We are taught that service is noble. In school, it was constantly told to serve the marginalized. Every community engagement is framed around reaching out, helping, and understanding lives that society often ignores. “Go beyond your comfort zone,” that is what they always say. “Talk to people, learn their stories, and make a difference.”
If we are truly meant to serve the marginalized, why does it feel like we are only allowed to serve the “safe” ones? Why are the communities we are told to step into—those hardest to reach and most stigmatized—often placed beyond reach by the system that encourages us to care?
The moment we actually try to reach the communities that are hardest to access, the ones we are encouraged to serve, we are stopped. “It’s not safe. It's not that we do not trust you; it's because of the institution.” Just like that, our hands are tied. The people we are meant to engage with became untouchable due to the rules meant to protect us, but then they were protected from our presence.
Even when every requirement is met such as forms and clearances, and even the communities themselves are willing to open their doors, students are still denied entry. District jails and rehabilitation centers, these are places that are willing to share their stories and learning experiences, and to let students engage with those directly. Yet despite all the preparation and willingness on both sides, the final word often remains the same, “You can't go. It’s not safe.” Rules meant to protect students end up creating an invisible wall, one that keeps the most stigmatized communities at a distance.
It felt contradictory—encouraged to serve the marginalized, yet forbidden from stepping into the lives of the most stigmatized. The communities that could challenge our perspectives and deepen our empathy are the ones placed beyond reach. Students are left learning empathy as a concept but not as an experience.
The irony is very explicit. We are told to serve the marginalized, yet the most marginalized are treated as off-limits. We are encouraged to step into discomfort, to confront lives different from our own but when the opportunity presents itself, the system itself shuts the door. If education truly aims to cultivate empathy and understanding, why are we prevented from learning it where it matters most? The students wanted to serve but were told again and again that the hands we extend will never reach far enough.
