Here at Andrews University, the academic departments serve not only the purpose of educating and enlightening its students, but also providing opportunities to serve others and gain real-world experience important for life after university. As a Seventh-day Adventist affiliated university, serving others is an essential part of growing spiritually, personally and, in this case, academically. Students and faculty alike thus have taken initiative to use their skills in real-world contexts.
Each year, Urban Design Studio, a class in the architecture master’s program, partners with an organization or community to create and bring architectural solutions for those in need. Graduate student Janeth Bañuelos worked with her classmates to come up with a design plan for a school located in Rwanda, where they travelled and immersed in the culture for three weeks.
“Our main goal was to design a school of excellence that would serve as a trade school,” she said. “As a person, I believe [the mission] affected me a lot. It made me realize that as an architect there’s so much I can provide to the community, since every design that I create has a true ethical impact to the community around me, especially since those structures are going to be there for generations,” she explains.
When asked about the importance of architecture and the designing process of livable spaces, Janeth answered that “designing is not just coming up with a structure that works, but coming up with a space that truly brings value to the community and uplifts the culture of the community around it. In other words, designing with intention and vision.” In order to adhere to these values, Janeth’s current research, as part of her major requirements, focuses on the Andrews University campus.
“Our centralized buildings tend to bring stigma and burnout,” she said. “My project revolves around providing feasible micro architecture third spaces that would help prevent these challenges by providing multiple outdoor insulated pods where students can rest, without them necessarily feeling like it’s a part of a system,” she comments.
Overall, Janeth’s experiences with the Urban Design Studio missions as well as her current architectural projects are vital in both her academic and personal journey, as working with different communities impacted her greatly.
In a similar manner, Amanda Park (junior, elementary education) reflects on her journey and the experiences that led to her love of teaching. When she first came to Andrews University, her major was undecided. After taking Introduction to Teaching, which had required observation hours for kindergarten and first grade, she had the opportunity to hang out with the kids and realized that she loved it. Under the School of Education, Amanda comments that “the teacher preparation program includes field observation or experience with the local schools. The first two years of our program are more field observation, then the last two years are a lot more field experience…this can look like small group lessons with the students or interventions and tutoring.”
The School of Education connects with local schools in and around Berrien Springs and Niles, Michigan, to provide field observations and experiences. One thing that Amanda deeply appreciates about the department’s preparations is that “field experience with the local schools gives us the exposure to different teaching styles, school environments, and of course, the opportunity to meet and teach with the kids…it also helps us put all that we've learned into practice.”
Field experience gives the necessary preparation for these teachers and also introduces them not only to the students, but to the teaching styles of different teachers.
“I get to meet so many teachers who have been in this profession for so long. Each teacher that I observe does something a little different or in their own way, which is so so beautiful to see…I've seen them manage their classrooms, facilitate discussion, integrate subjects, and they all do it in their own unique way,” Amanda says.
Overall, the experiences reflected by these students emphasizes the importance of academic departments providing opportunities for real-world scenarios, preparing students by immersing them in situations their professional careers will likely put them in. This is a necessary aspect of opportunities here at Andrews University that help to further its students both personally and academically.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.