Service Reflection

Many of the service and volunteer activities I have engaged in have been due to my involvement in student organizations such as Greek Life. Within various Greek Life organizations, I have taken on roles such as Alumnae Relations, Scholarship and Education Chair, Vice President of Programs, and President. Looking back at my time serving in those positions, I see more of a connection to social work than I had before. For example, the role of Vice President of Programs within my sorority of Delta Zeta was to supervise the officers and assist in implementing events for the entire chapter. Responsibilities such as communication with other parties, gathering supplies, and working within a budget are what I engaged in during my time in that position and during my internship this spring. Additionally, I was responsible for keeping the sorority’s calendar up to date, tracking deadlines, and coordinating events between various positions. 
All of these aspects of my Delta Zeta service roles are correlated to the work we do in social work. Time management, communication, and maximizing your resources are all skills that are highly valued within social work and allow us to serve our clients to the best of our abilities. Furthermore, adaptability, flexibility, and creativity are needed within our field of work, and it’s difficult to learn these until you get experience. During my time at my internship, I was challenged to use my current skills while developing new ones in order to create the best possible outcome at my organization. For example, when setting up my own programming, we had to change the day and time from our proposal since there were conflicts with the site. During the programming, we had to adjust to working with various group sizes that encompass wide age ranges while keeping them all engaged. And finally, based on feedback, we changed the curriculum in order to give the kids more opportunities to interact with one another and us as staff members. 
Since I’ve been honing these skills throughout my educational career, I will be able to rely on them once I begin practicing in the field. The foundation I have established for myself has led me to be an organized, knowledgeable, and reliable worker, regardless of the context of my work. As a result of my time in my internship, I’m more open to feedback, I’m willing to try new things, and I’m able to recover when things don’t go as planned. There is still room for me to improve, but the growth I’ve had within four months is a great indication of how much more is possible for myself. As I step into the field, I know that while I may not feel prepared in the moment, I am ready to take on new challenges and experiences.