My participation in the community service project definitely encouraged me to learn how to use the sources available to me and just how valuable those sources really are. While before the project I probably wouldn’t have sought out the advice of a faculty or staff member because I believed that I would eventually find the answer I’m looking for, meeting with the librarian with my FRO group was so beneficial for us. The librarian shared information about the website Idealist, which we used to find our organization, Word Up. Before this session, my team members and I relied solely on google search, which left us with the extra step of filtering out all of the available options (which there were many to say the least).

Since starting at Baruch, my peer mentor Maria has definitely helped guide me, broaden my horizons and become involved in my school community. As Maria is a member of the International Honor organization called Golden Key, she gave us the motivation to try joining the club. Joining the club has not only helped me network with like-minded, dedicated individuals, but the Golden Key pillar of service has also encouraged me to become a rounded student and volunteer for other causes as well. Both joining a club and learning how to seek advice from others who have greater expertise will without a doubt help me succeed at Baruch, as I now understand how important the “human touch” is. Yes, this means there are some things even google can’t help me with.

My involvement in the community service project has definitely made me aware of how I would like to make volunteering an integral part of my life. While beforehand I found the challenge of becoming involved with an organization quite daunting, this process has taught me that becoming a volunteer is much easier than it seems, and in fact volunteering can be flexible. While I too am guilty of selfishness, having thought that I have other “more important” things to do during time that could be used for volunteering, I now see how school and service can coexist and can even benefit each other in the end.

In three years, I see myself much more involved in the Baruch community and joining organizations and causes that I believe in. I believe that volunteering will become a part of my life. I also see myself learning the crucial balance needed to succeed in college. At the moment, I have not yet found that balance of work, social life, and volunteering, but I am optimistic that learning this balance will not only help me in my academic career, but in my future career in the real world as well.