Jen Liedtka Returns to LVC Hoping to Engage Students in Local, National, and Global Service

At Lebanon Valley College, community service is an important part of a student’s experience. By offering numerous service opportunities and rewarding students who reach a high level of achievement in service, LVC has enabled its students to develop relationships with the local community and the world around them.

In order to continue the historic success of this program, The Valley welcomes back Jen Liedtka ’92, M’00 to the positions of service and volunteerism coordinator and Lebanon Valley Education Partnership (LVEP) coordinator. Liedtka had previously served as associate director of financial aid and in other roles before leaving to oversee service for her church. She returns this academic year seeking to connect students with the local community, nation, and even the world.

“I am especially interested in the learning aspect of service. Service allows you to discover who you are and how you fit in the big picture of life, while being able to make the world a better place,” said Liedtka.

Liedtka wants LVC students to perform service, and think about why the needs they are fulfilling exist. By exposing students to a variety of service projects, she hopes to allow them to experience new things and discover more about their world.

One such opportunity was brought to Liedtka by two LVC students, Nick Tucker '18 and Tristan Ferguson '20, looking to make change.  

“After the recent hurricanes caused destruction in several communities, two students came to me individually to say we need to help. I brought them together and we began to develop a plan,” said Liedtka.

Collaborating with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, a first response unit connected to the United Methodist Church, LVC students will build hygiene kits of toiletries to be brought to hurricane disaster sites. Residents of the Cornwall Manor Retirement Community will help alongside LVC students, allowing the students to connect with members of the local community while making a difference in the world.

“We wanted to find a realistic way to not just help at one affected area, but all of them. The United Methodist Committee on Relief allows us to provide important supplies to individuals affected in all areas,” said Liedtka.

Students interested in community service, or those with a potential service project in mind, are encouraged to visit Liedtka in her office, located in the centers for Global Education and Career Development. 

“I am here to help discover a student’s passion and find opportunities that enable them to explore those passions while making a difference,” she said.

 

-- Adam Filbert, Marketing and Communications Intern