Rejection sensitivity is something many people experience, but for some, especially gifted children and those with ADHD, rejection can be overwhelming. Dr. Katie Bellon, a licensed clinical psychologist who’s worked with kids, teens, and adults, recently shared her thoughts on this topic at Mackintosh Academy. She gave some great tips for parents and caregivers. You can watch the video on YouTube or read on for a summary.

What is Rejection Sensitivity?

Rejection sensitivity refers to a heightened emotional sensitivity to rejection, whether it’s real or perceived. It’s normal to be a bit wary of rejection in social situations, but some people feel this way more strongly. Dr. Bellon explained that gifted kids and those with ADHD are especially vulnerable because they’re emotionally sensitive and aware of social issues.

For these kids, even small things like a friend’s casual comment or a teacher’s honest feedback can trigger a fight-or-flight response. This reaction often feels way out of proportion to the situation, leaving parents puzzled by their child’s intense emotional outbursts or withdrawal.

The Role of Emotional Reasoning

Emotional reasoning, which is mistaking feelings for facts, poses a significant challenge for rejection-sensitive individuals. For instance, a child might mistakenly believe, “No one likes me,” after a friend rejects an invitation, despite the friend’s valid reason. This distorted thinking can perpetuate negative self-images and hinder personal growth.

Dr. Bellon stressed the importance of helping kids understand and challenge their emotional thinking. Parents can help their kids by giving them a different story, like, “Your friend couldn’t come over because they had another thing to do, not because they don’t like you.” This way, kids can change how they see these experiences and become stronger.

Kids who are sensitive to rejection can react in two ways: they can act out or they can feel sad and ashamed. Acting out can mean lying, blaming others, or getting angry. These reactions are usually quick and easy to spot. For example, a kid might lie about doing their homework to avoid disappointing their parents, even though the lie makes things worse.

Feeling sad and ashamed is different. In this case, children may withdraw, criticize themselves, or feeling bad about themselves. These reactions can be harder to see, but they can be just as hurtful. Dr. Bellon noted that it’s important to notice these patterns and help kids deal with their feelings.

How ADHD and Social Media Make Things Worse

Kids with ADHD can have even more trouble with rejection sensitivity because they have difficulty controlling themselves and paying attention. Dr. Bellon said that children with ADHD might get up to 20,000 more negative comments by the time they’re 10 years old compared to other children. This constant criticism can make them feel worse about themselves and increase their  rejection sensitivity.

Social media makes things even harder. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok can make kids feel left out or hurt by comments. For kids who are sensitive to rejection, these feelings can be just as bad as being rejected in person.

How Parents and Caregivers Can Help

Dr. Bellon gave some tips to help kids build emotional strength:

1. Show unconditional love and appreciation: Even when your child is acting out, make sure they know you value them. Celebrate their efforts, not just their achievements.
2. Praise the process, not just the outcome: Gifted children, in particular, can get too caught up in perfection. By praising their effort and persistence, you can help them develop a growth mindset.
3. Create a safe space for mistakes: Normalize failure by sharing your own mistakes and modeling resilience. Encourage your child to take risks and view setbacks as opportunities for growth.
4. Teach self-regulation skills:  Help your child find calming strategies like deep breathing or using a sensory tool like a glitter jar. Practice these techniques during calm moments so they’re easier to use when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
5. Foster open communication: Encourage your child to talk about their feelings and experiences. Use open-ended questions to help them reflect on their emotions and develop problem-solving skills.

Dr. Bellon also shared her own experience with rejection sensitivity, saying that parenting a child with ADHD helped her understand her own emotional patterns. She encourages parents to think about their own sensitivities and how they might affect their reactions to their child’s behavior.

Rejection sensitivity can be tough for parents of gifted children and those with ADHD, but with understanding and support, children can learn to manage their emotions and build resilience. By creating a nurturing environment, modeling healthy coping strategies, and celebrating your child’s unique strengths, you can help them thrive in the face of life’s inevitable rejections.

Dr. Bellon’s insights remind us that while rejection is a part of life, how we respond to it can make all the difference. With patience, empathy, and intentional support, we can help our children develop the emotional tools they need to navigate the complexities of relationships and self-worth.

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By Lillian Henricks, PsyD.

