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Shawki Amineddine, IC student in 6th B wrote:
“When I first learned that this year I was obliged to perform 30
hours of community service, it seemed like a huge number. I
was really afraid that I would not be able to fulfill this require-
ment. However, my first day at the Association for Volunteer
Services proved so exciting and interesting that I quickly
became committed to the job. Afterwards came the Beirut
International Marathon, probably the most wonderful experi-
ence this year. There I was introduced to different volunteers
from all over Lebanon and even some from other countries
who had come to participate. Due to my commitment and
seriousness, and despite the fact that it was my first year vol-
unteering with the Beirut Marathon Association, I was the per-
son responsible for the elite wheelchair racers, and in charge
of a group of other volunteers from AVS and IC. After this
experience, community service became not just a thing I am
obliged to do, instead it became a hobby. Now I don't volun-
teer just for the sake of completing hours of community serv-
ice, instead I volunteer because I like and most importantly
because I want to serve my community. In a few weeks I'll fin-
ish the first grading period, during which we were supposed to
fulfill 8 hours out of 30, but fortunately, I fulfilled 58 hours out
of 30!”
Rami Rasamny ’05, IC alumni, wrote:
The notion of community service was first introduced when I
moved to secondary school. Before that time, the program was
basically non-existent, in the sense that there was no real work
being done by the students. We were told that in order to pass
the year we were required to attend some sort of trip that was
staggered over four weekends; community service was a joke.
By the second year of secondary school, reforms in the pro-
gram were introduced and the program began to look and feel
more like an actual service to the community. Now we were
told that in order to graduate we would be required to fulfill a
certain number of hours in an organization of our choosing.
My experiences brought me to Ain Wazein Elderly Care Center,
where I served as a volunteer along with several other class-
mates. We were given various day-to-day tasks and responsibil-
ities, which enabled us to reach out and make a difference in
the lives of those we worked with. The real goal of any com-
munity service program is to provide a sense of heritage, as
well as non-academic responsibility towards the community
around us. In addition to developing a sense of awareness, this
undertaking enabled me to mix with different members of soci-
ety I would not have been exposed to had it not been for the
community service program. I found myself taking an active
part in community building, not only in Ain Wazein but
throughout all of Lebanon. The program introduced me to the
Brave Heart Foundation, the Green Line Foundation, Ayadina
Youth Foundation, and several others. This year, I participated
in the annual coastal clean up, where dozens of Lebanese
divers worked together to preserve our aquatic community. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Rindala Abdel
Baki, Ms. Natalia Linos, and Mr. Riad Chirazi for granting this
opportunity to the students of International College. As a gradu-
ate I found that community service is not limited to the school
but school is where it starts. A service to the community pro-
vides hope to those who have none, and strengthens the coun-
try we call our home.
Dr. Rima Afifi Soweid ’83, IC parent wrote:
I just wanted to let you know of the activities of some of your
students.
Last month, when IC sent
home the request for
LL2,000 for the earthquake
victims of Pakistan, four
6th grade students who
live in AUB apartments
decided to do more. They
went around all the faculty
apartments at AUB,
showed the letter they had
brought home from IC, and
collected 240,000LL.
These students were Sara
Jamali [6ème], Lama Kaissi [1D], Leah Soweid [1B], Loulwa
Soweid [1D]. They gave the money to their advisor, Ms.
Kibbi.
Last Friday, Dec. 2nd, a larger group of IC students held a
bake sale on the lower campus of AUB. The bake sale was
to benefit the Children's Cancer Center and the victims of the
earthquake in Pakistan. The kids planned this all by them-
selves, and only told us adults what they needed. We did
not encourage or push this effort. It was initiated and
planned by these young people. They advertised the bake
sale as "a group of IC students are ..." and many of the AUB
students who came to purchase came because of this adver-
tisement. They were alumni of IC and very proud to see IC
students doing this. The children raised LL230,000 on
Friday. The kids who were invoved in the planning, baking,
or selling were: Amr Abu Ghali (1st), Nehme Hamadeh (1st),
Sara Jamali (6ème), Dana Kaissi (1st),Lama Kaissi (1st),
Rawan Kobeissi (1st), Joude Mabsout (1st), Cara Mourani
(6ème), Rana Ramadan (1st), Leah Soweid (1st), Loulwa
Soweid (1st), Thurayya Zurayk (2nd).
The mission of IC states "The mission of International College
is to educate compassionate and self reliant young men and
women capable of initiative and critical thinking, who will
serve as role models in society." I believe the two recent
efforts exhibited by these young IC students are indicators of
"compassion" and of "role modeling."
I just thought you'd want to know about what your students
are engaging in... The selflessness exhibited by these young
students is commendable...and in a time where values seem
to be changing all around us, it is heartwarming to see posi-
tive role modeling. This behavior is as much a function of
what they see in their homes as the guidance they receive at
school and this is a clear indicator that IC, as we know, is
truly achieving its mission of "educating the whole person."
Impressions on the Community Service at IC