Amery Phillips

What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?

By planning out the route and planning with the dog I chose, I was able to improve my time management ability.

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?

I learned quite a lot! Going to the shelter reminds me of how many dogs are in our shelters across the city that need homes. We are currently facing some of the highest amount of animals in shelters, so being able to take one out for the day was very fulfilling.

Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your
experience?

I went with two friends to complete the service, and that made the process of handling and taking care of the dog much more manageable.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I love dogs and I am not able to own one in my apartment. Being able to spend time with animals is always a highlight!

Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle
any conflicts?

Yes! I am always an adopt don't shop advocate, and I love supporting any animal services anytime I can!

What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?

By planning out the route and planning with the dog I chose, I was able to improve my time management ability.

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?

I learned quite a lot! Going to the shelter reminds me of how many dogs are in our shelters across the city that need homes. We are currently facing some of the highest amount of animals in shelters, so being able to take one out for the day was very fulfilling.

Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your
experience?

I went with two friends to complete the service, and that made the process of handling and taking care of the dog much more manageable.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?

Absolutely! I love dogs and I am not able to own one in my apartment. Being able to spend time with animals is always a highlight!

Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle
any conflicts?

Yes! I am always an adopt don't shop advocate, and I love supporting any animal services anytime I can!

How did this experience challenge your problem-solving abilities?
There was a point during the event when I was assigned a new task and quickly had to learn how to function within my new role. I was initially confused about what I was to do, but after working through some issues, I quickly became comfortable running the booth.

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
I do not live in Lakeland, so it was nice to see new friendly faces! The people who attended were incredibly kind, and I had meaningful conversations with quite a few people.

Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your
experience?
I worked near someone else, but we were both doing separate tasks. It was nice to have someone in my proximity to talk to in downtime, and as such I think my experience benefitted from it.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
Absolutely! Everyone was incredibly kind, and the event ran very smoothly. I would love to do this again.

What unexpected challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
I had to set up an inflatable arch before the event began. As it is something I have never done before, I was initially confused. After reading the instructions; however, I understood what to do and it turned out great!

How did this experience challenge your problem-solving abilities?
There were many points during the recording session where I had to move the microphone in a way that would not affect the quality of the recording, and reduce feedback between microphones. I was able to help my friend with moving the microphones to create a more quality sound.

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?

I was able to meet some really talented and amazing musicians on campus through this and learned that many recording technology majors are incredibly kind and helpful to not only other majors but want to see their classmates succeed.

Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?

I was part of a large team of recording technology majors who recorded me covering a song to use as a reference as well as an assignment. Seeing everyone work together to make a quality recording made me more motivated to perform better on the assignment.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?

I absolutely would love to come back and help with another project if needed. It was a great opportunity for me to gain experience in a studio as well as meet some fellow music majors.

What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?

If I were to do this again, I would probably come better prepared on how to work some stagecraft elements of the studio, such as mic stands or amps I am unfamiliar with working.

I was able to benefit members of the broader community by giving a dog in the shelter a great day outside of the shelter, as well as helping promote the dog to potential adopters. My service was people-facing, as I was volunteering for MAS. The employees there seemed very happy about the high turnout for the event.

Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs?

Yes! I absolutely adore dogs and love treating them to a great day.

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?
It is incredibly fulfilling to give a dog that may be scared in a new environment a time to be a dog again and do they things they love. My favorite part of the entire day was watching the dog I was assigned slowly come out of his shell.

Do you plan to keep volunteering with this organization? Why?

Yes, I plan to keep volunteering with this organization. It was an amazing experience and I loved giving a dog a great day.

My service impacted the broader community by creating a safe environment for children to play and have fun using the park's services. My service was people-facing. I served all Memphians who utilize the Overton Park Playground. The group running the event seemed very happy for me to be there.

What did you learn about the community you served?

I learned that so many people are so grateful for the facilities and programs Overton Park provides. I remember hearing a child talking about what we were doing and seemed so excited that he wanted to join himself.

What skills did you develop or improve through your direct service?

I had done this same project last year, and once again, the biggest skill I developed at these events is learning how to take orders from those above me properly. Being able to be told what to do and carry it out effectively is a vital tool.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why?

Absolutely. As I said earlier, this is my second time spreading mulch at Overton Park Playground and I love seeing the sense of community that it brings.

