This study examines the development of critical consciousness in service-learning students at an institution emphasizing solidarity, kinship, and social justice. Building on Cipolle’s (2010) framework, which describes a progression from charity to caring to critical consciousness, we explore how students often embody multiple stages simultaneously. Our findings reveal that students express both charity and solidarity in the same reflections, indicating that the shift to critical consciousness is not linear. We propose the concept of flexible emergence, suggesting that students transition in and out of critical perspectives as they navigate prior experiences and biases. Rather than expecting students to fully abandon a charity mindset within a semester, we argue for an approach that acknowledges the fluidity of their development. By adopting this perspective, educators can better support students’ evolving understanding of service-learning as a tool for social justice, rather than viewing progress as a rigid or binary process.