By Jess Benninger ’26, staff writer
Kind, thoughtful and intelligent are just a few characteristics to describe Dutchmen Serve volunteer Reagan Little.
Originally from Upper Dauphin, Pennsylvania, Reagan is a speech-language pathology major and is in her first year of graduate school at LVC. Reagan looks forward to her future career as a speech-language pathologist in an elementary school.
“I love children, and I love working with children, so I intend to probably work in a school right after graduation as a speech-language pathologist. And then, at some point, I hope to work in private practice,” Reagan Little beamed proudly as she visualized her future career after college.
Reagan didn’t always want to be a speech-language pathologist, however. She originally had her sights set on becoming an optometrist. Reagan’s tour of LVC’s campus prior to her commitment introduced her to speech-language pathology, and she instantly envisioned herself in the field.
As her potential career choices might indicate, Reagan is a major people person, and this quality has been evident in each and every activity that she has participated in at LVC. From volunteering at night of service events to joining other LVC students on two service trips, Reagan has embraced a variety of different opportunities to work with others.
In particular, Reagan enjoys working on a project that she started with the help of one of her peers.
“Two summers ago, me and one of my classmates, Alexa DeInnocentiis, started our own social group. It’s called ‘Girls Are….’ So it’s a female empowerment group for girls aged ten to fourteen.”
Reagan reflects on her own childhood and cites her experiences as her inspiration.
“It’s something I wish I had growing up. [Alexa and I] are very passionate about female representation and making sure girls are confident and love themselves.”
Reagan takes pride in her efforts to teach young girls about social skills and help them to gain confidence. Her social group works with 18 girls who are between the ages of 10 and 14.
“[The girls are] working on social skills and the pragmatic aspect of speech and language. We also do a lot of teaching them about confidence and powerful women who have accomplished great things, goal setting, and friendship. So we talk about different aspects of social skills related to being a confident, powerful female.”
In addition to her work in social groups, Reagan has also taken part in two service trips offered by LVC. In 2021, Reagan participated in a virtual trip to Brazil where she connected with and learned from healthcare workers. More recently, Reagan went to Navajo Nation in Arizona to learn more about and serve the Navajo community.
Reagan explains that a large portion of the service trip to Arizona was dedicated to learning about the culture of the Navajo community.
“After we learned a great deal about their culture and some of their beliefs and their religion, we kind of applied that to the work that we were doing, and that made the physical service that we did so much more meaningful.”
Reagan and other LVC volunteers helped to dig an irrigation system designed to carry water to several houses in the Navajo community.
“I think my favorite part of the trip was meeting the Navajo people and hearing their stories and learning about them. Knowing how willing they were to share their experiences and tell us all about their culture—it made all of us reflect on our own culture and how we don’t value things the same way that they do,” Reagan passionately recalled.
Service trips are offered periodically throughout each academic year at LVC, and Reagan recognizes these trips as being two of the most memorable aspects of her college experience so far. Reagan also emphasizes how LVC’s service opportunities are different from other colleges.
“All of the service opportunities that we have through LVC—specifically the ones where you really get to immerse yourself in someone else’s culture…it has been such a great part of my LVC experience. I can’t imagine going to a school and not having the opportunity to impact something greater.”
Reagan began participating in community service through her church when she was younger, but her involvement increased once she arrived at LVC. Reagan got involved with service early on in her college career.
“I think that the reason I got into service was because as a freshman I didn’t have anything to do one night and my friends were busy, so I walked over to the chapel, and there were service activities going on. It’s a good way to meet new people.”
While Reagan is grateful for all of the service opportunities that LVC offers, she wishes that one program would be revived after being put on pause for COVID-19. Book Buddies was a program led by Jen Liedtka, LVC’s Service and Volunteerism Coordinator. Reagan recalled how much she enjoyed visiting a community center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and reading to children affected by homelessness.
Reagan’s dedication to community service was recognized last spring when she was awarded LVC’s Gold Service Award. Reagan served over 100 hours in the community and embarked on at least one service trip to earn this honor at the conclusion of her junior year.
Always humble, Reagan expresses gratitude for the award.
“It makes me feel good [to have earned the award]. It makes me feel that what I’m doing here is impactful and that I’m not just here to get my education… I’m able to positively impact my community in a way that not all schools have the opportunity to do.”
For those who want to become more involved in community service at LVC, Reagan recommends attending one of Dutchmen Serve’s night of service events.
“[Nights of service are] such a good way to make an impact in your community while also socializing and also learning about things that are going on in our community that you might not realize.”