At the recent Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented conference Drs. Amy Graefe and Jenny Ritchotte from UNC spoke on how families can contribute to the resilience of their gifted children. This resonates deeply with an understanding of resilience as a strength that develops and is sustained in relationships rather than in isolation. It is encouraging that supporting children to access their own resources and strengthening our relationship with our children can work in tandem.  

Teaching resilience within the context of relationships emerges in What Parents Need to Know About Children, by Stan Ferguson. He highlights how affirming but non-evaluative presence and attention respects and elicits a child’s inborn self-agency. What children really need is “to be simply noticed, appreciated for who they are right now.”  Our attention communicates to them their worth and value; their perception of our delight, interest and enjoyment bolsters their sense of self.   

Practically speaking this means taking time to just notice what your child is doing. Ferguson describes a twelve year old boy, reluctant to talk, who is playing video games.  After some time of quietly observing nearby, Ferguson began commenting on the boy’s strategy.  Ferguson did not praise, criticize, question or give advice; he did note moves, developments, challenges, efforts and outcomes. The boy eventually started to open up and interact with Ferguson.  

Deliberately refraining from praise, criticism, or questions can also enhance how we listen to our children. We cannot enact this all the time, of course, but we can sometimes be more intentional about observing and commenting on our children’s experiences as they unfold. This unobtrusive focus can help deepen and extend the child’s experience, whereas telling the child that something is good or bad can truncate that experience.  Alternatively, we can unwittingly shape a child’s experience if the child changes courses to please us based on our positive or negative reinforcement.

Another opportunity to refrain at times is when a child asks for help in doing something that he or she could conceivably do independently with practice, effort or perseverance. Ferguson describes how hard it was for him to do this the first time with his own daughter. She was trying to get a plastic dart gun to work. Painfully, Ferguson did not show her how to work it, but rather “puzzled” with her, wondering aloud how it works. Over time he was able to rejoice with her after she figured it out all by herself.  

It’s a balancing act to know when to intervene with our children and when to let things develop naturally with the support of our presence and non-evaluative attention.  We certainly don’t want to increase unhealthy frustration.  However, we can persevere in trying to strike a healthy balance, knowing that we and our children are both growing through the process.

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By Lillian Henricks, PsyD.

When Covid-19 started we questioned what we can do to stay healthy, trying to focus on what is in our control rather than what is not. Now, amidst unrest and political polarities we can ask ourselves a similar question — what is within my capacity facing these circumstances? How can I respond and in so doing teach my children to do so? Can I indeed respond and not react?  

Often our own thoughts are not even in our control. This is why cognitive therapy is so prominent. And although our words and behavior are more under our control, these often depend on our level of understanding and our capacity of will to make choices freely, both of which are vulnerable to weakness. Lest we give up hope, however, seeking to know things more clearly and to choose more freely is a lifelong journey. 

What might this process of seeking and choosing look like in these times? We could step back from the rhetoric and focus on our common humanity, modeling this to our children. We can try to refrain from blame or stereotype, even when there are easy targets. We could take into consideration that every person is formed by heritable factors and environmental circumstances, many outside of the individual’s control. With this said, there are reasons why that person experiences and views the world so differently than I do – physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual reasons, among others.

Can we aim to embrace that person, so utterly different than ourselves, resisting the temptation to vilify them when this is what is preeminent and such vilification sells news? Can we strive to have mercy and compassion, hoping that if these persons are genuinely harming themselves and others that they can be free of this behavior? Can we love and forgive them, remembering that doing so in no way agrees with or permits illicit behavior?

Such a tall order! As I sip Sleepytime tea from my Mackintosh mug so generously provided by the Parent Council, I am reminded how at Mackintosh we strive to develop Keen Minds, Compassionate Hearts and Global Action within our students. May we follow your lead as primary educators in this regard. What beautiful children you have!  As we find our way together through these circumstances may we remember that it is in our capacity to seek understanding and to choose love, despite the pull to the contrary and despite our own inadequacies. In this endeavor may we enhance our children’s beauty as they learn from us to do the same.

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By Lillian Henricks, PsyD.

