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Honors Stories Connecting Honors and Community Service-Learning through current student stories. Follow along as we share stories of five Honors students and their journey of service throughout their JMU careers.

The JMU Honors College mixes students from disciplines and majors across the entire campus. It is designed to create experiences that move students to higher levels of commitment and success. It is also a sanctuary for trying out new ideas and making bold experiments that enrich all members of the JMU community with a focus on experiential learning…including service. This year as a part of Service Learning week at JMU, we will be highlighting five Honors students and sharing their stories of service and engagement. The stories shared depict the opportunities available to students from first-year to rising seniors. Enjoy learning more about Breyana, '22, Kiera, '22, Kaitlyn, '23, Collette, '23 and Sydney, '24!

Don't Delete Your Email! Reading them may provide something unique!

Collette Higgins, '23

Engineering major with minors in Math and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies

Collette dove in head first as a first year student participating in multiple service opportunities which have now led her to being an Alternative Break Leader!

Answering a simple email could change the trajectory of your college experience.

Colette Higgins joined the Honors College in the fall of 2019 and before she even stepped on campus she stepped up and answered the call to participate with the New Dukes Alternative Break. This first experience with Community Service-Learning, was a week-long Alternative Break in July of 2019. She traveled to New Bern, North Carolina with 30 other incoming first year students to assist The Fuller Center. This area has been recovering from the high winds and torrential flooding of Hurricane Florence in September 2018. “I was put into a smaller group of seven students. Our group was one of the largest to work in New Bern and got to assist with multiple projects. I learned about the community of New Bern and how they were affected by the recent hurricanes and the strength of the people who lived there. At my assignment I worked with mudding drywall, caulking and priming.” This experience was so impactful that Collette decided to once again partner with the Alternative Break Program (ABP) in the fall of 2020 for a weekend break. She traveled to Maryland and worked with nontraditional students at a fair through the Arc of Montgomery County which supports individuals affected by disabilities.. She jumped right in helping the attendees and organizations by setting up for the event, handing out information about programs, and services, and cleaning up from the event.

Top left: Collette and classmates assisting with an Alternative Break residing a home. Top right: Collette with a homeowner receiving assistance during her Alternative Break. Bottom: Collette and classmates during the New Dukes Alternative Break in New Bern, NC.

Colette has since continued partnering with ABP to participate in a weeklong winter break trip back to The Fuller Center to provide hands-on support replacing siding. Colette shared this about her second return to New Bern. “In the five days I returned to New Bern I once again got to see the amazing community and uplifting spirit of the members. I also got to work with power tools while hanging siding and inserting windows into the frame.” All of these trip experiences made her realize that she wanted to play a larger role in the Alternative Break Program and this past spring she applied to be an ABP leader and was accepted. She is anxiously awaiting information on what trip she’ll be leading and how she can help make a difference in the lives of those who she will be helping.

"Live in the moment, be present and you'll get so much out of the experience."

In addition to participating with the CS-L Alternative Break Program Collette is an Honors College Ambassador, a Madison Engineering Leadership Development Program member and a part of the JMU STEM Corps. Participating with the STEM Corps she had a transformational experience that helped her learn to “leave your assumptions at the door, live in the moment, be present to get something out of the experience.” During a 4-week program with Second Home, she was assisting an engineering design outreach program with local youth. She had a rambunctious group of three boys and one very quiet girl in her group. She was helping the children build a car. The boys, as you can imagine, were very excited and talking with one another. She noticed the little girl was not saying or doing anything. That was when she had a very important realization. The little girl wasn’t just quiet, she couldn’t interact with Collette because she didn’t understand… “she didn’t speak English. Why didn’t I think of that? She wasn’t quiet, she just didn’t understand the instructions.” This moment provided a great deal of reflection and made a huge impact on Collette. She states “I assumed the little girl was just quiet, I never assumed that she couldn’t understand me. This made me realize in these situations you need to leave your assumptions at the door. This experience really opened my eyes to the world.”

"The Alterative Break Program is great for Honors students because there is opportunity for leadership and growth."

Learning from this experience Collette feels that she has learned “so much about herself, about different types of people, and about lifestyles and circumstances.” None of which she would have had the opportunity to learn about had she not taken the first step and signed up for the New Dukes Alternative Break Trip. “I would recommend ALL students participate in some form of service whether it’s an Alternative Break Leader or anything else.” Her lesson, open your email and be open to something new. “Just try it...you might like it!”

"I'm looking forward to everything starting again (post pandemic), ASB, research team, honors capstone, and my engineering capstone!"

If you enjoyed reading about Collette, '23 then please click now to learn more about Sydney's, '24 story. If you are interested in learning more about the JMU Honors College please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or visit our website. If you are interested in learning how to get involved in JMU Community Service-Learning follow them on social Facebook and Instagram or visit their website.

Story written by Tammy Steele, MPA, '22