I learned to be comfortable with ambiguity and to appreciate humanity, in both its suffering and its joy. And I learned a sense of optimism, which came from reading great literature and studying history. These combined to make me believe that I really could make a difference. Just as it often takes years for graduates of these colleges to recognize the value of the liberal arts education to their lives, the service that students do now forms a foundation for good citizenship which they may not even know happened. Bauder feels it's his job is to help provide opportunities.
Some students are really engaged in service.
Others are willing but need to know where the opportunities are and how they can help, a little or a lot. I know that many that I've worked with have gone on to incorporate service into their lives. This article originally appeared in the Winter '00 issue of The Pulteney St. Survey.