My Service at the Alzheimer's Association

I chose to fulfill my 20 hour service-learning requirement at the Alzheimer's Association. They are a non-profit organization which works to advance research and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. I had never heard of this organization until I attended the Service Fair. Jill Carlson explained to me that they were looking for individuals to serve with clerical duties and any other miscellaneous office needs. Initially, I wasn't sure it would be that enjoyable. I had never done a desk job before, though, so I decided to give it a try. I was assigned to organize their monthly newsletters which had been deemed undeliverable for various reasons. I used their database to either change or delete addresses that were incorrect. During my time at the Alzheimer's Association, I prepared newsletters for delivery, organized donation envelopes and created Excel inventories, first for envelope sizes and then a large inventory of their library. The library inventory involved taking a Word document of titles and organizing them into an Excel file, a project that took four weeks.  

To my surprise, I found my service at the Alzheimer’s Association to be a good change of pace from my classes and campus life at Coe. I worried that all of the clerical duties would be boring, but instead I found the projects exciting and rewarding to complete. From my work in the library, I got to learn more about the purpose and goals of this organization. I also experienced their purpose first hand when I got to interact with a lady who came in one afternoon concerned about her aunt’s dementia. This showed me the importance of this service beyond just a requirement to fulfill. I felt appreciated there, knowing that the things I was doing were projects that they didn’t normally have time for. As I got closer to finishing my service requirement, I began pondering if this would be a good career for me. I entered Coe planning on being a music teacher. However, my experiences with office duties have made me think that a music secretary might be a better fit for me. This way I can combine my love for music with my office skills to serve others. As all of these thoughts were swirling in my head, I was approached by my new supervisor, Paige Knebel, about if I would like to participate in an internship with the Alzheimer’s Association next semester. Starting in January, I will be doing an internship there focusing specifically on office work and computer programs. I will be more active in putting their newsletters together rather than just stuffing them to send. Service-learning has been a good experience for me as it has revealed a potential career for me. I have enjoyed my service-learning experience at the Alzheimer’s Association this past semester, and look forward to my internship with them next semester.

-Amy Smith