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Reflections upon my Community Service
Mount Vernon, Ohio is a small town of around 16,000 residents in a county of around 50,000 residents. It is not difficult, therefore, to get involved in local activities. I have become active in the local Chamber of Commerce, have presented workshops on small business development and business ethics, and have mingled with people at numerous community events. We have a number of local businesspersons on our advisory board, along with business alumni and friends of the university from all over the state of Ohio.
When I served as the dean of the School of Business at LeTourneau University, I had the opportunity to teach the freshmen seminar course, "Cornerstones of Life and Learning," which deliberately involved students in community service. Thus a few years ago I found myself, along with around 20 students, wielding paintbrushes to freshen up a local part. It is one of the ways we help students avoid becoming a "holy huddle" or "University bubble." It helps them—and me—to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others.
I was privileged to be part of a program called Leadership Longview during the 1999-2000 academic year. This program is designed to build knowledge concerning the local community's agencies, operations, and leadership. It was a great way to get to know many of the leaders of the community and to interact with them. Our class service project involved enhancing the security and environment of the Women's Center of East Texas, which provides services to abused women.
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