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Four pillars of learning support our students and our mission at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ University - welcoming, learning, celebrating and serving have strong roots within our campus identity. Year after year, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff have embraced the pillar of serving, helping many and learning a lot along the way.

"Seeing the passion that students have for community engagement afterwards is incredible!"

In Maura Hall, a bulletin board designed to look like a bucket holds a list of the many service projects that have helped the Office of Campus Ministry reach their yearly service outreach goal. As of Commencement Day, the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Community had completed 8,426 hours of service in the 2018-2019 school year. With the advantage of SHINE, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ's new student engagement portal, students are able to find and sign up for service hours easily, as well as track their hours. SHINE's service hour tracking is self-recorded by students and approved through the Office of Campus Ministry. This platform helps students not just record their hours, but also reflect on those experiences and the impact that they can have on the world around them. 

Service projects on and off-campus this year included work with the Sisters of Charity, fundraisers for Make-A-Wish through the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Walk-A-Mile in Her Shoes in St. Clair Park, Sister to Sister mentoring, Feeding the Spirit Soup Kitchen at Otterbein Church and more, along with campus-wide days of service that extended into the Greensburg Community.

Each year, a variety of Alternative Break Service Trips are also available for students interested in extending a helping hand to another area. These trips have been very transformative for students, who have taken time during their school breaks to volunteer in different places with the Vincentian Setonian Family and Habit for Humanity. "Participating in service opportunities is not just about how it makes a student feel - it's about being an active participant in social change," says Marissa Haynes, Coordinator of Service Outreach. "While feeling good, challenged or moved are a part of the results of a service activity, the biggest focus is diving into deep topics about social injustices and embracing the Setonian Legacy to transform the world into a more just place." A group will travel to The House of Charity New Orleans this June for their next service trip.