I came into college with a clear purpose. I quickly found my goals changing when I began my service work.
I had applied for a very selective program at my university which requested that I participate in 220 hours of service work each academic year and work full time during the summer.
It was a lot of commitment; beyond academics I was also working on campus, participating in clubs and volunteering. Beyond that, I also joined the Xi Iota chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity that's a part of my campus which goes to different areas in need in the community and volunteers in groups.
My community partner placement for my Service Leader program is the Lewisburg Children's Museum, a startup non-profit which is close to celebrating its one year anniversary of being open, and through APO I volunteered at Ashburn's Animals, a local animal farm and rehabilitation center, Memorial Acres, an afterschool program for elementary through middle school children and the local county YMCA for many of their activities.
It has taken a lot of time and energy from me, but what it has given back to me proves time and time again to be priceless. I have learned the kindness and creativity of children – giving me hope for the future of the world and the next generation – but it also solidified the career path that I had been considering during my high school career: developmental psychology with a focus on elementary and middle-school aged children!
Serving my community in a hands-on way has shown me the issues that families face, whether it's rooted in accessibility, transportation, or economic limitations and it has taught me to appreciate every aspect of my life and be grateful for what I have and the opportunities I have been given.
Working with different counties and organizations to try to improve the livelihoods of community members has also taught me the amazing wonders of active listening, and especially how important it is to have self-agency.
It was never easy.
There was always a seemingly valid and tempting excuse not to volunteer – it can be easier and a lot more fun to hang out with friends or spend the extra time binge-watching the latest Netflix addition, but it's so important to become invested in our communities.
We receive what we give back; more than once I've seen my smile transform a gloomy room, and sometimes bringing a positive attitude and the willingness to lend an extra set of hands makes all of the difference.
It shows that there is love and care, and builds stronger bonds between students and community leaders.
It strengthens skills that you might have always been working on, like time management, but also ones you never thought about, such as handling a register, helping students with homework, or even creating your whole own mini-camp with loads of research and planning.
Part of the growth process is sometimes completing a task that may put you in the uncomfortable position of having to learn something completely new or relearn old concepts.
When it comes down to it, there is so much that you can gain from volunteering in your local communities, even if it's just helping a neighbor move in/out or helping when you see an opportunity present itself.
By the end of my school career, I will have earned over 1,000 hours of community service, as well as invaluable relationships, friendships, skills, and the knowledge that I have changed people's lives for the better.
