I think it goes without saying that those who take advantages of the resources given to them will become more successful than those who don’t. After having to participate and help create a presentation for the community service project, I have a even better understanding of the value of having the resources there to help guide the way. Initially, the thought of having to find an organization and creating a presentation for this organization seem relatively easy. Upon reflection, the whole ordeal seem a lot more complex than I would have originally thought it would be.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that my group faced is trying to find an organization we can volunteer at this coming spring. Our group found a number of organizations that we were interested in and would have volunteered for. The problem is that most of these organizations could not create room for us for the Spring term. It is at this point I am personally thankful that Stephen Francoeur had given us the lesson on finding charity groups. It is through him that our group successful found the Central Park Conservancy, the organization that we will be volunteering at. Though we did not, technically, ask him for any expertise, I realize that have an expert or any type of guidance helps going about any type of goal easier – or in our case, salvage our project.
Outside of this project, I have yet to ask for any type of advice from support centers, staff, faculty, the library or any student clubs. After using these resources for the community service project, I can see how this could give me an edge for my future success at Baruch. I think the main thing that I learn after accessing these resources is realizing that relatively ease and wide accessibility of the support centers, staff, faculty, the library or any student clubs. I think that itself should ensure my future success. I say this because most of the time, people do not seek out assistance of any sort because it’s not available to them or they do not know these resources exist to help them. By knowing that these assets are within my reach and it is available to me at all times, I will employ them to help me become a more successful student.
While on the topic at hand, I do not think that this community service project has changed my understanding of community service. To be quite honest, I personally feel that this mandatory is quite imposing. However, I do like to reiterate my view that this project does a great job raising awareness about community service and is, hopefully, the first step towards fostering a sense of community within all of us. I will be quite blunt in stating that this project is not some life changing experience for. I do hope that, the organization that I will be volunteering at will provide me with some value life experiences and memories.
As for my future at Baruch, I do not want to even begin to think about the next three years of my life. Perhaps I will join a student club or two and become active within them. Perhaps I will study abroad and take advantage of all the opportunities that Baruch provides. Perhaps I will run for student government and change Baruch for the better. Perhaps I will focus on my academics while building up a network to land that dream job I always wanted. Or perhaps I want to carry out that dream of creating a non-profit organization, that has been stuck in my head for so long. It is far too early to map out my entire life before my eyes at this stage. Despite many people tell me – that the three years will fly by – I think I will take this one step at a time.
