Helping Yourself While Helping Others
More students than ever are volunteering - improving the world and themselves.
By Callie Schweitzer, Graduate, University of Southern California
American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
It may not be easy to find the time or motivation to volunteer, but it only takes one person to make a difference in someone’s life, and it only takes one person to change the world. Colleges—and college students—are proving that nationwide. How? Through volunteer work.
In a Student Health 101 survey of more than 315 college students, 63% said they either regularly or occasionally volunteer their time for a good cause with most citing a lack of free time as a reason preventing them from volunteering more.
Jonathon Zolnikov, a 35-year-old working toward his nursing degree at Fullerton College in California, has volunteered by taking notes for a handicapped student, and he currently volunteers in the health services office at the college. He admits that it may be hard to find the time, but the benefits are worth it.
“It’s an opportunity to do something good for someone else and not be so selfish,” he says. “I enjoy the opportunity I have to grow and become a better person by focusing on other people’s needs and problems.”
Deanna Farsakh, the health educator at Fullerton College, adds that those who volunteer in health services learn from other professionals and strengthen their organization and public speaking skills by working at health fairs. “Our volunteers get to work with different personalities and are better prepared for the real workforce.”
Beyond dressing up your résumé, getting involved in volunteer projects that you’re passionate about helps you develop essential life skills like a sense of community and citizenship.
A Lift for Your Self-Esteem
Debbie Mandel, a stress management specialist based in New York, says finding time to volunteer can actually ease a student’s stress level.
“If you manage your time, shed a few unnecessary items from your to-do list, you can find an hour or two a week to volunteer,” she says. “Your mind needs to take a break and reconnect with people and causes that are purposeful. A good deal of happiness depends on having a purpose.”
As Mandel notes, volunteering is one of the best things you can do for yourself mentally and emotionally—it has positive effects on your mood and self-esteem. These commitments are a great way to meet friends with common interests and give you the opportunity to grow yourself and experience new things. It gets you out in the world meeting new people and strengthening skills that may help you down the line in your career and in forming relationships.
The College Connection
Many schools, like Boston College in Massachusetts, make it easy for students to get involved by housing volunteer program databases on their websites that allow you to search for programs you’re interested in. To find out more, CLICK HERE.
In October, six schools including Harvard, MIT, and Boston University participated in the “Greater Boston Universities’ Week of Service,” which included daily volunteer opportunities that allowed students to give back and socialize at the same time.
What’s great about volunteering in highly populated areas like college campuses and in your local community is that there are plenty of ways to give back in a field that interests you. Like teaching or working with kids? Volunteer at an after-school program. Enjoy chatting with elderly people? Head to a senior center and offer your services there. Planning on heading to medical school? Volunteer at a local hospital.
Exploring Career Options
Lorneth Fahie-Peters, an adjunct professor and academic counselor for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, says that through volunteer work, “students have the opportunity to network with different organizations and develop business contacts while gaining experience that can be of benefit when applying for jobs after college.”
Ryan Louie, who graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles in May 2011, says her work in the local community directly affected her career choice. For a little over a year, she spent time each week tutoring and mentoring a third-grade girl who lived in a surrounding inner-city community.
“I love working with young kids and providing support in any way I can in terms of issues both inside and outside of the classroom,” she says. “I also loved being a part of something where other people my age were there for similar reasons that I was.”
Jonathon Zolnikov was a banker before he discovered his passion for nursing. “Get out there and volunteer anywhere you can and see if you’d like to make a career of it,” he says. “Work can be more fulfilling than just making money.”
A Lifetime of Service
Getting involved in volunteer work during college may also keep you involved later in life. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2010 Volunteering in the United States report, “Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment engaged in volunteer activities at higher rates than did those with less education. Among persons age 25 and over, 42% of college graduates volunteered, compared with 18% of high school graduates and 9% of those with less than a high school diploma.” To learn more, CLICK HERE.
“The open minds of college students very easily grasp concepts like giving of themselves to others and trying to improve the life around them,” says Robert Neuman, former associate dean of academic advising at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Best of all, these concepts make them much more intelligent about life and give them a better way of looking at it. Students take these ideas with them after college, shaping who they are.”
A World of Opportunities to Help
There’s no doubt students recognize the benefits of giving back: Nearly 93% of students polled by Student Health 101 say they feel satisfaction from helping others.
Antony Darce, a senior at Florida State University in Tallahassee, spent his spring break at a school in Guatemala so he could “better understand a different system of education.”
“It was so rewarding to break language and cultural barriers in order to help out kids that really needed a voice to raise awareness for educational equality and reform,” he says.
Shaquira Privette, a junior at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, says she learned several valuable lessons after volunteering at a summer camp and working with young kids.
One such lesson? “Everyone has a purpose to fulfill no matter how old you are,” she says.
“I have more older students volunteering in health services than in the past,” says Farsakh. “It may be hard for them to find time, but even a few hours a week can make a difference.”
CALLIE SCHWEITZER IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN LOS ANGELES. SHE IS THE ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER AT TALKING POINTS MEMO.
Find Out More
Click to visit Global Volunteers for more about ways you can make a difference.
Click for more about Best Buddies and how you can make a difference locally.
Click for more about Habitat for Humanity and how you can provide housing for those in need.
Click for more from SmartVolunteer and how you can put your skills to use to help others.
