Students Learn as They Serve Each Other

Sometimes we have opportunities to serve others in unexpected ways. And sometimes we discover that we benefited more from these experiences than the people we served.

The students at the Logan Utah Campus Seminary in Logan, Utah, USA, are learning this little by little as they provide peer tutoring to seminary students with special needs in the adapted seminary program. In the adapted seminary program, a seminary student—the peer tutor—sits next to another student with special needs and helps him or her during class with things like saying prayers, opening and reading scriptures, and answering questions.

Although these tasks seem simple, many students have seen their lives change as they have participated in this program and learned to put others’ needs before their own.

“When you’re in the special-needs seminary class you learn from the students because they are so loving,” said Erika Somers, a student and peer tutor at the Logan seminary. “We were talking today about how we need to become as little children and that’s exactly what they do.”

Erika sits next to Jacob, who has autism. When asked why she decided to participate in the special-needs seminary program, she answered, “My brother has special needs—autism. He inspired me to want to do this.”

Of the many priceless lessons these seminary students have learned, one of the greatest is that all students are more alike than they might think.

Erika said that since participating in seminary with students who have special needs, she has realized more than ever before that “we are both children of God. We both have a lot to learn and a lot to teach [others].”

Elder and Sister Maughan, a missionary couple who was called to assist students with special needs in Sister Parker’s seminary classroom, couldn’t agree more.

Elder and Sister Maughan had no prior experience working with those with special needs. “This was an area outside of our experience,” explained Sister Maughan. “We’ve learned that you don’t have to be afraid.”

One of Elder and Sister Maughan’s responsibilities is to help facilitate a good learning environment for all the students in the classroom and to help Sister Parker, the class’s teacher, focus on the students without any distractions.

During one of Sister Parker’s lessons, Jessica, a student with multiple disabilities including severe scoliosis that has crippled her body, cried out in pain. Sister Maughan quietly walked over to her and rocked her wheelchair back and forth while her peer tutor rubbed her legs. Jessica responded to Sister Maughan’s the peer tutor’s efforts and was able to calm down and participate in the rest of the lesson.

Elder and Sister Maughan are also responsible for keeping the students as healthy as possible. “We try to keep the classrooms clean and keep people well,” said Sister Maughan.

Many of the students with disabilities have weak immune systems and are more prone to getting sick. Sister Maughan offers hand sanitizer to students as they leave the classroom to prevent germs from spreading. She also wipes down each desk after the students leave to make the classroom as sanitary as possible before the next class begins.

Although Elder and Sister Maughan’s efforts are not seen by anyone outside of the classroom, the results are significant and make a world of difference to Sister Parker and her seminary students.

Their efforts support peer tutors like Marissa Flippence, a senior at the Logan seminary, as they learn gospel principles and help others with disabilities also learn the gospel. Students usually peer tutor in the adapted seminary program for one semester, but this is Marissa’s second time doing it.

Regarding why she chose to do it again, she said, “The patience and the love that [the students with disabilities] have for others are some things you could never learn from another seminary class.”

Marissa has also seen her desire to serve others increase. “Outside of seminary [you] realize how much you want to help other people.”

Carson Crockett is another peer tutor in the adapted seminary program and has seen the same change in his own life. “I’m learning to think of other peoples’ needs before my own—not to be so selfish.”

As these peer tutors serve the students with special needs in the adapted seminary program, they come to see their own lives change and feel the truthfulness of the Savior’s promise that “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

Although there are countless ways to serve our brothers and sisters, peer tutoring is a great way for all students to grow as they learn from one another in class. Let your students know about these opportunities if they are available in your area.