Environmental Studies/Religious Studies major

Hi! My name is Lizzie McGurk, and I'm a member of the Eckerd College class of 2008. Service learning was a very important part of my life at Eckerd. I participated in service events both in St. Petersburg and abroad. I first became involved in service through Professor Brian MacHarg's autumn term class my freshman year. This class allowed me to see first hand the problems that plague our society, from racism and sexism to poverty and environmental degradation. We spoke to local individuals who devoted their lives to solving these problems, often one abused wife, one injured seabird, or one under privileged child at a time. I knew then that I wanted to become a person who is able to make a difference, so my next task would be to learn how. My passion for service stems from my belief in the Christian Faith and a sense of calling to work for environmental and social justice. Being a Student Ministry Coordinator (SMC) at Eckerd allowed me to begin to answer the call to become a servant leader. As an SMC, I was able to organize and lead service projects including a work day at a daycare center for underprivileged children, a school supply drive and the annual Crop Walk for 2006.

During my sophomore year, my journey towards servant leadership sent me abroad to Cape Town, South Africa. Here, I was given the opportunity to teach environmental education and help start a school garden at the John Pama Primary School in the township of Nanga. I began to recognize the relationship between environmental injustice and social injustice, and to glimpse the path I was called to travel. For the first time, I really felt that I was making a difference, one child at a time. In 2007, I was able to attend a spring break service trip to the US / Mexico border where a group of other students and I worked with Humane Borders to fill water tanks for migrants crossing the desert. This trip enabled me to make important connections between social and environmental justice, economics, and politics, helping to lay the foundations for my post Eckerd journey.

The service learning I participated in while at Eckerd has paved the way for the service work I am doing now, and the career in servant leadership I hope to soon begin. For my Quest for Meaning (QFM) service hours, I worked at Sweetwater Organic Farm learning how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a means of doing justice. Not only do growers, workers, and consumers share in the risks and benefits of food production, but CSAs can provide a fresh healthy food source for low income families. CSA's utilize a local food source, thus limiting energy use for transportation, and supporting biological diversity through the practice of polyculture. Now I'm working at Rosie's organic farm, a CSA in Gainesville Florida. After the season ends, I plan to continue to serve others by doing justice. Next, I was recently accepted to a position with the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program or the Enough for Everyone Program of the Presbyterian Church USA. In the long term, I plan to attend law school and concentrate on environmental law.