Professional Writing Portfolio

Niles Rooker

Working With Nashville International Center for Empowerment

Service-learning has progressed my leadership, communication skills, empathy, and educational maturity. Because the projects had purpose and professional use, the incentive became much more than obtaining a good grade. We were placed in groups and given real-life tasks that forced us to collect ourselves and come out with a professional product. Working this way is the closest I’ve come so far to feeling like I’m working for a company and actually a part of the business world (because I was). Working with NICE has given me the chance to surround myself with those who haven’t had the privileges that I grew up with. I was enabled to witness some things that I have never experienced before. A new part of my heart had been accessed the day I spent time with the refugee children. I no longer was in that “ignorance is bliss” state of mind. It was my call to action. I feel for these people and just like us, they are human. Service-learning has vastly increased my understanding of non-profit organizations, refugees, and professionally conveying messages to wide audiences.

Departing from this class, I plan to contribute to the public understanding of refugee crises and do everything I can do to better the lives of those in need. During my time with NICE and in Dr. Overall’s class, I was exposed to several eye opening stories, images, medias, etc. These things have taught me valuable information that I can now confidently convey to others in a professional manner. I remember one video from class that portrayed a young child on her birthday. The video spanned over the course of one year to her birthday again while her country became a warzone. Those images resonated with me because at any given moment, things can go wrong anywhere. A lot of the times, no one can stop these tragedies from occurring. The only thing we can do is show support for others and be there to rebuild.

Though I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t change it one bit, the only thing I’ve found difficult about working in a service-learning course is the lack of communication that can arouse. Granted, we were working with a non-profit company that has many goals and tasks to tackle. That’s why it’s the only issue. There is a lot of information getting tossed back in forth in an environment like that and you have to expect that things will occasionally get put to the wayside. I am truly amazed by the perseverance that NICE has demonstrated. That to me is enough to push through any sort of struggle you may have working in service learning.