Historian Carter G. Woodson once said, “The true meaning of
leadership is service.” As a leadership
program, the McConnell Scholars Program works to teach us the values and
characteristic of good leaders, and inspire us to become leaders of our
generation. While the scholarship aspect of the McConnell
Program has granted me the opportunity to read excellent books and meet
inspiring people, the Service events this semester have taught me something
quite different. My service focus this semester
has been split between Habitat for Humanity and the Kentucky Humane Society. For me, the Service tenet of the McConnell
Scholars Program has become the most meaningful and worthwhile experience of my
Freshman year of college.
Through Habitat, I have worked on two homes at various stages of completion. At both locations, the process amazed me. Habitat has the art of home building down to a science and the immense good they do for the community inspires me. For 25 years, Habitat for Humanity Metro Louisville has been working with families to build homes that are constructed almost entirely by volunteer labor. I loved watching the new homeowners take pride in the project and their joy at having their own home. The opportunity to help contribute to that joy has meant more to me than words can adequately describe.
Though service with the Kentucky Humane Society can hardly be called work, spending the afternoon caring for puppies without a home was simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking. Every spilled water bowl or other mess was immediately forgotten when I saw a child fall in love with their new best friend. While it was hard to observe animals that had suffered abuse or neglect, seeing them open up to a child with a ball or a treat was beyond words. For over a century, the Kentucky Humane Society has worked to find Forever Homes for unwanted cats and dogs across the Commonwealth.
My participation in these two very different realms of community service has opened my eyes to needs of the community that I might otherwise never have discovered. My desire to continue serving the community has been sparked by the McConnell Center this semester. I now understand Woodson’s connection between leadership and service and know the drive it will take to fulfill it.
For more information on either organization:
Through Habitat, I have worked on two homes at various stages of completion. At both locations, the process amazed me. Habitat has the art of home building down to a science and the immense good they do for the community inspires me. For 25 years, Habitat for Humanity Metro Louisville has been working with families to build homes that are constructed almost entirely by volunteer labor. I loved watching the new homeowners take pride in the project and their joy at having their own home. The opportunity to help contribute to that joy has meant more to me than words can adequately describe.
Though service with the Kentucky Humane Society can hardly be called work, spending the afternoon caring for puppies without a home was simultaneously wonderful and heartbreaking. Every spilled water bowl or other mess was immediately forgotten when I saw a child fall in love with their new best friend. While it was hard to observe animals that had suffered abuse or neglect, seeing them open up to a child with a ball or a treat was beyond words. For over a century, the Kentucky Humane Society has worked to find Forever Homes for unwanted cats and dogs across the Commonwealth.
My participation in these two very different realms of community service has opened my eyes to needs of the community that I might otherwise never have discovered. My desire to continue serving the community has been sparked by the McConnell Center this semester. I now understand Woodson’s connection between leadership and service and know the drive it will take to fulfill it.
- Danielle Robinette (Class of 2015)