How did your direct service benefit members of the broader community?
-I was able to help play some piano parts for some students who had been working on a project for the recording technology program. Through this project, I was able to help these student create a product they could share with the entire university and turn it in for a grade for their respective classes. I served the University of Memphis students, and they seemed very grateful for me being at the recording studio.

What skills did you develop or improve through your direct service?
Through this service, I was able to help learn how recording works on a professional level, and I was able to expose myself to multiple different recording technologies as well as get an idea of how the process works.

Did you work individually or as part of a team during your service? How did that
impact your experience?
I worked on this as part of a team. I am incredibly grateful for this, as we were able to exchange ideas and knowledge with each other to create a final product that everyone was proud of. I think it would not have turned out as well as it did if it were not for the group problem-solving style.

Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you
handle any conflicting feelings?
It did! As a music major, this experience was incredibly important and helpful for me to get a glimpse into how my career will work, as well as interacting and networking with other music majors.

Through this service event, I served Memphis Animal Services, as well as the broader community by gathering pictures and creating a biography for a dog incredibly deserving of adoption. Through this event, I believe I helped not only the dog but also the community by providing insight into her amazing personality! MAS seemed very grateful for my presence and was very kind to me throughout the entire process. I could not have asked for a better day!

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
By visiting the MAS building, and seeing the list of dogs available to adopt, I realized that there are an incredibly large amount of animals that people do not know are available to adopt. I had seen so many more puppies and kittens than I had thought. I think many people have a prejudice that adoption means you will get an "ugly" or "disobedient" animal that was not wanted. I believe; however, these animals have a lot of love to share if you give them the chance!

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?
-This event gave me such a deep sense of fulfillment. The dog I had been given was a sweet 6-month-old puppy named Flower. Flower had been surrendered, and I could tell she was initially scared to enter my car or even get near me. After around 30 minutes; however, she started to open up to me and was having an amazing time. I was so happy I was able to give her such a great day!

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
-Absolutely. Giving these dogs a chance to experience things they would not usually be able to in a shelter is such a rewarding feeling, and getting the chance to be surrounded by dogs all day is always great! I think I will incorporate volunteering here into my weekly routine.

My service benefitted Memphians who wished to enjoy the Starry Nights event at Shelby Farms. With instruction from Shelby Farms employees, I felt as though I was able to help the event go smoothly by helping with directing traffic. I served anybody who had purchased a ticket and attended the Starry Night event. The drivers seemed to appreciate my help, as I believe they may have been lost if I had not been giving directions on where to go.

Did you work individually or as part of a team during your service? How did that
impact your experience?
-I had done this event with my friend, another EL member. We both had a good time talking to other volunteers/customers, and having both of us at the same station meant we could complete multiple tasks at the same time. This made it less stressful for both of us.

What skills did you develop or improve through your direct service?
-I developed a stronger skill of giving direction. Oftentimes in group or public settings, I find it hard to be able to give efficient and clear direction to people who depend on me for it. I found that through this event I was able to develop this skill and give clear direction to drivers.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
-Absolutely! Shelby Farms has been one of my favorite places to go since I moved here to Memphis, and I would like to help in any way to help upkeep the beauty and fun the Park provides. I will continue to volunteer here as long as volunteers are needed.

My experience working on this project was unlike any service I have done in the past. I served the community of Memphians who actively utilized public facilities such as the park we had redone the ground for. Any parent who brings their children to the park, or the children themselves, are benefitting from new and safer flooring. By serving Overton Park, we are able to bring a new sense of life into beloved public facilities and allow them to be enjoyed safely by thousands.

I worked in a team during my service. I will always prefer a large group accomplishing larger goals. It gave us a sense of community and purpose that made the end result much more rewarding. I think this event would not have been half as fulfilling if not for the group aspect.

I developed a better ability to be able to effectively carry out directions. Multiple times I was given a specific task in a specific area. Initially, I was confused about my tasks, but after due diligence, I found my stride and better understood the directions. I think being able to understand what I am supposed to be doing is an incredibly important skill, and helps one to stay on task.

I belive that if they do have another event, I will volunteer at Overton park. The experience was great, and the other volunteers were kind and compassionate. While physical labor isn't something I'm incredibly used to, doing things with my hands to see a physical result was a great experience overall.