Unlearning assumptions, embracing humility: How service learning catalyzes student growth

Zoom Screenshot of Service Learning Experience Sharing in fall 2025

As undergraduate students at Parami University come from diverse backgrounds across Myanmar and beyond, they bring with them varied family situations, economic realities, and life experiences. These differences shape how students see the world and how they understand others. While this diversity strengthens Parami’s learning environment, it can also surface hidden assumptions about privilege, access, and what it truly means to help.

Service learning at Parami creates a space for students to reflect on and unlearn these assumptions. It challenges the idea that helping always means leading or fixing. Instead, students learn the value of humility, listening, and working alongside communities. Through this program, they begin to understand that meaningful impact grows from respect, trust, and shared effort, not from one-sided solutions.

“Through service learning, I learned about people’s true nature,” said Thant Thaw Tun (Class of 2026) who completed his service learning at Every Nation Campus (ENS). “The most striking part was the differences in personalities and cultures among individuals. It is precisely through these experiences that we come to understand how to effectively approach and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.”

In academic settings, students are often confident in analyzing issues and applying theory. Service learning pushes them beyond the classroom by placing them in real-world contexts where problems are rarely straightforward. Limited resources, cultural differences, administrative barriers, and changing community needs reveal how complex social challenges can be. These experiences teach students to adapt, to be patient, and to collaborate rather than impose. As a result, they grow not only in knowledge but also in empathy, resilience, and openness.

What makes service learning especially powerful is what it reveals about lived realities. Students gain firsthand insight into social issues, community strengths, and the everyday challenges people face. These encounters deepen their understanding of society and better prepare them for professional and civic life. As a core part of Parami’s liberal arts education, service learning reflects the university’s commitment to critical thinking, ethical leadership, and compassionate service.

Wutyee Phyo (Class of 2027), who completed her service learning at the Water Agency, expressed: “One of the main challenges I remember most was understanding the organization’s culture. It was not that the organization differed from my expectations. Instead, it offered new insights. While the organization primarily runs environmental projects supported by funding, it also operates private business initiatives that benefit both the community and the business itself. This experience helped me understand how to balance public impact with private sustainability.”

Service learning also exposes students to professional settings that many encounter for the first time. By working with experienced practitioners, researchers, and activists, students gain insight into how large organizations operate and how collective efforts drive impact. At the same time, contributing to causes such as environmental protection or community development allows students to see their work as part of something larger, reinforcing a sense of responsibility and purpose.

“Through my service learning experience at Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Myanmar, I worked closely with professionals from large organizations, including PhD-level experts, gaining invaluable insights. Supporting environmentalists and environmental students in Myanmar has been a deeply rewarding experience that continues to inspire me,” said Min Khant Zaw (Class of 2027).

Equally important, service learning pushes students to step outside their comfort zones. Taking ownership of unfamiliar tasks, such as fundraising, grant applications, or project coordination, requires confidence, problem-solving, and perseverance. Through trial and error, students learn that growth often comes from facing uncertainty and learning by doing.

“When I had to take on fundraising work for Yangon School of Social Network that involved applying for grants—something I had never done before—it was really challenging for me,” said Hla Mon Ching (Class of 2026). “I didn’t even think I could pull it off. But I managed to do it. Taking full ownership of a task and figuring out practical ways to make it happen is, in my view, the very essence of service learning.”

These reflections show that service learning is not just a course requirement. It is a process that shapes how students engage with people, take responsibility, and respond to real-world challenges. As a core component of Parami University’s liberal arts education, service learning prepares students to become thoughtful, capable, and compassionate contributors to their communities and beyond.