CBS Service Learning students have submitted these statements at the end of their service committments.
The statements are shown with student permission, and provide insight about the value of the program for all parties.
Registration and the opportunity to add second placements has closed for the CBA Service Fall 2008 Semester.
It has been a great semester. I had two placements for CBA Service Learning this semester, at The Fresh Air Fund and Fordham’s Peer Health Exchange. This semester back at The Fresh Air Fund has been even more fulfilling than the last. This is my second year working at the NYC not-for-profit organization, and I have grown to love it even more this year. This semester I also was a health educator, in the Abusive Relationships workshop, with the Peer Health Exchange. I taught high school students throughout the Bronx. I also started this program last semester, and like the FAF, I decided to carry it on for this semester. Now that I was a seasoned veteran at teaching my workshop, it was so much easier to acclimate myself to the intense classroom environment. I feel as if I also became a much more effective teacher than last semester. Although my service for this semester has ended, I am sure that I will to continue my volunteer at The Fresh Air Fund and The Peer Health Exchange in the near future. I am very happy that I chose to work for these two organizations this semester. I really like what they stand for and I am happy that I was able to spread their mission statement as best I could.
Antonio Marchitelli
After having such a rewarding experience with CBA Service Learning in the fall, I decided to continue serving at City Squash this semester, and I also participated in an event for Fordham Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I performed the majority of my service hours for City Squash, which is an organization that provides middle school and high school students from the Bronx with academic tutoring and squash instruction in order to help them realize their academic, athletic, and personal potential. I assisted at City Squash by tutoring middle school students on campus on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tutoring some of the same students I had worked with in the fall, I was able to maintain good relationships with my students and see their progress, which included one of my students gaining admittance to a prestigious boarding school. Moreover, I had the privilege of tutoring and getting to know some students whom I had not worked with in the past. Ultimately, I feel that I have continued to have a positive impact on my students, especially as we have gotten to know each other better and have become more comfortable working together. In regards to my other placement, I helped at an event for Fordham Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I found my service for this organization to be rewarding because I was able to help provide a fun and relaxing day for area children by interacting with them and participating in different activities with them. Moreover, I had fun while making a difference in other people’s lives. Overall, my second semester with CBA Service Learning was another positive experience, and I hope to complete this program once again during the fall 2008 semester.
Adam Milavec
The CBA Service Learning Program has undoubtedly been one of the highlights throughout my undergraduate experience at Fordham. Not only was I able to better understand the socioeconomic factors affecting countless in the Bronx, I was about to do something about it. Therefore, my experiences in the Highbridge Daycare have been overwhelmingly positive and a vital component in educating me beyond the classroom. Not only would I recommend this program to fellow peers, I would be bold enough to say that an education at Fordham is left incomplete if there is no service-related experience. It simply goes along with the tradition of the institution. Thank you!
Wander Cedeno
I feel that the CBA Service program is a wonderful way for students to earn credit for opportunities that often go overlooked within the academic and social lives of the students at Fordham University. It also allows for students to receive more than personal gratification for the work that they are doing that helps to better their communities. CBA Service shows that Fordham University is willing to reward the members of the Fordham community who attempt to uphold the Jesuit tradition of being men and women for others. All things considered, CBA Service is an opportunity that all students in Fordham's College of Business administration should take part in at least one time in their college experience.
Paul Kennedy
The Children Everett Center welcomed me with open arms and showed me the way of being a leader and motivator. The intent of volunteering comes from one’s goodness and the decision to keep in touch with reality. Volunteering at the Center, I realized that teaching doesn’t come naturally and that it’s a skill that you have to learn. One must learn their weakness before conquering their strengths. With patience and a big smile, you can brighten someone’s day. It’s the “thank you” that one receives after a lesson that really makes volunteering worth it. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed every second of volunteering, but I surely realized the amount of responsibility and hard work that comes with it. With the help of my coordinator, I was able to learn random, yet fun things about nature and science. I never knew how fulfilling it would be to make a difference in society. In the end, it’s not about the hours that’s required, but rather the experience and knowledge that one gains from making a difference. Volunteering has opened my eyes to new ventures and has helped me establish great relationships and bonds with my co-workers.
Rebecca Tran
On a very basic level, my experiences at POTS were of washing dishes and making a contribution to a good cause; but in actuality, the time I spent there was much deeper than merely cleaning forks and plates. Although I was not able to have in-depth conversations with our guests, I was able to make small talk with them, which was important to some guests who did not have families to go home and talk to. Also, I found my experiences at POTS to be extremely humbling. The most valuable lesson I learned from volunteering was to be more grateful and appreciative of things most people, including myself, take for granted, such as education and other commodities, as well as fundamental needs like food, shelter, and family. All in all, I enjoyed my time at POTS, and I look forward to another rewarding semester in the spring.
John Giordano
Working with Peer Health Exchange as a Leadership Councilmember has been extremely fun as well as rewarding. I got to learn useful techniques such as classroom management (which can be extended to general group management), how to learn a full curriculum on a topic, and most importantly, how to convey that curriculum to a classroom of ninth-graders. I really got to go see parts of the Bronx that I would have never known existed otherwise. Just talking to the students was always fun. I got to know them a little better and actually provide them with information that will help them make healthy decisions in their futures. This project rarely felt like work. The only tough part was memorizing the curriculum, but the rest was just fun. I look forward to going back to PHE after the winter break.
Amanda Surber
My experience with CBA service learning has been entirely positive. Volunteering in the horticulture department of the New York Botanical Gardens has provided me with a knowledge of plants, trees, and gardening. I dedicated my time and efforts into giving back to the community at least once a week, fulfilling my requirments and gaining valuable experiences. I recommend CBA serivce learning to people who have a few hours a week to set aside for this program. Many organizations provide students with a flexible schedule which makes volunteering manageable. I intend to volunteer and participate in CBA service learning in the near future.
Tolga Suvar
Since finishing up the Hurricane Felix relief supplies at MADRE, I finished my time for the semester there by doing simple[r] administrative tasks. I recently organized the entire back room which may seem like relatively nothing, but I cannot stress the praise I have gotten for it from the employees! I’m about to take a break for the winter season but anticipate coming back in the Spring semester. I really enjoyed my time there and am amazed at how much knowledge I acquired while voulunteering. I also expect to return as an English tutor at ICNY. I can definitely notice the difference in speech within my two partners specifically. Moreover, I have developed friendships with Muharrem and Chrissy that will last beyond our partnerships.
Patricia Morizio
The Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department is the local emergency response unit for my town. My Fire House, Company 2, covers the part of Manhasset where my house is located, so alot of the alarms are especially close to where I live. Company 2 is a truck company, which means we operate tools for overhauling scenes as well as ladders,for the most part. For vehicles, we have one tower ladder, one aerial ladder and one engine. I enjoy being a volunteer in my town because it is such a great way to do community service.
