Many students at Washington and Lee are involved in acts of service. Whether through Campus Kitchen or various clubs, volunteering promotes character and community throughout campus and the greater Lexington area. Getting involved proves essential to living up to Washington and Lee’s values while contributing to a world larger than oneself.
Washington and Lee hosts many student organizations that allow students to engage in service. For example, the Blue Ridge Mile, a student-led organization, aims to support clients in navigating the steps required to reinstate a driver’s license and gain an understanding of the district court and DMV practices, according to the organization’s website. The Blue Ridge Mile is a part of the Shepherd Program, an initiative that works to address the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality.
The Shepherd Program provides students with learning opportunities in the classroom while also offering a hands-on experience through service and internships. If students choose to pursue a Poverty and Human Capability Studies minor, which is offered as a part of the Shepherd Program, they undertake capstone research projects, which connect the goals and values of the program with students’ future civic and professional lives.
Campus Kitchen promotes nutrition and works to address the issues of food waste and food insecurity in Lexington and Rockbridge County. Food that typically goes to waste is transformed into balanced meals for low-income families throughout the Lexington community, according to its website. Campus Kitchen also collaborates with various organizations in the Lexington community, such as the Mobile Food Pantry, to promote similar goals.
The highlighted service opportunities offered at Washington and Lee reveal the dedication and values of the general student body. Not only is community emphasized throughout campus but also in surrounding life outside of the university. The university’s mission statement says that “graduates will be prepared for lifelong learning, personal achievement, responsible leadership, service to others, and engaged citizenship in a global and diverse society.” The university’s devotion to community service helps foster a student body committed to integrity under the honor system. By serving others, students not only build trust within campus but also with their local community.
Volunteering can make a big impact on a rural, underserved area like Rockbridge County. According to the Washington and Lee’s website, Rockbridge County holds a relatively high poverty rate of 15.4% in comparison to the state average of 11.8%.
In my personal experience, I enjoy serving through education. In high school, I led civics education programs with history teachers around my community to teach high schoolers about the importance of participating in democracy. At Washington and Lee, I volunteer with Campus Kitchen in their food delivery program to the Lexington City Office on Youth, where volunteers help kids with reading. The experience is important to my character development and reminds me of the world outside of my own.
Mia Remington, ’28, said that “service taught [her] how to stand up for the underrepresented and how to understand a variety of perspectives.”
She came to Washington and Lee knowing she wanted to be involved in the Shepherd Program to learn more about the local community’s needs and how to serve as a positive force for change.
Mia’s perspective illustrates the sentiments of many Washington and Lee students who choose to get involved in service, emphasizing the unique nature that contributes to the university’s unmatched sense of care and community about one another.