Skyler N. Halbritter

Hey all! I am a little late to the SLC posting, but better late than never!

Name: Skyler N. Halbritter

Year: 2011

Service Activities: Alpha Phi Omega, more specifically I tutor at Matthew Whaley on Tuesday and Thursday, also I went on the Inaugural Spring Break Service Trip with APO to Biloxi, Mississippi

Hometown: Richmond, VA and also West Virginia

Concept of Service: Well, where to begin? I think connecting and forming relationships with other people is the most human thing someone can do. Service is the greatest way to form these connections and relationships because we are sharing an experience, but also gaining a (usually) tangible benefit in return. My life is filled with purpose because I am able to help others. I serve my community by tutoring children who need the extra help and attention, and I serve the world by being a steward of Christian principles which I believe in strongly. Service is a tricky concept because in international settings, we constantly struggle with being able to establish sustainable communities. We also strive to facilitate change, while creating a longterm environment that will not rely on outside help. In the end I think service is about loving people you know little about, and helping to better the societies that we and other people of this world live in. I think Ghandi said it best that "we find ourselves in service others." And that is where I find myself everyday.

Until we meet again,

Skyler

From Brittney Calloway

Name: Brittney Calloway

Major: English and Philosophy

Hometown: I was born in Manhattan, NY but I currently reside in Edison, NJ (5 min from Rutgers' campus)

Favorite Book: I have way to many to name but I would have to go with Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Ramble: I am a rising sophomore here at the college and am involved in numerous activities here on campus but have not done as much service as I would have liked to. In high school volunteering at shelters, foodbanks, Girl Scouts,Habitat for Hummanity, as a tutor all of these were actiities that were in my daily regemine and were ongoing service activities but this past year all the GREAT service opportunities here at the college came to me after the deadline to apply:*-(...however this year I was apart of TCO (tribe college outreach) where I tutored high school students once a week. I am also apart of the organization Aids in Tanzania where I will be traveling to Tanzania in December as a volunteer for the Aids/HIV project. This summer I was also involved with ESL teaching spanish workers English. At the college I am also apart of Judicial Council, NAACP, and William and Mary Model Congress .Giving back to others in need means the world to me and is something I value deeply. What drives me most in all of the organizations I am in, is the opportutinty to help others in need...not myself.

I spy...

Drew Stelljes! 

Hey!

Sorry this is so late! I am in the same boat as Stephanie in terms of internet this summer. I look forward to meeting you all this semester. Looks like we have a fabulous group!

P.S. I'm in the blue shirt in this picture.

Name: Megan Coolidge

Major: International Relations and Hispanic Studies

Hometown: Great Falls, VA

Service Involvements: Students Helping Honduras, CPALs ESL tutoring, and Sharpe Community Scholars

Favorite Book: The Poisonwood Bible

Rambling about service: My parents always did a great job of emphasizing the importance of service to my brothers and I when we were growing up. I think as I have gotten older and had the opportunity to be involved with a variety of different projects, I have noticed that my favorite part of service is the connections and friendships you form with people...whether it is people you are serving or people you are serving with. As a few others have mentioned, William and Mary's dedication and emphasis on service was one of the main characteristics that attracted me to this school. Because of the strong emphasis on civic engagement at the college, I have been able to combine my passion for community service with my academic courses and have been able to put both to use in service organizations such as Students Helping Honduras. The academic courses, service organizations, and people I have met at W&M have shown me how you can transform community service from a weekly activity to a part of everything you do.

Hi!

Hi Everyone! Sorry that I am late in posting; I haven't had reliable internet access for the majority of this summer! But, I am so excited to meet and get to know all of you!

Name: Stephanie Burton

Major: Environmental Policy and Elementary Education

Hometown: Colonial Heights, Va (a little city 20 minutes south of Richmond!)

Service Involvements: APO! I mainly volunteer with the READ Adopt a Grandparent program at Dominion Village Nursing Home each week! But I have dabbled in some other volunteer opportunities through APO at the Williamsburg YMCA daycare and with ARC. I have also been fortunate enough to travel on some awesome service trips! I went to Reynosa, Mexico, in May 2007 with Project Mexico to help build a home for a family there (the picture of me is from that trip). I also traveled to Philadelphia this past Spring Break with the Teach for America Spring Break Service Trip. I'm also a part of the Students for Belize Education Service trip!

Favorite Book: I think my favorite is probably Jane Eyre!

Service: I will try to keep my rambling statement concise! I think that one of my favorite aspects of William and Mary and its students is the strong dedication to service that exists on campus and throughout the student body. I have grown up greatly valuing the importance of service, so I knew that when I came to college I wanted to continue being involved in service projects and endeavors. I think that service should and often does manifest itself in all that one does. It isn't confined to a service trip or an hour long weekly committment. Therefore, the opportunities for service are truly endless!

Sorry this took wayyy long but here it is . . . :)

Name: Michelle Mullins

Major: Government (right now, I might try to double in Latin American studies but I currently don’t speak Spanish so we’ll see how that goes)

Hometown: Hamilton, NJ

Service Involvement(s): Sharpe Scholar, APO, Campus kitchens, CSL, Students Helping Honduras, W&M Habitat 2008 Spring Break Guatemala

Favorite Book: Well, I read a lot so its pretty much impossible to pick an alltime favorite, but the one I’m reading now is Three Cups of Tea and I really like it so I’ll go with that

and the rambling . . .

My concept about service is pretty simple, and probably doesn’t sound all that impressive or intelligent. For me it all about one thing; people. That’s it. Its about recognizing similarities and differences, and embracing both. I think the most valuable aspect of participating in service related activities is the ability to build relationships with other people, despite socioeconomic, cultural, or other differences.

Hi =D

Hey everyone! Hope you're all managing to squeeze the last days of enjoyment out of summer before we go back to school~ can't wait to meet you all!

Name: Jessica Kim
Major: Neuroscience and Music
Hometown: Is hometown where we currently live (Vienna, VA), where we lived most of our lives (Reston ,VA) or where we were born (D.C.)? I'm never really sure.
Service Involvement(s): Campus Kitchen at William & Mary, TFA SBST '08, I tutored at MW freshman year and I would like to start tutoring again either there or with ALL.
Favorite Book: My standard favorite has always been Jane Eyre...but I confess that I haven't been able to read enough lately to have many other options. x_x
Ramble: I think service is realizing that all people are members of the same community, recognizing that it is our duty to make sure everyone in our community has the same chance at happy, fulfilling lives, and acting on that conviction. Service to others helps us broaden our horizons past our own limited points of view and connects us closer to each other. Ways to serve are as diverse as the needs they fulfill, so there's ways for everyone to make service part of their lifestyle. I don't know if my path will lead me to a career involved directly with service, but all of my experiences so far have helped me learn how one can make service part of daily life. I think that's when the world will reach its full service potential, when everyone finds their own way to ingrain service into their lives.