Bulldogs Set for Community Service Trip to Delta
December 12, 2019 | Student-Athlete Development
by Josh Lively, Assistant Director/Communications
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An 11-member team of student-athletes and athletic department staff will make up a group heading to Shaw, Mississippi, this weekend as part of Student-Athlete Development's Bulldogs in the Delta community service initiative.
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The team consists of six student-athletes representing men's and women's track and field, women's golf and soccer along with five staff members. The Bulldogs going are Jaylah Bailey, Hailey Farrington-Bentil, Ela Grimwood, Olivia Hernandez, Ashley Melcherts and Malcum Tatum.
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The group will be working in partnership with two different organizations during the two-day trip. The first day will be spent helping with Delta Hands for Hope in the local school district. The Bulldogs will work with the West Tallahatchie Habitat for Humanity on the second day, assisting in the building of a house for a family.
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"This is part of the Serving Our State initiative, and one of the things that we aim to do in our office is provide high-impact practices," said Ben Rodriguez, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. "This community service work, where we are going out to the Delta for an overnight trip, is an example of a high-impact practice. The most meaningful learning experiences happen in these types of trips. An event like this helps bring together everything we are trying to do.
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"Knowing the state of Mississippi and how certain pockets need a little bit help more than others, we identified the Delta as an area to serve. The next question was how we could do that. Being that it's so far, we decided to have an overnight trip. This fit in with the Serving Our State initiative by going to the Delta. The students that are going on this trip have delayed going home for the holidays. It says a lot about how they are dedicating their time by giving back to the community. Same thing with the staff going."
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The opportunities came about when Mississippi State's newly branded Student-Athlete Development program began searching for additional community service efforts outside of the Starkville area. While it falls under the office's community engagement pillar, it also applies to the leadership and personal development pillars.
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The student-athletes will have opportunities to step up and lead during the course of the trip. Throughout the group's time together, everyone will have the chance to reflect on everything and critically think about what it meant to serve the community and the purpose of why it's so important to be involved in events like this.
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"It was tough finding organizations that were the best fit for our values and also matched up timing wise when we started the process of getting the trip organized," said Ashley Jocelyn, MSU Student-Athlete Development Post-Grad Fellow. "However, we were able to narrow the project down to Delta Hands for Hope because we want to help children, especially when it comes to literacy and empowering them, so their values lined up with ours. With Habitat for Humanity, we wanted to be active in working, serving and helping the community. We wanted the work to flourish and leave an imprint on the Delta community."
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With this being the first time doing a trip like this since the announcement of the Student-Athlete Development Office, the goal is to grow the trip in the future from both trip length as well as number of people going. It is one of the unique events that brings both student-athletes as well as athletic department staff members together to serve in a unified purpose. Â
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For the most up-to-date information, follow MSU Student-Athlete Development on Twitter by searching for "HailStateSADev."
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An 11-member team of student-athletes and athletic department staff will make up a group heading to Shaw, Mississippi, this weekend as part of Student-Athlete Development's Bulldogs in the Delta community service initiative.
Â
The team consists of six student-athletes representing men's and women's track and field, women's golf and soccer along with five staff members. The Bulldogs going are Jaylah Bailey, Hailey Farrington-Bentil, Ela Grimwood, Olivia Hernandez, Ashley Melcherts and Malcum Tatum.
Â
The group will be working in partnership with two different organizations during the two-day trip. The first day will be spent helping with Delta Hands for Hope in the local school district. The Bulldogs will work with the West Tallahatchie Habitat for Humanity on the second day, assisting in the building of a house for a family.
Â
"This is part of the Serving Our State initiative, and one of the things that we aim to do in our office is provide high-impact practices," said Ben Rodriguez, Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. "This community service work, where we are going out to the Delta for an overnight trip, is an example of a high-impact practice. The most meaningful learning experiences happen in these types of trips. An event like this helps bring together everything we are trying to do.
Â
"Knowing the state of Mississippi and how certain pockets need a little bit help more than others, we identified the Delta as an area to serve. The next question was how we could do that. Being that it's so far, we decided to have an overnight trip. This fit in with the Serving Our State initiative by going to the Delta. The students that are going on this trip have delayed going home for the holidays. It says a lot about how they are dedicating their time by giving back to the community. Same thing with the staff going."
Â
The opportunities came about when Mississippi State's newly branded Student-Athlete Development program began searching for additional community service efforts outside of the Starkville area. While it falls under the office's community engagement pillar, it also applies to the leadership and personal development pillars.
Â
The student-athletes will have opportunities to step up and lead during the course of the trip. Throughout the group's time together, everyone will have the chance to reflect on everything and critically think about what it meant to serve the community and the purpose of why it's so important to be involved in events like this.
Â
"It was tough finding organizations that were the best fit for our values and also matched up timing wise when we started the process of getting the trip organized," said Ashley Jocelyn, MSU Student-Athlete Development Post-Grad Fellow. "However, we were able to narrow the project down to Delta Hands for Hope because we want to help children, especially when it comes to literacy and empowering them, so their values lined up with ours. With Habitat for Humanity, we wanted to be active in working, serving and helping the community. We wanted the work to flourish and leave an imprint on the Delta community."
Â
With this being the first time doing a trip like this since the announcement of the Student-Athlete Development Office, the goal is to grow the trip in the future from both trip length as well as number of people going. It is one of the unique events that brings both student-athletes as well as athletic department staff members together to serve in a unified purpose. Â
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For the most up-to-date information, follow MSU Student-Athlete Development on Twitter by searching for "HailStateSADev."
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