By Lily Sternlieb ‘24, Feature Staff Writer

On January 17th, students gathered over Zoom to participate in the Newark Academy Community Service Council’s MLK Day of Service. For four hours, participants listened to keynote speaker Tobias Fox, engaged in activities such as making sandwiches for soup kitchens, and discussed topics like food desserts and environmental justice. The Community Service Council initiated the MLK Day of Service as a day “on” even though we didn’t have school. This is just one of many events offered and sponsored by the Community Service Council. Other opportunities include the Solidarity Sleep Out, trail maintenance, and Hunger Banquets.  In many ways, the Community Service Council and our community service requirement are reflections of the ideals that Newark Academy fosters; self-awareness, gratitude and engagement in society are spoken of as behavioral pillars of our community.

The students on the Community Service Council further embody these principles. Community Service Council member Anya Vashisht ‘24 said, “The ultimate goal for community service at NA  is to provide students with the opportunity to become active members of their community by leaving a long-lasting and positive impact on society as a whole.” Anya and others emphasized the importance of commitment to the larger New Jersey community by recognizing and understanding the issues that people in our area face and fight to overcome. Inchara Hosanagar ’24 agreed, “I believe that Newark Academy requires community service to graduate because engagement in the community deepens students’ gratitude, responsibility for the future, and appreciation of diversity.” The NA population sees community service as an integral part of our school as well as a key component in individual growth. Inchara ‘24 also noted, “Personally, community service makes me who I am today and is an avenue to educate and serve a community. Service is a road to helping me to grow into a leader.” Inchara and several interviewees enthusiastically referenced their own personal growth in connection to serving the community, explaining the ways in which each experience contributed to their overall perspective of the present and future. Kaya Patel ‘22 adds, “Community service has always been an extremely important part of my life, but I think my time on the Community Service Council has shown me that service is about creating partnerships and learning with people from your community that may have very different lived experiences than you.” Kaya believes that Community Service Council has only emphasized the importance of Community Service in her life and highlights the significance of building relationships and partnerships.  

Through community service, many students have realized the importance of giving back and have noticed the connections between NA values and service. After speaking to NA students and Community Service Council members, many referenced that the most memorable and impactful parts of service involved speaking to and learning from people who added to their perspectives and experiences. Ms. Palmer said it best: “I am most proud of the partnerships we have established and continue to foster. I believe we are seeing a shift in mindset amongst students from just simply completing hours to learning and advocating for the larger NA community and beyond.”