A special Feb. 27 dinner offered Elon University students, alumni and staff members an opportunity to share stories from a residential living-learning community that introduces freshmen to campus and regional service opportunities.
Elon University’s Service Learning Community celebrated a milestone anniversary on Feb. 27, 2016, with a “Turning 21” Dinner organized in collaboration with the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.
The dinner brought together more than 60 current SLC students, Elon alumni and Elon administrators for a night to honor the school’s oldest Living-Learning Community.
The Service Learning Community is one of 20 living-learning communities at Elon. The SLC is the only LLC at Elon focused on engaging first-year students in service. Members of the SLC participate in weekly service projects, conduct research on pressing social issues, and become familiar with the Burlington community. SLC students live together and take a fall semester course together designed to help them think critically about service and community engagement.
The SLC was founded in 1994-1995 and has continued to grow each year. Members often go on to hold leadership positions across campus. “The SLC challenged me to create my own philosophy of service which impacts my life and my work to this day,” said Catherine Palmer ‘15. “The community gave me a place to become myself, surrounded by friends who weren’t afraid to challenge and support me.”
During dinner, alums and current students shared their favorite SLC memories and passed on advice to this year’s SLC class. Dinner stirred conversation about the impact of the SLC and what service means to current and former members of the community.
The evening concluded with toasts to the SLC’s future made by current students and alumni.
Current students were able to hear from alumni on how their experience with the SLC impacted their post-graduate plans. “The SLC has shown me direction and taught me how to work with the community to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities,” said Amy Belfer ’19. “It has given me a career goal and lifelong friends.”
Said Sarah Hoopes ’13: “The SLC showed me what community really is and has helped me to remain open-minded and open-hearted in my interactions with my community.”
– Story submitted by Evan Small, assistant director of the Kernodle Center for student programs