Serving While Learning: How Southern Arkansas University Students are Making
a Difference in Magnolia

A college campus can be a place of preparation, but it can also be a place of impact. Through
Saddle Up and Serve, Southern Arkansas University (SAU) students are discovering they don’t have
to wait until graduation to use their talents, support their community, and start making a difference.

Saddle Up and Serve is an Engage Arkansas AmeriCorps initiative that gives SAU undergraduate
students the opportunity to serve both on campus and throughout the Magnolia community during
their AmeriCorps service term. Members contribute to various areas, including education, food
security, and economic opportunity to support local service programs.

“Our program provides a unique experience because our members get to serve their own classmates and the greater community [while in university],” Megan McAllister, Program Director for Saddle Up and Serve, remarked. “We’re meeting them at a critical time in their life where we get to mentor them and instill a passion for service.”

Saddle Up and Serve member assisting in a park cleanup during a Day of Service

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Through these different service sites, Saddle Up and Serve’s AmeriCorps members are responding
to needs around them while gaining experiences that complement their in-class education. At
education sites, members tutor and mentor younger students, while other placements allow them to
work directly with people their own age.

“I’ve heard multiple stories from education site members [about gaining] real-life teaching skills from
their time in Saddle Up and Serve,” McAllister added. “They typically only get this experience during
their student teaching years but get to learn more from their service experience.”

One story that has stayed with McAllister came from an AmeriCorps member serving at the county
library tutoring a child with autism. “She was teaching him division and getting frustrated because
she couldn’t make a breakthrough. Then she took some time and thought about different ways she
could teach him. He likes pizza, so she taught him how to do his division by using something that he
liked!”

In the greater Magnolia community, Saddle Up and Serve’s members continue to support local
development initiatives like recycling and food distribution. Through campus recycling efforts,
members collect recyclable materials from residence halls and academic buildings, sports, and other
campus events.

Between December and May, they collected more than 4,200 pounds of recycling
from campus alone. These efforts continue to be recognized across the state, with Saddle Up and
Serve’s recycling team accepting an award from the Arkansas Recycling Coalition in September to
highlight their contributions to campus sustainability.

One of SAU’s campus-wide recycling trailers Saddle Up and Serve members fill

Professional Growth Through Service

Saddle Up and Serve also incorporates professional development into their service year, providing
career services like resume building and mock interviews. These expectations help students build
habits they can carry into future workplaces while still having the university’s support. As McAllister
described it, “they really are getting a real world experience while they’re still in their little safety net
of campus.”

Through Saddle Up and Serve, SAU students show what college-aged service can offer both a
university and the surrounding community. Those serving build relationships, gain professional
experience, and find opportunities to apply what they are learning outside the classroom. By serving
while they are still learning, students turn their college years into a launchpad for leadership, career
growth, and lasting community impact

Learn more about SAU and their AmeriCorps program, Saddle Up and Serve, or explore other EngageAR programs across the state.

This article is part of the Engage Arkansas 2026 Civic Challenge. The Civic Challenge focuses on one vital impact area to showcase impactful stories statewide. In August, Engage Arkansas highlighted the importance of Student Success & Education Support.

Yuliana Murillo & Larissa Agbor-Nkongho, 2026