'Boro Benefactors: Brescia class teaches students to give back

Apr. 14—A class of Brescia University students who have dubbed themselves "The 'Boro Benefactors" have worked throughout the past semester to help make a difference in the community.

The Servant Leadership class, led by professor LeAnn Howell, is part of the Brescia University Honors College requirements and is based in social work.

The goal, according to senior student Cat Bender, is to help students move forward into the community after graduation "with a sense of servant leadership ... so that we can help better serve the community."

A significant aspect of the class, Bender said, is that students work alongside one another to develop and carry out a servant leadership project for the community.

The 'Boro Benefactors discussed many options, made phone calls to local service agencies and worked through the process of determining where there was a need they could address before ultimately deciding on the Daniel Pitino Shelter as their focus. The class collected a variety of personal hygiene items, backpacks and hand-made blankets to donate to shelter clients, according to Howell.

The class received a grant sponsored by Brescia's Ursuline Center for Teaching and Learning to help fund the project and was able to put together 100 backpacks and 30 blankets to donate.

The project, according to student Shane Lowe, was one that not only taught students to give back, but to do so with a community-minded approach, working alongside one another as equals who all wanted the same outcome.

When working in this capacity, student Sarah Pfeil said there were rarely conflicts amongst the group and everyone was better able to collaborate and execute ideas.

"We were all just focused on doing something for someone else rather than what we think we should do," she said.

Howell said the class has been taught at Brescia for four years, alongside another servant leadership course based in theology rather than social work.

She said the class was developed based on a core component of Brescia's mission and commitment — servant leadership — and that a lesson is sometimes better taught by being more hands-on.

"It's not just about sitting in a classroom and learning," she said, "it's about doing."

Now that the semester is wrapping up and the class' service project is complete, Howell said she is proud of the work the students put in and hopes is helps prepare them to be contributing citizens.

"This is a great, fantastic group of kids ... and they enjoyed this immensely," Howell said, "and it gave all of them a sense of helping and how it feels good to help others, and that it's better to give than receive.

"I think it's good for all of them to be a part of that."

Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360