Joseph McKeen
Center for the Common Good
Will Cabana
Class of 2011
Posted February 17, 2011
During the fall of his sophomore year, Will Cabana '11 joined Bears and Cubs, an on-campus program run through Big Brothers Big Sisters in which he is a one-on-one mentor for a 6th grader. Though the program only meets every other week, he has been with his match for two years and they have developed a good relationship. Will says that it is great seeing his mentee grow over the past couple of years and rewarding to know that he can be a positive influence.
Also during his sophomore fall, Will took Educating All Students, with Education Professor Doris Santoro. This course had a community-based component for which each student spent 24 hours in a local elementary classroom. While in the class, Will focused on gathering notes for his case study, but developed such a close relationship with the class that he decided to go back in the spring just as a volunteer. The teacher was very welcoming, and he gradually took on more responsibilities in the classroom along with individually helping students. The experience culminated with a field trip down to the Boston Museum of Science on which Will got to be a chaperone.
Since this course, Will has decided to pursue a career in teaching. The certification process involves more service learning placements in local schools. While part of the placement is academic and geared towards his training as a teacher, the Education Department also stresses the service component. Education students are encouraged to give back to the community by making a difference in the classrooms in which they are placed.
“I feel very lucky that I am able to combine my academics and future goals with community service. I never thought I would be doing something like this in college, but now it is an integral part of my life at Bowdoin.”
