"When I first met Kiera through the FYS—X program, I knew she was special, but I had no idea what a large role we would come to play in one anothers' lives. What started as a single hour of weekly on-site tutoring with Kiera at her school, Burke Elementary, grew to be a full afternoon of tutoring and fun each week with both Kiera and her sister. While I tried to make learning fun, the girls reminded me how much fun it was to be a kid, with trips to Chucky Cheese and bowling---they both beat me every time. After five years seeing both girls grow from children to young women, I left Macon for graduate school, but I have no doubt that they will both become amazing women, and I like to believe that I played a small part in that."
Kelly Cannon, '03
“
Tutoring opened my eyes to the world around me and showed me that poverty exists only a few streets away from where I live. It was heartbreaking to learn that children in the United States still worry about whether or not they will live to see the age of sixteen. This service opportunity gave me a chance to meet children who seemed so similar to me, and yet they were facing obstacles that never crossed my mind as child.”
Ashley Hopkins, '08
“Tutoring was one of the few true joys of my freshman year. At each weekly session I delighted in my student's achievements, always leaving wishing I had more time to spend with her. By the end of the semester she had transformed from a quiet, closet-intellectual to a self-confident and daring little scholar. I was imparted with a renewed conviction that even seemingly minuscule amounts of time and love can change a child's life. I have learned never to hesitate in volunteering my time, even in limited amounts, because it is the most valuable and appreciated commodity that you can gift.”
Kathryn Doornbos, '10
Service-Learning
First Year Seminar—Experiential
Interdisciplinary Studies, Groover Hall
The First Year Seminar — Experiential (FYS-X) at Mercer has been a national leader in service-learning by combining service to others with high quality academic learning. All students in the program spend a year tutoring at Title I schools in neighborhoods surrounding Mercer. The faculty that teach FYS-X courses also choose readings and assignments that help students think through the complex nature of issues affecting our society, such as poverty. Additionally, students undertake special projects such as Empty Bowls (raising awareness of hunger in America), neighborhood clean-ups, oral histories and special projects with the school system. The end result is that students bring real experiences to class discussions and are more aware of the conditions of the world around them.
Facts
FYS-X offers community engagement opportunities for students including:
- Community Awareness
- Understanding Poverty
- Developing Solutions to Community Problems
- Direct Interaction with Diverse Situations
How Does a Student Become Involved?
Incoming students should ask to be enrolled in FYS—X classes. These are five-credit hour courses in the first semester and four-credit hour in the second. Each class is defined by an overarching theme and in the Fall students have the extra advantage of a three-day camping trip known as “Wilderness Weekend.” The fall course, is called FYS-X 101 “Composing the Self” and the second, in the spring, is FYS-X 102 “Engaging the World.”
Faculty and Staff Contacts
Dr. Doug Thompson
Assistant Professor and FYS-X Program Director
(478) 301-2017
Bobbie Shipley
Administrative Assistant
(478) 301-2357