As we re-group for another year of learning together, I want to introduce you to a tool that some teachers are using with classes for Social Emotional Learning this year. The tool is a story-writing process called The Imagine Project in which students can write Imagine Stories.  Using this very simple framework, students write personal stories about a life challenge, starting each sentence with the word Imagine. The process alternates between celebrating strengths and positives, on the one hand, with processing a difficulty, on the other, ending on a very positive and future-oriented note.  The framework is quite flexible and can be applied in any number of ways. Mack Art Teacher Christy Allen found a way to incorporate it into some Visual Arts classes recently and found it really fruitful. 

Writing an Imagine Story is a reflective process that helps students reframe difficulties and grow in resilience. Children become familiar enough with the process to use it over and over again. There is no one story or a right story; rather, our lives are full of stories. Students also have the opportunity to read stories out loud if they wish. Research suggests  that sharing the stories in the classroom is a powerful way to increase understanding and empathy among students. 

Please check out the website theimagineproject.org for more information. Given the uncertainties and stressors of this unique time, we thought this would be a wonderful outlet for us to use as a community. You can also use this tool at home with your children. When children become familiar with the process, you can encourage them to write or tell an Imagine Story in relation to tricky circumstances; the opportunity to reflect and express is so healthy.  

As adults and parents this process is equally valuable.  How often do we give ourselves the gift of slowing down to integrate a difficult experience so as to move forward with more insight, peace, and hope? This process is not only a gift to ourselves but also to family members whom we impact in more ways than we know. 

With regard to supporting ourselves in ways that keep giving, feel free to also consider an upcoming parenting group that is being offered through Birch Psychology. The group, starting next week, is aimed at parents of children age 5-12. In addition to providing an opportunity to connect with other parents, psychologists will offer particular skills to help parents better address the ups and downs of parenting.  Please find more information on Parent Support Group (Elem Middle).    

In addition, we wanted to share an upcoming webinar presented by SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted). Heidi Molbak is a longtime SENG professional and national expert in advising families on school and therapeutic placements for gifted young people. Her webinar teaches you how to identify and evaluate key criteria when considering an out-of-home setting for your child, demystifies the process and the programs, and reviews resources to help make an appropriate decision. You can find more information here.

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By Lillian Henricks, PsyD, Mackintosh School Counselor

As we separate for summer vacation let us all continue to fly the flag of compassion.  There were so many lovely demonstrations of compassion in the sixth graders’ service component of the Exhibition. Continuing some element of service to family, friends, neighbors and strangers will do us all good. Amidst ongoing Covid-19 anxiety, rather than constrict, let us expand in ways that are physically safe and healthy, but also allow for connection with others. We can do this with the trust that in giving we receive in tangible and intangible ways, and that our happiness correlates with attentiveness to the needs of others. 

In addition to outward compassion, let us practice compassion within our homes.  The Latin etymology of compassion is “to suffer with.” We are all suffering or have suffered from change, ongoing isolation, and the loss of expected events and activities (and, more importantly, the loss of loved ones). We are suffering with our own limitations as parents and with those of our children, all of which make family life challenging. The word patience comes from the Latin patiens, meaning “I am suffering.” The first person voice is notable. Growing in patience entails expanding our ability to suffer with the imperfections of self, other, and circumstance, as well as accepting the loss of what should still be present. This correlates with flexibility or even malleability if we consider the role that circumstances have in forming us.  A key word for a Mackintosh learner is flexible. 

In addition to the role that circumstances have in forming us and our children, let us also form our children with solid guidance along the path of patience and compassion. One area is to guide how our children deal with disappointment. A child’s expectation might be as simple as expecting juice with dinner instead of water. We can all imagine a child who might not respond favorably to the disappointment. One simple approach to children’s disappointments is in three steps.  First, empathize with them, telling them: That was hard, that’s not what you wanted, you were expecting that, or, you’re angry, as examples. Second, express a limit to their behavior or the expectation of what you would like them to do:  It’s ok to feel that way, but it is not ok to throw that/stomp away/shut the door on Mom; you wanted something else to eat, but this is what we are eating right now. Third, ask them what they want to do to calm down. The emphasis here is that they are the ones who hold the key to their own happiness. 

