer was interesting- she said that for her it had become a habit. She candidly admitted that she, and most of her friends, had originally gotten involved in community service because they were advised to by college counselors. From her work, however, she learned that “it is not possible to help build a house for a homeless person without gaining an understanding of the importance, and of the rewards, of these kinds of undertakings.” She expects that whatever career she ends up choosing, “giving back” to the community will always be a high priority in her life.
Here is one way in which the process itself, so flawed and criticized, is actually helping to build a more socially conscious generation.</p>
<p>I agree 100% - community service was an integral part of my high school’s curriculum. I’ve never entirely dropped it since.</p>