For Spencer Brink, the Learn and Serve America program made the difference between graduating and not graduating from high school.

"There weren't really a lot of other classes available for me to take," he said. "It started out as a good way for me to earn a credit, but it ended up being a really great experience."

Learn and Serve America, which has been available at the Rapid City school district's Jefferson Academy for 15 years, was introduced at Stevens and Central high schools in January. Through this program, students are placed in businesses and nonprofit organizations to receive workplace experience. The students earn one-half academic credit toward graduation while exploring different career options.

The program is related to goals set by the Partnership Rapid City community initiative, established in 2007 to help students explore potential jobs while applying concepts learned in classes to real-life situations.

Spencer interned at Westhills Village under the supervision of Debbie Westfall, the activity coordinator in the long-term care division. Westfall said that Spencer filled a number of roles during his 70-hour internship there, including reading to the residents, taking them outside for walks, distributing mail, helping with parties, playing games with them and simply sitting and visiting, which was probably the single most important thing. "Spencer put a lot of smiles on our resident's faces," she said. "He was very helpful and friendly, very well-mannered - just a really nice young man."

When Sue Colgan, the Learn and Serve coordinator at Jefferson Academy, first suggested the internship to Spencer, he admits he wasn't all that excited.

"At first, I wasn't so hot about it, but then, I got close to some of the residents, and it turned into a great experience for me. Miss Colgan is probably one of the best teachers I've ever had. She really helped me through it," he said.

Westfall said that not only did Spencer enhance the quality of life for the residents at Westhills Village, he also gained a lot of knowledge about older people and built relationships while there.

"Because he enjoyed the residents so much, it made him more accountable," she said. "And elders love to visit with teenagers. Often, they have their minds, but their bodies have failed them. They love to find out what kids are doing, and kids like Spencer enjoy hearing about their lives, too. They learn from each other."

Spencer said that one particular resident became almost like a grandfather to him. "I got really close to Joe, probably because he played baseball for a college that my stepfather lived close to, and both of us were big sports guys," he said.

Although Westfall described Spencer as a very outgoing person, he said his people skills grew during the internship. "I was fairly outgoing before, but it definitely was brought out more while I was there," he said. "Learn and Serve really got me ready for the real world and taught me responsibility."

With the help of Learn and Serve, Spencer stayed in school and graduated from Jefferson Academy in May. He plans to attend Mitchell Technical Institute in January and study power-line construction and maintenance.

Although Spencer didn't choose a career path directly related to his internship at Westhills Village, he is quick to say that the experience will be with him throughout his life.

"I'm sure I'll do some more volunteering somewhere along the line," he said. "I just never knew how much older people like having visitors. It makes their day."

For more information on Partnership Rapid City, call Julie Ward at 394-6986, or go to www1.rcas.org/partnershiprapidcity.

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