Howard Community College

in connection to current social issues. Literary selections revolve around hunger and poverty, environmental conservation, and animal welfare issues. The Maryland Food Bank, Real Food Farms, Baltimore Community ToolBank, The Samaritan Women, and Days End Farm Horse Rescue are some of the organizations that Ethics in Literature students have volunteered with in recent semesters. Connecting Emotionally "By going out of the classroom, I fully realized the magnitude and scope of the topics we were discussing," says Schuster. "It gave me an emotional connection to many issues that I would not have otherwise had." Maggie Zimmermann, a graduate, had a similar experience in her Abnormal Psychology course, which examines behavioral, biological, and cognitive factors that impact patients who have been diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, multiple personality, and sexual disorders, among others. "You quickly realize that people with mental illness are really just normal people like you and me, who want to have normal experiences," says Zimmermann. "I learned that spending time with people and being able to interact with them in my daily work is really what is most important to me, when I eventually go out and look for a job. Service learning gave me insight that I wouldn't have gotten in a traditional classroom setting," adds Zimmermann. Every service learning course offered at Howard Community College opens a door for students to gain new skills, experience, and perspective. In the health care field, this is particularly important in helping students make connections to patients and become better care providers. As part of the Abnormal Psychology course, each student volunteers 12 hours of time to support a local organization that offers care or support for individuals with a cognitive, behavioral, or developmental condition. Fall 2015 | Pathways 13 Perspective

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