The Importance of Volunteering

Volunteering plays a crucial part in our lives. When talking about volunteering, I remember one quote from an American author, Elizabeth Andrew, who said, “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart.” 

Back in June, it was my first time volunteering in a hospital near Arcadia University. I was nervous about how volunteering worked, and the people I would interact with.  Nonetheless, I still stepped out of my comfort zone. I adapted to volunteering and I finally found what I wanted to do in the future.

Coming to America with a blank slate was a big adjustment for me, especially when it came to finding opportunities outside of school. There are a lot of volunteering opportunities that you can find and the easiest way to find them is by asking yourself what you want to do. What type of place do you see yourself in?

Arcadia has many resources that help you to find a volunteer opportunity, one of them is your advisor, you can ask them to see if they know the specific volunteer opportunity that is related to what you study. Other than that, you can begin your research on Google by searching for the place that is best fit for you. For me, I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine and I began my first shift at a local hospital. After the first few shifts, I fell in love with that place, and I wanted to take on even more shifts. Volunteering makes me feel fulfilled when I see people feeling better and enjoying time with their loved ones again. 

I highly recommend that you either volunteer or shadow in the field that you are thinking of going into. For example, if you want to pursue a career in medicine, you can volunteer in a hospital or clinic and work with patients, so you can know whether you actually enjoy this work. Additionally, volunteering can help you make connections with people in your field of interest and could lead to a job later on. 

I am sitting and writing this during a break from my volunteer shift in the hospital. Volunteering transformed me from someone who was so scared to talk to people to someone who likes to make new friends. Volunteering not only helps other people but also teaches you many life lessons that you could not find elsewhere. It also leads to more job opportunities and networking and it will open many doors for you as well.