Service is a great way to set people up for success in life. Not only do people get out of their comfort zone, but they are also opening the opportunity to influence others for good. Henry B. Eyring gave a devotional titled, A Leader of Learners, and said people “will seek truth not for themselves alone but will also distribute what they have learned to bless others. There is a sign at the edge of the BYU campus: “Enter to learn; go forth to serve.” This is more than a slogan; it is a main part of the founding vision.”
When looking for a service project that would allow me to go forth to serve in my community I went to Just Serve and started scrolling for possible projects. The World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) celebration caught my eye since they didn’t have enough volunteers for the event and a light bulb went off in my mind to make this a family event, to help better our community and ourselves.
My 16-year-old son is extremely shy and has a difficult time interacting with others. I felt this experience would be a good way for him to start. It is crucial that as human beings we learn and grow, my son needed to stretch himself with the comfort of a family member close. Anouare Abdou wrote, “By actively supporting diversity and inclusion, you can build a culture where everyone feels respected and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.” My youngest son who is 13 years old has zero issues talking to anyone. I knew he would be completely fine no matter what assignment they gave him. To begin, I contacted Lori Matlock, who was the chairperson over the event through email. I was able to sign up through Sign-Up Genius for specific duties for myself and family members.
I originally signed my 16-year-old up for the registration table with his dad to check participates into the event. However, when we arrived early on the morning of March 15th, to help with setting up the event, they moved them to “playground duty”. This required my husband and son to interact with those attending. My son said, “no way!” and switched with his younger brother who was stationed with me at the interactive dinosaur exhibit. At my station the participants of WDSD were able to find fossils in sand boxes using a chip-paint brush, and play interactively with diorama type dinosaur bins, where they used their sensory skills to play in dehydrated rice and beans with plastic dinosaurs, trees, plants, and rocks.
Gitte Frederiksen, in her 2022 TED Talk titled Great Leadership is a Network, Not A Hierarchy, said we need to “create leaders, not followers.” Generation Z is where my 16-year-old son lands, he tends to gravitate toward technology, has a short attention span, and is socially conscious online. For my son, I knew he would be fine once the event started. We helped set up booths at the dinosaur station we would be at for the remainder of the day. My son was good at completing the task of tidying up the bins after groups came through and making sure the fossils were recovered with sand for the next group. I did most of the talking, picture taking, and helping with the groups, he and I made a good team.
There were many different personalities, nationalities, and people with limited mental capacity enjoying the WDSD. We interacted with all age levels from toddlers to adults with down syndrome and those that were mentally incapable of understanding at their appropriate age level. My youngest son, Preston, made friends with a boy named Jack and walked him around to different booths, played on the playground, and flew kites together. Kolkata Anirban, from India stated, “A good leader must have inclusiveness in their DNA.” (Harvard Business Review)
Preston naturally demonstrated good leadership skills during the WDSD.
Is being out in your community performing service always going to feel natural? Not always. For example, I interacted with a mentally challenged gentleman in his 60’s who honestly believed the puppet dinosaurs were real. He shied away from the large T-Rex, sat on a baby triceratops and beelined to the fossil dig containers where he felt more comfortable. Simon Senik, in his TED Talk, Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe (2014) states “Environment makes the difference”, for people/teams to feel safe and not fear leaders. Humans gravitate towards comfortable situations; we should strive to set that feeling no matter what situation we are in.
I loved this experience and received a letter from the chairperson after the event thanking my family for our time and kindness. This made me want to do more service. Many people thanked us that Saturday for volunteering at the WDSD event. Providing service in your community might not always be convenient, but the feeling you get is addictive and irreplaceable. I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, open up Just Serve and find a place that needs YOU. Small acts of kindness from your heart can make a big difference in your life and community, setting you apart as a natural leader.
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Resources
Eyring, H. B. (2014). A leader of learners Download A leader of learners. BYU devotional. 1–2.
TED. (2014, May 19).Why good leaders make you feel safe | Simon Sinek
Hill, L. A., Tedards, E., Wild, J., & Weber, K. (2022, September 19). What makes a great leader? Harvard Business Review, Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. 10 &13
Great leadership is a network, not a hierarchy, Gitte Frederiksen, TED@BCG, September 2022, Gitte Frederiksen: Great leadership is a network, not a hierarchy | TED Talk
12 Leadership Goals you need to set for yourself in 2023, September 24, 2023, Anouare Abdou
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