While leaving the ball in their court of choosing what to do, continue to coach them over time with ideas for self-soothing.  Some examples include deep breathing (five finger breathing, box breathing, bubble breathing), running around the outside of the house, stomping somewhere that it is allowed, punching a soft object in a way that is safe, removing themselves to a quiet space, or recourse to a special self-soothing box with sensory materials. As children develop, coping skills can become less concrete/physical and more abstract; for example, trying to see another perspective or counting blessings. However, physically calming our bodies is usually a good place to start no matter what our stage of development. While you equip them with tools, try not to forget that the decision to pursue happiness and how to do it is ultimately theirs. We lead the way, show the way, and then get out of the way. This basic idea of children being responsible for their own happiness comes from Dealing with Disappointment: Helping Kids Cope When Things Don’t Go Their Way by Elizabeth Crary. 

For your summer voyage, I am linking to a few resources to use this summer with your children to guide them toward more flexibility. The emphasis on family discussion and reflection in these School-To-Home Connection activity sheets is really helpful. You can find sheets for Kindergarten – Second Grade, Third through Fifth Grade, and Sixth through Eighth Grade. Equally helpful is the distinction made between what is in our children’s control and what is not. Many if not most circumstances are not in our children’s control. Additionally, feelings of stress, sadness, and anger are often not in their control.  What is in their control is how they choose to calm themselves and to respond to disappointment and unmet expectations. I hope that these brief handouts can help you over the course of days, weeks or even months as you revisit, reflect upon, and practice the ideas with your children. Reflection is a powerful tool through which we learn from our past behaviors or mistakes and equip ourselves for future challenges; and, of course, reflection is also a hallmark of our Mackintosh learners!

Bon voyage, 

Lillian

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By Lillian Henricks, Psy.D., Mackintosh Academy School Counselor

The degree to which we can be compassionate toward self and others undoubtedly connects to the degree to which we can be calm. In flight, fight or freeze mode we cannot attend to our needs and feelings or those of others. This goes for both us and our children.  Let’s look at some ways that we can practice, model and teach self-calming tools to our children. 

One way is to partner breathing with our imagination. Imagine smelling a rose to practice slowly breathing in through the nose. Then imagine blowing bubbles to practice slowly breathing out through the mouth.  This can be a fun game to play with your children. Make sure to breathe in and out several times.

What about jumping on a trampoline, swinging, bike riding or any other kind of rhythmic movement like dancing or running? We live near Jackass Hill and when one of my children and I are at an impasse we walk up the hill, and back, and up again until we have gained some ground.  Sometimes it is hard to gauge who is struggling most with emotional regulation!

Finding ways for both you and your child to take breaks is crucial.  Optimally these breaks would be built in, but I have never mastered or even approximated this in our home. Let’s say an hour or more after lunch is designated both down time and quiet time.  No interaction, no screens, and ideally everyone can go to a separate space. This time is dedicated to things like napping, reading, journalling, playing with dolls, building with lego or blocks, making puzzles, prayer or listening to music or an audiobook. I say no screens because the fact is that screens are not truly rejuvenating. This time and space can allow for creativity and much needed reflection.  It can be difficult to pull this off with little ones, and I cannot claim to have done it, but I do know families whose children have become accustomed to this routine and know that they cannot come out until the clock says x. This makes me think of another family who generally sends the children up to their rooms quite early to read or play quietly before bed. This might give parents some time to connect and come down from the day before engaging in the demands of the bedtime routine. This need not be daily or even frequent, but something that you can keep in mind as an option. 

I’ve heard twice recently that it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit, and that is when the action is practiced throughout the day. Let’s be patient with ourselves and our children as we try to adapt these and other practices that can lead to calmness and better position us for compassion. Habit is the foundation for virtue, and as we have all heard, virtue is its own reward. What a gift to ourselves and to our children to strive towards greater equilibrium!

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According to Washington University, “Service learning refers to learning that actively involves students in a wide range of experiences, which often benefit others and the community, while also advancing the goals of a given curriculum. Community-based service activities are paired with structured preparation and student reflection.”

This year’s eighth graders chose a variety of projects that reflected their own interests as well as the needs of the communities they served. Whether working with Ethiopian adoptees, food-insecure communities, or rescue kittens, they were able to fulfill the aims of the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years projects, to encourage and enable students to:

• participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context
• generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation
• demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time
• communicate effectively in a variety of situations
• demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning to appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.

