Message to Applicants

Dear Applicant,

I am so excited to tell you about our program at UMass Amherst. When I was an undergraduate I had the unique experience of learning from my mentors Erin Swezey and Fr. Tim Brown, as they thoughtfully built Loyola's Center for Values and Service. My undergraduate experiences with service-learning, immersion programs, and partnership development were so profound that I went on to pursue a Masters in Higher Education and become a Director of Service-Learning. I share some of my personal journey with you to let you know that I have been where you are.

Many of you are approaching graduation from institutions with excellent offices of service-learning where you have been student leaders. Some have found your calling in service-learning and higher education through VISTA or AmeriCorps positions, and still others have worked in community organizations or elsewhere in higher education and realized the power of civic engagement to transform people and institutions. I am here to tell you that we have a program made for you. At UMass Amherst we will nurture your love of learning within community. Our program will provide a context for how and where service-learning fits in higher education, professional experiences, and professional networking and mentoring. You will leave our program understanding the history of service-learning in higher education, how institutional mission and the location of offices of CSL matter, and how to support faculty and student engagement. You will graduate with experience directing service-learning projects, researching the impact of CSL, or presenting at a major CSL conference. We will mentor you and help you find positions. You will forever be part of our community. We are looking forward to meeting you and hope you take that first step of applying soon.

Sincerely,

Dr. KerryAnn O'Meara
Coordinator of Masters Track in Service-Learning and Community Engagement
Assistant Professor of Higher Education
Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003 - 9308
tel: 413.545.0871
fax: 413.545.1523
email: kerryann@educ.umass.edu