Student volunteers help make the world go Around

This column previously appeared in the Telegraph-Journal on October 6, 2009.

The article was written by FUSION Saint John’s Claire Ryan:

The last two weeks, I’ve written about volunteers. As a result, I’ve received a handful of emails from university and college students asking how they can get involved. This got me thinking how fortunate Saint John is to have UNB Saint John, NBCC and other learning institutions in our community, as they are a key resource for so many different organizations.

“Students get involved for a number of reasons – personal satisfaction, to meet friends, resume building and networking opportunities that converge in ways that can be very advantageous,” said Celia McDermott, vice-president external on UNBSJ’s Student Representative Council.

Part of McDermott’s role on campus is to liaise with the Greater Saint John community on behalf of the student body to create opportunities for students and Saint Johners to connect and collaborate. Over the summer, student volunteers led a book reading club at the Crescent Valley Resource Centre.

They are now collaborating with the PALs program; 43 UNBSJ students will be lending their time at Hazen White St. Francis School to coach sports, serve meals and provide in-school mentorship.

“Our hope is that by being good mentors, we can increase the chance that these kids will eventually look into post-secondary opportunities themselves,” McDermott said.

“Our student activities in the community, volunteer or otherwise, are not always affiliated with formal student clubs and activities, so their reach is quite far,” Dan Tanaka, communications manager at UNBSJ, said. Many local students have a handle on multi-tasking, as their extra-curricular engagement is only one piece of the overall student experience, which also often includes part-time work on top of labs, papers and exams.

“By being engaged in my community, I was able to work with other young leaders, and experienced leaders who helped build skills and gain experiences that really enhanced my learning in university and allowed me to grow as a person,” said Eric Savoie, UNBSJ graduate and FUSION board member.

The entire community stands to gain from the reciprocal relationship between students and the community organizations they lend their time to throughout the course of their studies. For most, extra-curricular service doesn’t stop at the end of the term, or even with the completion of their program. The Saint John community is known for its high level of volunteerism. By engaging the younger demographic and newcomers in volunteer activities, not only is the university helping to create a better city, it is also providing a vehicle to help people feel a part of the social fabric of our community. Those who have stake in the community are more likely to stay and grow roots.

By continuing to work together, students and volunteer groups can infuse the community with people power, new ideas and resources to grow and evolve our city socially, culturally, academically and economically.

Claire Ryan works with MT&L Public Relations Ltd. and is a member of the FUSION Saint John board. Her column appears on Tuesdays. She can be reached at cryan@mtlpr.ca.