Faculty mentors shepherded the students through the process of selecting a project, doing background research, and writing a research paper that included a formal bibliography of works cited.

The heart of these service learning projects was, of course, the fifteen or more hours of direct service that the students were required to perform. This allowed the students to connect with members of the communities they served and have a direct sense of how their work impacted others.

• The MYP community projects included:
• creating a nonprofit mentoring organization Wodaj for Ethiopian adoptees in Colorado and building a website for the group
• volunteering at Break Bread Littleton, an organization that builds meaningful relationships among neighbors through a free weekly community meal
• fostering kittens with Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue
• working at the GrowHaus, a nonprofit indoor farm, marketplace, and educational center in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood

The eighth graders presented their projects to the entire school at an assembly, inspiring younger students with their commitment and hard work. All of them reported that the community project had been a beneficial experience: one student shared that this project “helped me come out of my shell and talk to people,” while another said,”This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

As a key part of Mackintosh Academy’s International Baccalaureate curriculum, service learning opportunities such as the Middle Years community project provide students the chance to make an impact on the world – right here, right now!

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We interviewed Dr. Wolff about his experience working with children and anxiety. We look forward to welcoming him to campus on October 24. (For more details on the event, please go to our Facebook event page. Child care is available; contact frontoffice@mackintoshacademy.com for information.)

View Dr. Wolff’s slides here.

Q: Can you tell us about yourself and your experience as a psychologist?

A: I graduated from Yale University in 2000 with dual majors in Psychology and Sociology. After a few years working with children in residential treatment centers in San Francisco, I moved to Denver to start the Child Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Denver. During my 6 years at DU, I received strong clinical training in a number of areas, including assessment of ADHD and Dyslexia, as well as assessment and therapy for childhood anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavioral problems. After receiving my Ph.D., I taught for 6 years in the DU Psychology Department, including courses on child development, motivation and emotion, and childhood psychological disorders. At the same time, I completed post-doctoral training at JFK Partners at the University of Colorado on the Anschutz campus, which focused on Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities. In 2011, I started Wolff Child Psychology, a child and family psychology practiced specializing in diagnostic/psychoeducational evaluations, evidence-based therapy, and treatment and educational planning. Over the past 7 years, Wolff Child Psychology has grown to a team of 8 psychologists. We take on a large range of therapy and evaluation cases, and have grown in our connections to the community, including parent and teacher trainings/conferences at schools.

Q: What have you observed in your practice regarding children and anxiety?

A: Anxiety comes from a combination of intense worry about one or multiple situations along with the development of avoidance patterns. Many people don’t understand or appreciate how impairing avoidance can be. For example, many parents will unknowingly facilitate the child avoiding things about which they are worried in the effort of easing their pain. However, in many circumstances, that avoidance makes the feared situation scarier in the child’s mind, and can limit their opportunity to learn from taking risks and from making mistakes. We work with parents to empower their children to be brave and to recognize the power in taking risks and learning from mistakes.

Q: What are some signs that a child might be experiencing anxiety?

A: Usually we see anxiety first in a child’s avoidance strategies. They may “act out” to avoid doing something about which they are worried. They may also “check out” of situations, thus cognitively avoiding the fear-eliciting situations. Sometimes children may express their worries verbally and directly, though that tends to be more the exception rather than the rule, thus requiring parents and teachers to interpret outward behavioral signs.

Q: Do gifted children experience or demonstrate anxiety differently from other children?

A: Yes and no. For the most part, anxiety is experienced similarly across populations. Gifted children may have more of a tendency toward perfectionism, which is definitively associated with performance anxiety. The downside to perfectionism is that when the child believes or realizes that they cannot complete something perfectly, they will likely avoid the situation by quitting, scratching out all of their work and saying they can’t do it, and/or attempting to avoid similar situations in the future. Also, excessive reassurance seeking from teachers can be a clear sign of anxiety, as the child seems to have considerable difficulty sitting with the ambiguity as to whether they have completed a task correctly or not.

Q: What is one thing that a parent can do to help a child experiencing anxiety?

