A lesson in service: Trinity students give of their time, treasure and talent

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Students enrolled in the Time, Treasure and Talent class at Trinity High School concluded the spring semester by reflecting on their volunteer service.

Ali Buechler wrote about her friend at St. Luke’s Home who liked her high heels.

“She shared some of her memories of when she went dancing in heels with me. She had some pretty good stories,” said Buechler.

Katie Veverka wrote about a visit with a resident at St. Luke’s, who showed memorabilia from World War II.

“Tony talked about his wife being the greatest ever and he loves her and misses her so much,” she added.

Time, Treasure and Talent is a one-semester service-based course for juniors in Trinity’s religion department. Their instructor is Cherie Roshau.

“The service leads to a rewarding experience for all involved — each service offers something unique,” she said. “This is a relatively new class offered to Trinity juniors who are ready to give something back to the Dickinson community while growing tremendously as individuals.”

Reading their journals and self-evaluations, Roshau said for some, it has become a life-changing experience.

The students volunteered either fall or spring at any of the following agencies: ABLE Inc., Head Start/Early Childhood Center, St. Luke’s Home, St. Benedict’s Health Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center dialysis unit, CountryHouse, Evergreen, Hawks Point and Queen of Peace parish.

“With the students giving of their time and talents, friendships have been formed,” said Rosie Jahner, human resources assistant at ABLE Inc. “The students get a better understanding of what we do in our agency and some have made a career choice to work as part of our team at ABLE Inc.”

Head Start teacher Kathy Bacon described THS student Christian Olson as a role model for the children.

“They look up to him and are always happy when he comes,” she said. “They ask him to play and sometimes just like to sit with him.”

North Dakota first lady Betty Dalrymple visited the Time, Treasure and Talent class this spring. She applauded the young people for their efforts in serving those who are in need, said Roshau.

“The first lady is extremely supportive of programs like Time, Treasure and Talent that teach and encourage our young people at a very young age,” said Roshau.

Parker Pavlicek completed several of his service hours during a family vacation to Hawaii. He volunteered with a local school that was holding a bazaar.

“They were overjoyed to have some volunteers from North Dakota to help out,” he wrote in his journal.

Brittany Sandmeier remembers the day she visited Hawks Point on her way to the prom.

“When we walked into Hawks Point today, the place was decorated beautifully,” she wrote. “They included vintage wedding gowns throughout the main visiting area. This was the same weekend as our prom. I think that this was the best part of my prom.”

Nikki Grinsteinner wrote about relationships during time she spent at the hospital’s dialysis unit.

“The patients are dependent on the nurse and because of this, good strong relationships are building,” she wrote. “At some point in my life, I can guarantee that I will need someone to lean on. I met people in dialysis as a stranger; but now as a regular visitor, I feel like I am considered a friend.”

The Rev. Keith Streifel, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church said student volunteerism has gained traction in recent years.

“The idea that we are stewards of our time, talent and treasure is a response to God’s gifts to us — everything we have, whether spiritual or temporal, is a gift from God,” he said. “That means that we aren’t looking for a way to spend our extra time, our extra cash or the surplus of our skills … We are inviting the students to make a response to the goodness that God has first given to us.”

As the class concluded until fall, Trinity Principal Carter J. Fong said, “We are very thankful for our partners in the community that work with us to arrange these service hours and learning opportunities for our students.”

Tags: youth, lifestyles