Student Reflections from the Field

Every month, Center for Community Learning students reflect on their service experiences. The Center for Community Learning Newsletter anonymously publishes some of these reflections. These excerpts offer insight into the hearts and minds of the Antioch students of today.

Working at the daycare center [Precious Gifts] has changed the way I perceive the roles of children. I’ve learned to have patience with them and understand the way they think. Whenever I go to [Precious Gifts] I never want to leave the babies because they’re extremely loving (even when they drool on my shoulder). I honestly didn’t favor babies/elementary school children until I began this job. I have learned that 5th graders are extremely intelligent, and it made me reflect on myself as a child in that grade. I realized that I in no way obtained such an understanding of how things work as these children have shown me.

Sometimes students on co-op write to their co-op advisor to share their news via email or on the back of a scenic postcard. In a recent message to Beverly Rodgers, Visiting Assistant Professor of Co-operative Education, Caitlin Stokes ’06 wrote:

Chicago is GREAT! I love the Field Museum; they are so supportive of the co-op program and really try to make me feel comfortable here. It is such a great co-op, because they don’t treat me like a disposable intern who does all the dirty work. They really try to include me in planning activities, and they give me responsibilities. They are trying to give me an experience. It’s just really wonderful. I wish everyone had a co-op that was so great—this is exactly how an internship should be.

The first week here was stressful—there were barely any other Antiochians here, last term’s co-opers either weren’t here yet or had already started work. It was raining and cold all week; I discovered an infestation of cockroaches in my room (I’ve switched apartments—yuck!); I got lost in Chicago about a billion times; I realized I had forgotten to bring forks and a can opener; and to top it all off, my roommate decided she would rather be in a different state so left me with an entire month’s rent to pay.

BUT—things are GREAT now. This is what I came to Antioch to do, and its so exciting to be getting things accomplished. I can’t believe that I just randomly moved to Chicago all by myself! It’s really too bad that not everyone in the world has a co-op program. I’ve learned so much about life in the past two weeks that I never could have learned if I hadn’t done this.

Not to mention that Chicago is great—I just got involved with Indy Media and the DePaul Student Activist Group. I just sent an email to a peace workshop to see if they need any volunteers. I’m trying to meet people and to stay busy. It makes Chicago less scary. There is also so much culture here! It is amazing!

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