‍THOUGHT: The Kid Who Didn't Want to Go
TREND: Service is the New Curriculum
TOOL: The Transcript that Shows Real Work

The Kid Who Didn't Want To Go

Kerry Owen needed help delivering food to a family. Her 22-year-old son said no. She said, "I need you to carry this into the apartment." He was grumpy in the car.

They got there. The family had lots of little kids. The kids climbed all over him. Wanted him to play. Wanted to color with him.

In the car afterward, Kerry said, "They loved you." He said, "I know. Actually, that was pretty fun."

Most of us think we need to feel like serving before we do it. Kerry's son proves the opposite: you do it first, then discover you needed it. 

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Service Is the New Curriculum

When Kerry is running Reach Out Today, she brings her kids along. They assemble food kits, organize pop-up hair salons for underserved communities, coordinate volunteer teams. One daughter manages donor relations. Another runs "walk in their shoes" school visits. They're not volunteering once a month. This is family culture.

And colleges are noticing, asking for evidence of contribution—project logs, leadership stories, documented impact.

Flexible schooling makes this possible. Online classes in the morning, meal distribution in the afternoon. You can't coordinate a feeding program stuck in a classroom until 3pm. But when you control your schedule, service becomes curriculum, not something you squeeze in after homework.

The Transcript That Shows Real Work

The Mastery Transcript Consortium created transcripts for students doing real-world learning. Instead of a vague line item like, "Community Service: A+" (lol), it shows real competencies with evidence.

Each transcript includes artifacts—photos, testimonials, project logs. Over 400 schools use MTC transcripts. Colleges accept them because they show initiative and real-world impact, not just grades.

Check it out at Mastery.org.