On Friday, February 13, students from Middle East University, guided by Ms. Lina Issa, visited the Moadieh Evangelical Center as part of their Philosophy of Service course. The visit served as the class’s group community service project, designed to connect academic reflection with practice through respectful engagement with residents.
The Philosophy of Service course invites students to examine service as more than volunteering or a one-time activity. It explores service as a professional and personal posture—one shaped by responsibility, empathy, and a commitment to human dignity. In the classroom, students discuss what it means to serve ethically, how service relates to leadership and decision-making, and how future professionals can contribute to society in ways that are meaningful and sustainable. The community visit is where those ideas become concrete.
At the center, students facilitated a program that combined light physical games, mental challenges, and shared social time. The activities were prepared to be accessible, engaging, and appropriate to the residents’ pace and comfort. Beyond the activities themselves, the visit emphasized attentiveness—being present, listening well, and creating space for interaction that is respectful and genuine.
This approach reflects something distinctive about the MEU experience. As a university serving a diverse student body in Lebanon, MEU prepares students to work in contexts where cultural sensitivity, integrity, and relational intelligence are not optional—they are essential. The country’s social reality has taught many young people to be resilient, but higher education also needs to shape how that resilience becomes responsible leadership. In that sense, Philosophy of Service supports what MEU seeks to cultivate across campus: graduates who combine competence with character, and ambition with a sense of responsibility toward others.
The project’s theme was Love, and the visit included a short devotional reflection shared by Helena, focused on demonstrating love through practical actions and everyday respect. Student reflections emphasized that service is not about giving from a position of superiority, but about meeting people with humility and shared humanity.
As Jihan Mohammad reflected: “Service is not about giving from a place of superiority but about sharing humanity… sometimes the simplest acts—like sitting, listening, or even holding a hand—can have the greatest impact.”
Helena Abdallah highlighted how meaningful attention can be, especially for those who may experience loneliness: “Many of them feel lonely and miss their families… giving them attention and listening to them made a meaningful difference.”
For students preparing for professional life, these experiences have long-term value. Whether they enter business, education, health, technology, or public service, the ability to serve with respect, communicate with empathy, and lead with integrity becomes part of their professional identity. The course reinforces that service is not separate from career—it is one of the ways character becomes visible in real decisions, real relationships, and real communities.
MEU extends sincere appreciation to the Moadieh Evangelical Center for welcoming our students and supporting an experience that aligns with the learning goals of the Philosophy of Service course—connecting what we teach on campus with the kind of professionals we hope our students will become.
