Service learning is a requirement in order to graduate at Pleasant Valley High School. Since 2004, students who walk across the stage at graduation have had to complete some sort of community service.

Emily Jepsen, service learning counselor, thinks service learning has the potential to impact a student’s life greatly. She has witnessed some students who have figured out their career based upon their volunteering experiences. Some students also find part-time jobs related to their community service. “Some students have been lucky enough to realize they have made a difference in someone else’s life. I believe there are times that high school students do not feel like they can make a difference, but they can, and I hope service learning has showed them that,” Jepsen said.

Freshman and sophomores are required to finish a total of 30 service hours. After sophomore year, students have until senior year to finish a total of 40 hours. Lilly Meyers, senior, thinks the idea is good but the purpose is defeated when it’s a requirement. She thinks hours can be hard to finish in conjunction with tasks like work and school. Meyers said, “I did my hours at the John Deere Classic and I doubt that I got as much from the service learning as the school wished I did.”

Volunteering for the community has been done by graduating classes for so many years, so the school sees no reason to change the requirement. Meyers stated, “Being forced to do service learning takes the meaning out of volunteering.” She feels like if a student wants to help out in their community, they will; the act of volunteering should be genuine and not forced upon students in order to get a diploma at Pleasant Valley.

Pleasant Valley is trying to benefit their students in ways that other students around the nation may miss simply because service learning is not required. Finishing community service hours can do a number of things. Community service can help a student earn an academic credit or scholarship and impress some colleges. Service learning can, like Jepsen said, “help students seek out their choice of career or even find themselves jobs.”