Student leaders embody Ut Prosim through month of service learning

Residential Well-being's District Three (D3) centered Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in a month dedicated to hands-on community service as part of a new leadership training series.  

“As leaders, it is our responsibility to guide those around us and help them become the best versions of themselves,” said Ian Adcock-Howeth, a student leader in the district. “When we engage in service, we hope to inspire others that service is a priority — that anyone is capable of making a difference.” 

Chris Coleman, inclusion and belonging coordinator for D3, recognized the need for an intentional path for student leaders to practice the competencies of leadership. His team developed the leadership series to ensure their student leaders could become confident in their roles. 

As a part of the semester-long series, guest speakers share experiential insights in the district’s staff meetings to help students understand the qualities of effective leadership.

The discussions help student leaders develop their skills and reinforce the practices they carry out in their roles on campus.

“We are seeking to instill pride in the important role student leaders hold,” said Coleman. “When they graduate to be successful citizens, I want them to continue to grow into the leaders of tomorrow.” 

The district’s discussion of service as an element of leadership led to a month of hands-on learning and civic engagement for student leaders. Opportunities included volunteering with the children’s food access program Micah’s Backpack, donating at a student-organized blood drive in War Memorial Hall, conducting student leader interviews, and helping at the Montgomery County Christmas Store – an annual tradition of the district.   

“I want students to leave here knowing that leadership means being truthful, having integrity, and making hard choices,” said Kelly McPherson, managing director for well-being and inclusion in the district. “The series is an opportunity to be real and talk about hard things, but also to share the joyful things like service they may have never experienced before.” 

McPherson said that after Micah’s Backpack staff spoke at a D3 staff meeting regarding the value and impact of service, student leaders were enthusiastic to volunteer. The following week, a van full of staff members and student leaders visited Micah’s Backpack to work together to pack bags of food for children in need. 

Adcock-Howeth organized the district’s blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross. After writing a paper on the healthcare system in the United States, he was inspired to translate his work into action – making a real-world impact on the blood shortage in the United States. 

Adcock-Howeth says his residents’ involvement and willingness to help others moved him, bringing them closer together as a community. Through his efforts, the drive collected enough units to impact the lives of over 100 patients in need. 

“There will always be a need to help those around us, and we are all capable of getting involved,” said Adcock-Howeth. “All it takes is a little bit of initiative and direction, and you can accomplish far more than you would expect.” 

In addition to offering students opportunities to serve, D3’s staff works to model the spirit of Ut Prosim. The district’s annual trip to the Montgomery County Christmas Store allows staff members to put their leadership teachings into action. 

“It’s important to me, as a leader, that I don’t ever ask my team to do something I’m not willing to do,” said McPherson. “I do it with them.” 

McPherson said student leaders have already begun planning service activities for the upcoming semester. Adcock-Howeth is organizing another blood drive for the spring, which he hopes will have an even larger impact. 

“Once they’ve felt that sense of service and how easy it is to make a difference, they’re passing it along to their residents," said McPherson. “They’re paying it forward by inviting them to serve and doing it alongside them.”

Written by Kyndall Hanson, a senior majoring in multimedia journalism and philosophy, politics, and economics