Students Land Jobs through Service Learning Class Experience
Thu, 12/04/2014 - 10:45am | By: Hanna Knowles
Two students from The University of Southern Mississippi have been hired by Edwards Street Fellowship Center, a Hattiesburg non-profit, as a result of a service learning course.
In Community Health, a service earning class led by instructor Vickie Reed in the College of Health's Department of Public Health, students were introduced to community health practices, professional standards, policy and functioning of health agencies.
Ronnie Richardson and Samantha Wells, students enrolled in the course last spring, were hired by Edwards Street Fellowship Center (ESFC) thanks to hands-on experience and their own commitment to service.
“I really enjoyed the class because it proved a previous lack of insight into what exactly non-profit organizations do and the unbelievably huge impact they have on their target populations,” said Richardson, a senior majoring in public health, emphasis in health policy and administration. “The hands on experience I gained from working directly with Edwards Street Fellowship Center left me with a newfound appreciation for them and left me wanting for more.”
Reed said the goal of the class is to work with a local agency and engage students in service. She encourages students to think about Southern Miss as part of a larger community and help them understand that they can give back to their community.
“I am passionate about public health, service learning, and civic engagement equally, and believe they are all intertwined,” said Reed. “Through this class, students got to see how a non-profit can service the community.”
The ESFC, a non-profit on the southeast side of Hattiesburg, helps individuals and families with various needs. More than 1,000 families from eight Pine Belt counties are served by its food pantry. The community health students worked in the center and designed a survey to address why the ESFC fitness track was not being utilized.
“We work with the agency to see what their needs are, and the project the class works on is determined by that,” said Reed. “We don't do a project for the sake of doing a project.”
Upon graduating in May 2015, Richardson hopes to find a job in a hospital administrative setting, such as quality control or risk management. He plans to pursue a Master's in Public Health or related field in the next five years.
Learn more about the Department of Public Health at www.usm.edu/ph. To learn more about the Edwards Street Fellowship Center, visit www.esfcntr.org/.