#OurTufts Features Jen Greer-Morrissey

“I attended college on a very significant scholarship, in the same part of New York State where I grew up. I identified as a ‘townie.’ One night, senior year, I was in a pizzeria near campus. A fellow senior was angry with the shop’s owner about something that had happened. As the student stormed out, she yelled at the owner. I still remember what she said to him, 25 years later: “Whatever—my car is worth more than your house.”

My peers were some of the brightest people I’d ever met, but I often saw them as unaware of how to be a member of a community. As someone who was both a student at an elite institution and a member of the local community, I saw my fellow student’s disrespect as a failure of our college to teach its students the simple act of how to treat others. That spoke to me as higher education falling short of its mission. Working to bridge that disconnect has become a calling of sorts.

Here at Tufts, in community service learning (CSL) for the health sciences schools, we support partnerships between our students and local organizations. CSL focuses on social determinants of health, whether that’s working with schoolchildren, or in community health settings, or serving patients (in a non-medical capacity) in a clinical setting. Many students choose Tufts for its civic engagement, and I hope that these experiences strengthen that commitment by enriching their understanding and developing their skills.

I believe that service learning makes our students better physicians, dentists, veterinarians…professionals who really understand people as people and take time to hear their stories. In an ideal world, our students will also be empowered to effect change. But that starts with being people who understand the barriers, and the complexity of why some people might, say, face difficulties with their housing situation—and take in that information with open hearts and listening ears.

What’s the most important trait for someone to do this work? Is ‘love’ too cheesy an answer? Love for humanity, love for students and wanting to support them. Belief that we can make this world a better place. I think it's just got to come from your heart.”

—Jennifer Greer-Morrissey, program manager of civic life for health sciences

#OurTufts is a series of personal stories shared by members of the Tufts community [Photo Credit: Alonso Nichols]