By Luz Contreras, EMU MS Biomedicine, Class of 2021

My first “official” service trip took place the summer before I turned 16 in Mexico. When I heard we were going to be working with children I was immediately on board. In preparation for the trip we were told that we would be helping run a yearly vacation Bible school  for children ranging from 4-15 who came from various backgrounds where many of them had experienced abuse, neglect and even abandonment. In my mind, I was going to help them. I was going to show them love and was eager to teach each one of them, not thinking I would gain anything beside the experience itself. Little did I know the significance of that summer. 

My most vivid memory is of a young homeless child who had experienced domestic violence and was being housed at the church with his mother and 4 siblings. He was tall, skinny and always wore the same pair of worn-down jean shorts. We quickly made a connection and on our second day there, he turned eight. With limited funds, the director took him to the plaza to pick out a gift. He was so excited and invited me to go with them so I tagged along. He picked a box of caramel gummies with 11 individual pieces. He was beaming and offered me a piece as soon as we left the store. I declined, thanked him and thought he was just being polite in offering me some. 

But the first thing he did when we arrived was offer his family a piece of candy. Then, with 5 pieces left, he offered each teacher a piece. He continued until he had asked everyone present if they wanted a piece of his birthday caramel after which he finally ate a piece with only 3 pieces to spare. 

I was speechless. I had never experienced something so self-less. Here was this child, who was so young, had so little and yet was willing to give everything he had to others. I reflected on this and my other experiences with the children on the plane ride back. Upon my arrival to the states, I felt…different. In those 7 days I learned. I grew. I matured. I felt such gratitude for all that I had. As a young female of color, I had never felt privileged or at least acknowledged my privilege but that trip changed everything. It put my life and my purpose into perspective. I wanted to have a heart for others like that young child. I wanted to reach that level of love and service and was eager to be involved in service again. 

I quickly started teaching Sunday school, volunteering at my high school and making care packages for children. Initially I thought I wouldn’t have the same profound experiences here, like what I had felt that week in Mexico but realized that there were many opportunities for service around me. With each “act of service” I learned something. My heart, my perspective on life and my mindset changed. My love for people grew. I saw that I didn’t need to travel 2,000 or even 20 miles to find those types of experiences. Service became a part of me, it became my lifestyle.

In undergrad I continued to do service, started mentoring and organized community service events for my fellow centennial scholar dukes. Currently, I direct the high school youth group at my church, Manantial de Vida, volunteer at the free clinic and pick up any other service opportunity I can get my hands on when not in class or at work.  

Service is now my lifestyle. I actively try to reflect it in my interactions at work as a Spanish medical interpreter, with my family as the oldest daughter and sibling, and with my friends by simply being someone they can count on to be present and offer my support in whatever way that is to them.  

Ultimately I’ve learned that service is: continuous, has to be willingly given and cannot be produced from an empty well. It is more than a one-time event. It cannot be forced and must come from a willing heart. 

Once you practice and adopt a mindset of service, you begin to realize that service opportunities are all around us. It could be asking a classmate or co-worker to lunch who you’ve noticed has been acting differently. It could be stopping to talk to the homeless individual. Service is so much more than physical resources or “big picture” events. True service to me, goes unacknowledged by others. It is not seeking recognition for your action but rather an engrained practice that actively pauses the focus on oneself to check on others. There is a joy and fulfillment in helping or giving to others that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.  But we cannot give what we do not have and therefore we must practice self-care in every aspect. This is different for each person but can be spiritual, emotional, physical or mental self-care.  We have to be aware of ourselves and continuously self-evaluate our intentions and our heart. 

To this day, 8 years later, I reflect on that experience of that summer and ask myself if I’m on that child’s level of love and service to others.