Impact of Education Abroad on Career Development, Vol I - AIFS

Service-Learning for International Students:Win/Win/Win/Win Propositionby John NorrisPresidentTransPacific Hawaii CollegeI was close to tears <strong>of</strong> pride as I watched this beautiful youngwoman being interviewed for a teleconference on servicelearning. The Pacific Ocean served as a backdrop at our campusin Honolulu as “Makiko” talked about her experiences involunteering as an international student at the OceanicInstitute and the impact it has had on her life. Not only wasshe fulfilling her dreams <strong>of</strong> working with marine mammals,but she was doing so in grand style through a 4.0 GPA in hertwo years at TransPacific in Hawaii and continuing onthrough her Junior year at UC Santa Cruz. This feat becomeseven more impressive when you consider that it was accomplishedby a second language learner.Thinking about “Makiko” and the trials and tribulations sheexperienced prompted me to reflect on our college’s servicelearning program and the impact it is having on the lives <strong>of</strong>our students. TransPacific Hawaii College (TPHC) is a nontraditional,two-year, private, non-pr<strong>of</strong>it college that is 100percent international in its student body with all studentscoming from Asia (mostly Japan). The 281 students constitutea maximum size for the college that is accredited by theWestern Association <strong>of</strong> Schools and Colleges. The academiccurriculum <strong>of</strong> the college begins with an intense English as aSecond Language (ESL) program for six months that is followedby eighteen months <strong>of</strong> credit-bearing Associate <strong>of</strong> Artscourse work, culminating in an AA degree. Ninety percent <strong>of</strong>our students complete the AA degree and transfer to seniorcolleges, primarily on the mainland <strong>of</strong> the United States.Due to our students’ backgrounds, heavy emphasis is placedon critical thinking, academic writing, the use <strong>of</strong> the Englishlanguage (particularly as it applies to academic settings) andsuccessful transfer to a four-year American program to finishthe bachelor’s degree. A common theme throughout the curriculumand a major part <strong>of</strong> the mission statement <strong>of</strong> the collegeis the creation <strong>of</strong> the multicultural awareness essential tocultivating socially responsible, self-realized individuals whowill both prosper in and enrich the global community <strong>of</strong> the21st century.Volunteering has become a key component at the college,beginning as a single course in service learning <strong>of</strong>fered first in1999, and then becoming a tradition with the students.Eighty percent <strong>of</strong> TPHC students will be involved in volunteering/servicelearning at some point in their two-year studywith the college. Several <strong>of</strong> these students will earn thePresident <strong>of</strong> the United States’ award for service to the communityand will completely change their academic focus as aresult <strong>of</strong> their community based volunteering experiences.“Makiko” was one <strong>of</strong> these students, accepting thePresidential award in 2002 for 100 plus hours working as avolunteer at the Oceanic Institute <strong>of</strong> Hawaii. With assistancefrom the college, a volunteering opportunity at the OceanicInstitute was arranged for “Makiko.” It allowed her to observeand work directly with marine research. It further convincedher that the area she sought was marine mammal research, notjust marine related research.Over the last four years, students <strong>of</strong> TransPacific have loggedmore than 10,000 hours <strong>of</strong> community service. Fifty-threestudents have been awarded the President <strong>of</strong> the United States’Student Service Award for 100 hours <strong>of</strong> community service.Numerous students have been impacted by their volunteeringexperiences to such an extent that they have changed theirmajor or narrowed the focus <strong>of</strong> their studies. Thousands <strong>of</strong>local citizens have been impacted through the students’ communityservice efforts.Volunteering is a common practice in most U.S. communities.Including international students in this opportunity toserve and to learn while serving is one <strong>of</strong> the most effectiveways a college can address the need <strong>of</strong> these newcomers tointegrate themselves into their new community in a purposefulway, a way that provides them with a means for gaininginsight into American ways <strong>of</strong> doing and with content formeaningful reflection and language learning. When collegesincorporate a program that encourages volunteerism by internationalstudents, a win/win/win situation occurs. The studentswin by having an accepting environment in which topractice new language skills; the college wins by enhancing itsreputation and contribution to the community; and the communitywins through the services <strong>of</strong> the students who bringenergy and enthusiasm to the volunteer site.With some students, a fourth win occurs when they haveexperiences that open their eyes to future career possibilities.While “Makiko” came to the college with an idea as to herfuture directions, “Eri” had no clue as to her future until sheenrolled in the service learning course and selected volunteeringat a local hospice program. The experience <strong>of</strong> workingwith the terminally ill led her to major in social science witha goal to work in social services in Japan. “Marika” knew thather future would rest with social services because her familyowned a home for senior citizens. She used her service learningopportunity to learn how Americans treat their elderlyand gathered ideas to take back to her family’s business.28