For traditional-age college students (18 to 24 years old), college is a time of identity exploration. During this time, if individuals have a deep sense of caring for others, it is more likely that they will interact with others in an especially meaningful way. Thus, ways to expand student's identity through community service involvement are explored in this paper. Three objectives addressed are: (1) advance higher education's understanding of the kinds of learning experiences students have through involvement in community service; (2) use theoretical discussions of the "caring self" (a combination of symbolic discussions and feminist explanations of self) as a means to interpret findings on community service involvement; and (3) use interpretations of research to discuss the ideal of community and the role of higher education and community service in advancing community. Data for this paper were derived from a 6-year qualitative investigation of student participation in community service; such research adds to literature that seeks to identify student outcomes with specific kinds of collegiate experiences. Fostering a sense of self, grounded in an ethic of care, is one of the central challenges of education and becomes increasingly important as society grows more diverse. Contains approximately 57 references. (RJM)