*Cant Live With Them, Cant Live Without Them*:A Blog By Jacinda Whitley

       I personally love kids. I am really excited about this service learning project with the Volunteers of America.  I have done several community service activities working with children from the children’s hospital to the school. No matter where I go I get lots of enjoyment working with the kids.

        I prefer for them to be six and under but I can adapt to different ages. I often volunteer at the school where my mom works at in Houston, Texas and the kids there are majority poor African American and Hispanic children. It always makes me feel good to get in there and show them that no matter where you come from you too can succeed. It really grabs their attention when I inform them that I too attended that school and grew up in that neighborhood, and  made it to college, which is a very low percentage.   I can’t  wait to share my enthusiasm about getting a higher education and trying to change the world one step at a time.

      One of my best experiences working with them was during my spring break and I was interviewed by a second grader on middle school and the steps to getting to high school. After the interview all these little seven year old’s ran up to me and I thought they were going to ask me more questions about school. Instead they asked me a million questions about having a dorm room, the color of my bedspread, the cafeteria food and other things. It was cute and surprising that they had an idea about college and was interested in the lifestyle. I felt good that I could give these little children positive advice about higher education and keep them interested in even higher education that I was originally talking about.