When it came time to apply for college, so many of us scrambled to compile those lists of community service hours to bolster our resumes. Was there enough? Could I explain in my personal statement what this service meant to me?
From the time we’re young, this idea is engrained in our heads that volunteering is important. There’s probably thousands of variations that we have heard at one time or another of why you have to give back to your community and the impact that service has, but the question remained, why?
It was not until I came to UC Merced that I realized why this was truly the case. This realization was all thanks to our students — the passionate individuals who reaffirm why this campus is truly committed to service and creating the leaders of tomorrow.
Learning and volunteering are by no means mutually exclusive. Every time someone gives back, there's always something given in return — developing new connections with people, the feeling that comes with knowing you did something good, or even learning a new skill.
Our students take what they learn in the classrooms and merge it with their passions to truly impact the surrounding community. Looking at data alone, over 60 percent of our students contribute in some form or another to the community. Seeing what this truly equates to in the community is why this university was built here and why we are a campus like no other.
