MerServe, Mercer University’s student-led service leadership board, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall. Launched in 2015, the board was created to meet students’ desire for more community service opportunities on the Macon campus.
“The demand for service activities was really high,” said Hannah Nabi, who served as coordinator for community engagement at the time. “Considering how important service is to Mercer’s ethos, it made sense for us to have a student leadership board for service.”
Twelve students made up the original board. They took over management of Be a Good NeighBear, Mercer’s oldest and largest community service project, and began offering a whole new slate of programming. Students were responsible for picking service sites and serving as the leads.
“It was great skill development for the students because they learned how to do cold calling. They learned how to do community partner stewardship and build relationships,” said Nabi, who is now a lecturer of human-centered information design and technology in the School of Engineering. “They learned a lot about liability and project management and all of the logistical, behind-the-scenes stuff that’s really useful to know if you want to go work anywhere. Oftentimes students don’t get the opportunity to learn about those things unless they’re in a leadership position.”
Sarah (Pounds) Hazelrig, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design in 2018, served on the first MerServe board. She said she enjoyed working with students who, like her, were enthusiastic about service.
“People came in with lots of different kinds of passions for service. Some people were really interested in addressing poverty, and some people really cared about animal rights and welfare, and others were passionate about the environment,” she said. “For me, it was the first time being on a team of people with different, equally strong passions as well as people who came with a skillset and desire to help. It was really cool to see how the team grew in that and found different projects to do.”
MerServe was a way for Hazelrig, a Macon native, to learn more about her city and share it with fellow students.
“One of the things that made MerServe so special was that it took you out of that campus bubble and put you into real spaces that were doing real work,” she said. “Whether it was working with the community garden or doing a Rebuilding Macon project that put you in a neighborhood, I just think that it would help to erase misconceptions about what Macon was like because students met people who actually were Macon.”
Hazelrig, an associate pastor at Vineville United Methodist Church, said part of her job in ministry now is continuing that work helping to connect people and create shared spaces.
Since 2015, the MerServe board has more than doubled in size. This year, 27 students serve on various committees, each responsible for planning at least one event for 20 students every month, said advisor Margaret Rooyakkers, assistant director of service and civic engagement. Rooyakkers, who also served on the MerServe board as a student, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health in 2019 and a Master of Education in higher education leadership in 2021.
Aleem Patni, a junior history major, joined MerServe his freshman year and is now the board’s executive director. As someone who grew up serving others, he wanted to continue doing so in college.
“The whole idea of Mercer and its commitment to service was really important to me,” he said. “I thought Mercer really embodied that with MerServe especially being such a large student organization and also with programs in terms of global service like faculty study abroad or Mercer On Mission.”
Patni said he has really enjoyed helping plan events like Be a Good NeighBear. He encouraged students to browse and sign up for MerServe events on BearPulse.
“With MerServe being around now for 10 years, I think that there’s a lot of continuity in the service that we provide,” said former advisor Lauren Shinholster, who is now associate director of engaged learning. “Our partners in 2017 when I first started — many of them were also around in 2015 — are the same partners that we’re working with today. Our partners really love the energy that our students bring, and also to them, it represents that Mercer is committed to supporting and uplifting this community because we are a part of this community.”
Brian Cornett, co-president of the Macon chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that builds beds for children in need, echoed that sentiment.
“The dedication and enthusiasm of Mercer student volunteers is amazing and help us expand our outreach and bring comfort to children who otherwise might not have a safe place to sleep,” he said. “Their commitment truly makes a difference in the lives of these children and their families.”
