Nicole R DiLillo

My participation in the Community Service Project with my group has been extremely beneficial.  My group chose to become involved with The Wounded Warriors Foundation.  This is an organization that provides aid to veterans that have returned from war.  They provide aid to veterans who have been physically or emotionally harmed while at war.  Veterans without these disabilities are offered assistance as well.  I had to do a lot of research before starting our project, but most of my research for this project was done through my own personal connections outside of Baruch College.  I have known someone heavily involved in the organization who got me involved with the organization years ago.  When my group chose this I contacted her and found out what we could do to help.  She was where I got a majority of my information.  Baruch was helpful when I was initially looking for an organization to volunteer with because of the volunteer fair.  Even though Baruch showed me such a variety of organizations, The Wounded Warriors foundation was still the one that meant the most to me.

This project has changed my views on community service.  I have always known it was very important to do community service, but now I realize how it is important to try different volunteer opportunities and to always be open to trying something new.  I plan on staying heavily involved in The Wounded Warriors Foundation, as well as volunteering in many different other organizations.  In the next three years I hope to be still pursuing my major and getting a good education, but I also hope that I am still attempting to make a difference.  I want to remain involved in my community, continue to help those around me, and hopefully opening my eyes to the different struggles people face all around me.

     As a student at Baruch, I was lucky enough to be able to be a Baruch Scholar in the Honors Program.  I believe that because so much has been given to my fellow scholars, and I, that our role in this program should not only be about working towards a great education, but also be to helping our community.  We have been given everything to go to school, and there are so many people significantly less fortunate than us.  It should be our duty as well as our pleasure to help those in need.    

     In my short time spent at Baruch I have noticed the school takes volunteering very seriously.  It is clear that they want us to realize the benefits of helping our community.  Baruch demands a certain number of hours of community service.  I think this is beneficial because it makes people start helping.  Often, starting is the biggest struggle.  It also gives people multiples opportunities and reasons to keep trying to find the volunteer program that best fits their interests. 

     I have always been involved in multiple volunteer programs, and I truly love to see that Baruch shares that passion with me.   Personally, I think that everyone should volunteer, and Baruch makes my belief become reality.  There’s no reason not to help your community.  If you’re interested in nature you can clean a park.  If you are interested in helping others, volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Do you have a love for animals?  Then volunteer at a shelter.  There are so many opportunities to help others that will be beneficial and entertaining.  There’s nothing holding you back from making a difference. 

My name is Nicole.   There have been many experiences that I’ve gone through that have made me the person I am today, but there are two in particular that stand out to me the most.  During my junior year of high school I was in a terrible accident.  I had been upstate with a friend and her family when it happed and I was rushed to the hospital.  After hours of tests, stitches and staples, I was finally done.  Despite the horrible pain from the accident and the staples and stitches in my head, I was focused on seeing my parents.  They were a few hours away and had a long drive to get to the hospital.  Knowing how close I was to never seeing them again put everything into a new perspective.  Ever since the accident, my family and friends have been my main priority.  Nothing is more important to me than those people I care about most.  I know that life is not guaranteed and that anything can happen at any moment, whether it happens to me or to someone I love.  While this was a dramatic experience in my life, another one has helped me become the person I am today.  Watching my sister grow up and change has a person has definitely effected who I am.  I watched her achieve great things and accomplish every goal she has set her mind to.  Seeing how working hard and determination can help you accomplish anything has made me determined to work just as hard as she has and accomplish everything I set my mind to.  Both of these important events in my life have definitely shaped me into the person I am today.

Now that I am finally in college I have a lot of expectations, as well as concerns.  I expect it to be stressful in some ways and filled with a lot of work, but I also hope I’ll be able to handle it all.  I am concerned that sometimes it’ll feel overwhelming, but I will try my hardest no matter what.  I also hope that I will make a lot of friends while at school.  I have a lot of hopes and concerns about this upcoming semester, so I am excited to see what this semester has in store.

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