Community Building Day Reflection

       On Track Academy is a wonderful “choice” school that gives students with special family, social, or academic circumstances the ability to receive a full high school education in a loving and supporting community of teachers and fellow students. When our group arrived at On Track Academy, we were greeted by an enthusiastic set of teachers who made it obvious that they truly enjoy mentoring students who may come from a harsh or complicated family background. They care a lot about their students, do what is in the best interest of their students, and make sure that they succeed. By serving at On Track Academy, we too made an investment in bettering the lives of the group of about 40 students who attend the school. Even though we didn’t necessarily provide an act of service that left a physical mark on the school, the act of each of us interacting with one or two of the On-Track students throughout the course of many fun and creative activities allowed us to build the foundation for mentoring relationships. 

What surprised me about my experience was just how quickly over the course of a couple hours we went from meeting the On-Track students and being slightly uncomfortable, to talking, playing, and joking with the students as though we had known them for a long time. The students admitted that at first, they were slightly intimidated by being surrounded by college students, but that after getting to know us they felt much more at ease. By our group of students making the On-Track students feel comfortable and able to trust us with questions about college and life in general, we began to build a “community” with them. 

I learned that there are many students who have familial or work obligations that can make typical schooling difficult and leave them feeling as though they are at a disadvantage. However, through people, such as teachers, or even us college students, reaching out and mentoring these students it is possible for the students to surpass their perceived limitations and accomplish anything they put their minds to. As I reflect on my own calling in life to be a teacher, this experience has caused me to desire to work in schools that serve students from low-income populations or difficult backgrounds and those that definitely need a sense of “community,” through love, encouragement, and acceptance at school.

- Krystal Roberts