By Ellie Citron ’18
Edited by Laurel Weijer

Service, to me, has always been a mode of reflection: a time to think, self-evaluate and try to see beyond myself by way of helping others. This is what inspired me to join Community Service Learning (CSL), one of Bryn Mawr’s all-school organizations. Since becoming the CSL secretary/treasurer last year, I have worked with our president, Katie Coiro ’17, and vice president, Dierdre Powell ’18, as well as many faculty members and advisors, to make service more accessible, and thus increasingly able to be appreciated, at Bryn Mawr. We have made it our mission to help make Bryn Mawr an even more service-oriented place, in part by giving students more opportunities to perform on-site service.
One of our first major initiatives revolved around the National Day of Service and Rememberance on September 11. Originally launched in 2002 by a nonprofit called  9/11 Day, the goal is for as many people as possible to “engage in charitable service on 9/11 as an annual and forward-looking tribute to the 9/11 victims, survivors, and those who rose up in service in response to the attacks,” according to the Serve.gov website. Katie, Deirdre and I planned the Bryn Mawr Day of Service in the hope of instilling an appreciation for service in all students.

The planning process for the National Day of Service at Bryn Mawr was no small feat, and actually began last spring. Countless hours were spent calling organization representatives, emailing parents, meeting with administrators at Bryn Mawr, filling out spreadsheets, planning a potluck breakfast, and much more. It was also essential to get Bryn Mawr students, from kindergarten to 12th grade, excited about our cross-divisional event. After a good deal of publicity, we were successful in our efforts, with more than 150 students taking part in service opportunities that day.
Banner: Students make cards of thanks for soldiers deployed abroad.

Above: CSL Secretary/Treasure Ellie Citron '18 (left) and CSL President Katie Coiro '17 consult on the morning of the event.
Parents, teachers and students alike devoted several hours of their Sunday to perform acts of service on the Bryn Mawr campus and other locations throughout Baltimore City. In total, CSL sent 112 Upper School students and faculty members to eight different service organizations: Blue Water Baltimore, The Baltimore Hunger Project, Edenwald Nursing Home, Keswick Nursing Home, Sarah’s Hope, Art with a Heart, Real Food Farms, and the SPCA. In addition, on-campus activities were available for Lower and Middle School students: a card-making activity for soldiers through the Red Cross and a clean-up of the Stony Run stream. When looking back on CSL’s Day of Service, I can’t help but smile. It was amazing to see all of our hard work result in this unforgettable day. Equally exciting was the fact that many students expressed further interest in volunteering with organizations and told us how gratifying it was to perform acts of service as one collective community.

Katie, Deirdre and I could not have pulled off the Day of Service without Lora Peters and Jordy Kirr ’07, our faculty advisors; Jeanette Budzik, the Upper School dean of students; Jennifer Galambos, the Upper School director; Headmistress Maureen Walsh; our faculty volunteers; and our six wonderful CSL representatives. They were all integral to the success of this important day.

I have always understood the precept “It takes a village.” However, I had never seen these words manifest themselves in my daily life. Now, upon completion of our efforts, I understand the beauty of a community coming together to make an impact on the world around us.

It was amazing to see all of our hard work result in this unforgettable day. Equally exciting was the fact that many students expressed further interest in volunteering with organizations and told us how gratifying it was to perform acts of service as one collective community.
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.