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Service learning
Experience level: Bronze
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Experience: Tutoring different communities
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Duration: This experience lasted from January to May of 2017 at Montgomery College and from August to December of 2019 at UMBC. An approximate total of 45+ hours.
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Description: In the Mathematics Learning Center at Montgomery College, I had the opportunity to interact and teach basic math to students from different backgrounds, mostly underrepresented minorities, veterans, and people with learning disabilities. People that were going back to school for a fresh start. I learned and developed different personal attributes from the latter experience. Personal attributes that were critical to reaching a good outcome; patience, kindness, having a positive attitude so as to motivate, and so on. I was responsible to enhance their knowledge and approach on certain math topics, and there needed to be no mistake on my part because many of them felt frustrated with math. People with learning disabilities required more patience and extra care when been taught. The first experience at MC helped me teach students from the UMBC community more effectively. Nonetheless, having a positive attitude and simply being caring was highly necessary.
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Reflection: Both experiences helped me to realize the importance and satisfaction there is when you help other people reach their goals. Specifically, those people that really have gone through a lot of difficulties in life in order to receive an education. I believe I was able to develop my communication and leadership skills. In addition, I came to realize the great responsibility there is to teach. Especially with math and engineering, since any mistake, while teaching, would carry on in the student until he/she applies it wrongly (Especially with fundamental math). Also, the experiences helped me develop patience and to listen more. In any case, I believe I was able to develop my motivational skills since my job was not only to teach different topics but also to motivate the student and try to change their mindset about a subject. To be able to remove the anxiety or stress that an engineering or math problem may bring, and instead, to look at the bigger picture. I believe these experiences will help me in any leadership role I might have in the future.
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Relation to Grand Challenge: This experience does not have a direct relation to my grand challenge, however, many students participating in the center were seeking to pursue engineering careers such as bioengineering or biomedical engineering. Due to their past circumstances, many were starting their education and needed to pass basic math courses in order to reach their goals. I also believe that these experiences will help me in my engineering career, in general, to be able to communicate effectively and precisely.
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Program-wide Learning Objectives:
Persistence was necessary to help multiple individuals simultaneously that were experiencing different difficulties in understanding a basic topic. It required a realistic vision to help another person reach one’s own level of understanding on a subject, which involved a lot of patience and commitment.
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Core Learning Objectives:
Community Engagement: This experience consisted of helping the UMBC community and Montgomery County community advance in the education ladder. This community involved people from various backgrounds, including many facing financial hardships.
Civic Agency: This experience involved interacting with individuals that represented different communities and social groups. This interaction had the objective of creating a positive change in their attitude towards learning in general. This was reflected through their final grades and participation.
Capacity for Reflection: This experience helped me realize the impact one could have on people when recognizing and giving credit to their efforts, even if small achievements, it creates a change in their mindset and confidence to confront even bigger challenges.
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Additional Learning Objective:
Commitment: This experience required commitment because it is not always easy to try and solve someone else’s problems when one is experiencing problems of their own. Service to the community requires a strong commitment from the beginning, with a clear goal of the positive impact you want to leave on the lives of others.