This year in our Summit group, we accomplished:

- A successful relationship with the residents and staff of Ravenwood Assisted Living

- Events that the residents enjoyed and talked about afterwards

- Bringing in other Drury students - a total of five throughout the year, almost all with multiple visits

I learned a lot about working with a team this year and communicating effectively. Coordinating schedules and communicating changes was sometimes hard, but I think we all learned a lot about interpersonal relationships within teams. We also learned to be flexible, and cater our events to what the residents like; we decided not to stick to our original plan if it wasn't something that would benefit the residents. Personally, I also gained song-leading skills and picking songs out by ear on a whim. 

In conclusion, this year was one of growth for me, and being a member of Summit was a big part of that. I learned a lot about leadership within the group dynamic, and how to develop relationships with people (the residents) who come from a very different background. I'm glad I was able to participate in Summit, and I look forward to using the skills it has taught me in the future. 

From Katie

Accomplishments:

·       -  Forming lasting relationships with the residents of Ravenwood

·       -  Integrating other students into our project and letting them become involved as well

·       - Working and Communicating well as a team

This year I feel as though I have accomplished a lot at Ravenwood.  I’m very proud of the progress that my group and I have made with forming relationships with the residents and increasing the activities that the residents have to do.  But, I also feel as though this project has caused me to grow a lot as a leader.  Due to this service project, I have learned how to better communicate with my team, how to better my time management skills and how to be more flexible.

Summit is a unique and interesting experience.  It allows you to not only work with a group of peers, but also to live with them.  Therefore, communication is crucial.  Through this project I feel that I learned how to better express myself and to correspond better with my team.  I also learned how to manage my time.  I had to move around certain events and activities that I had scheduled in order to be able to complete my volunteer hours.  This also allowed me to be more flexible, something that I was not very good at before Summit.  Along, with moving around our dates, we also had to change the events that we had scheduled because they weren’t popular with the residents.  This made me a little nervous, but it turned out great and the residents loved the new events.

Summit is an amazing experience and I feel that I have learned many things about my leadership style and have been able to accomplish a lot at Ravenwood.  I have grown to really care about all the residents at Ravenwood and I know that I’m going to miss them!  Although, I plan to drop by and visit them throughout my college career!

- Katie

Thank you, Ravenwood!

We accomplished our purpose of building personal relationships with the residents of Ravenwood Assisted Living. I now know the names and stories of over ten ladies who live at Ravenwood. I enjoyed interacting with the residents and I truly feel like I know them. Our goal of giving the residents more weekend activities was achieved because we were frequently able to provide them with activities over the weekend. Finally, we were successful because not only did we build relationships with Ravenwood residents ourselves, but we were able to involve other Drury students who developed relationships with the residents as well. It was a fruitful year for our group because we gained the privilege of knowing these women and spending time.

I have grown both as a leader and as a person throughout my Summit experience. I have learned that it is important to communicate and coordinate with your group, even if it is difficult to meet due to busy schedules. I now know how important effective communication is within a group in order to be effective and a positive experience. Summit provided me with growth as a human because I am able to relate with older adults with more ease than I had before. I learned the significance of older adults in our community and how important it is to spend time with them and befriend them. Summit was a wonderful experience and I am grateful for the memories I now have with the residents of Ravenwood Assisted Living.