A: Stay calm during intense moments of anxiety and through words and actions remind the child that instances of anxiety (and panic) pass. Our bodies can only sustain intense anxiety for 60-90 minutes. This principle is important in evidence-based anxiety therapy, as we help children sit with their intense anxious feelings while taking the risks that produce anxiety for them. Kids just want to know that you know a situation is safe and secure. That will help them stick with taking risks and to stop engaging in avoidance strategies.

Q: Are there any myths or misperceptions around this topic that you’d like to clear up?

A: Not necessarily. I hope through the various pieces I’ve already outlined here that parents and teachers can better understand how anxiety can impact a child not just through the impact of worrying but also through the impact of avoidance. Cognitive or physical avoidance not only keeps a child from facing his or her fears and learning to master his or her intense emotions, but it also can keep a child from learning and engaging in the curriculum (e.g., if they are staring out the window or leaving the class to use the bathroom excessively due to avoidance, then they are not learning).

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Keen Minds. Compassionate Hearts. Global Action.

At Mackintosh Academy Littleton, our mission statement is not simply words on a page. It’s something our school community strives to live by. This week, our students planned and carried out “Compassionate Hearts” Spirit Week in honor of the second “pillar” of our mission statement.

On Tuesday, February 13, the Mackintosh Littleton community participated in an Empty Bowl Luncheon. This event was organized by our seventh and eighth grade students, faculty and parents. The students spoke in a school-wide assembly about hunger and food insecurity in the Littleton community. They explained to the younger students that there are families right here in our neighborhood who do not always have the food they need. The middle years students baked bread in our wood-burning oven and made soup for our community luncheon. This activity also served as a fundraiser for Break Bread Littleton, raising nearly $500 (enough to provide 200 meals for food-insecure families). Dr. Abby Anderson, 8^th grade parent, was instrumental in helping with this project.

Earlier in the week, each class collected items for care packages for the homeless. Families donated hand wipes, non-perishable food items, socks and bottled water. At the assembly, each class took a turn to assemble care packages for the homeless. This project helped students get a concrete sense of the needs in the Littleton community. On Thursday, the bags were distributed to families to have on hand and share with people in need they encounter in the community.

Other campus activities included recognizing acts of kindness by writing them on a sticky note and posting it in the “hearth” community space. Monday was “crazy socks day” – a fun kickoff to a busy week! Tuesday was “secret inspirational message” day and students could be found creating and hiding encouraging notes on campus for others to find. Wednesday (Valentine’s Day!) was compliment day; students focused on paying one another sincere and heartfelt compliments. PreK and Kindergarten students also visited the other classrooms and offices to deliver singing Valentines.

Mack’s compassionate hearts of all ages shone through this week as we focused on building empathy, communicating with kindness and serving others. What a perfect way to honor the core message of Valentine’s Day!

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Last week, the Mack Littleton eighth grade class presented their community service capstone projects to the school community. The community project is the culmination of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, and is a required part of each student’s progress towards graduation. All MYP students in 5000 IB schools worldwide participate in these projects.

The MYP community project also embodies a key part of our mission as a school: to encourage our students to engage in global action. The eighth graders were first asked to choose a community that they wanted to learn more about and serve. After investigating this community, they wrote research papers, and then worked with a faculty mentor to plan their service projects. Although they had teacher guidance and support, their projects were independently designed and conducted.

Students drew upon their own skills, passions and interests to create unique capstone projects that ranged from environmental to educational to civic. The student projects included:

• Teaching at a Sunday School and summer camp
• Working on projects to support endangered manatees and sea turtles
• Tutoring at a public elementary school
• Creating weighted blankets for children with sensory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder and ADHD
• Volunteering with a therapeutic riding program
• Working at a food bank
• Supporting at an LGTBQ+ safe house

To wrap up their community projects, the students presented their work to the larger community of Mackintosh students, faculty and parents. They reflected on their growth in areas such as communication, self-management and time management. Several students mentioned that having to make phone calls and reach out to community organizations was a challenging, yet valuable, part of their experience.

Students also discovered that “service” doesn’t mean drudgery. As one student reflected, “I was surprised that I had done something fun while in service because, previously, I had thought service was a chore to do. This service has changed my outlook on that.” Most students felt that service will be an ongoing part of their lives.

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