Student Service Project Essay Wins Grand Prize

Melissa McFall read to the "Soup Group," senior citizens with mild dementia and vision loss, and led discussions over the readings this past spring as an honors project. Her essay over the project won her one of four grand prizes in an American Democracy Project and New York Times contest.

An essay discussing an honors credit project has earned Sam Houston State senior Melissa McFall a grand prize in a nationwide contest created by the American Democracy Project and sponsored by the New York Times.

McFall wrote about her involvement this past semester in piloting a project working with senior citizens with mild dementia and vision loss.

“The project was for me to take a group of senior citizens and do a literacy circle with them,” she said. “We asked for their help because I am going to be a teacher and need to know how to do literacy circles.”

McFall read stories to the seniors, mostly from “The Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series, twice a week, introducing the reading and actively involving them in discussion about what was read.

After each night session, she would write a reflection discussing what occurred and analyzing what might have gone wrong. The paper would be turned in for credit to Joyce McCauley, SHSU associate professor of reading, who helped McFall set up the project.

The project not only gave McFall valuable experience, but was beneficial for the participants as well.
“I thought it was a worthwhile project because it got a group of people who don’t have anything to do at night involved, and they really enjoyed it and believed that they were helping me,” McFall said.

“It is important for all people to feel a sense of belonging and to feel like they are needed,” she said. “The elderly are often ‘forgotten,’ and I think that is horrible because without them going before us, we wouldn’t be able to be where we are today.”

She said she also enjoyed learning about the participants as individuals.

“It was very interesting to hear about their lives and things they had done,” McFall said. “I learned all kinds of things about travel and their families.”

The project will continue in the fall, after pausing for the summer. When it restarts, McFall plans to involve other students in the project by rotating them.

McFall’s essay was one of four selected as a grand prize winner in the contest, which was open to all colleges and universities nation wide, according to McCauley, who is also chair of the SHSU American Democracy Project steering committee. The contest encourages college students to share their views on the topic of “civic engagement” in their community.

McFall was awarded a $200 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, and her essay will be printed in the New York Times.

“This is a wonderful example of one of the SHSU American Democracy Project goals to create opportunities for our students to link university learning with civic needs,” McCauley said.

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
June 21, 2004
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