Part of Butler’s charm as a small school lies in the opportunities it provides to its students. When it comes to making connections and finding community, we are tiny but mighty. With over 200 clubs according to Butler Engage, there is a space and activity for everyone. Many of these organizations are service and volunteer-based. Although these clubs may be overlooked in favor of prospective career-building associations, volunteering should be prioritized by college students.
When you donate your time or energy, you are giving back to the people on your campus and beyond who become your friends, peers and mentors. These four years are the biggest time for self-discovery and exploration; engaging in service is one of the best ways to foster this growth.
College is universally viewed as the best years of your life, but it can also be a very stress-inducing time. Attempting to figure out who your life-long friends are, your career path and your overall identity isn’t something that comes easily.
One big component of developing your life is understanding your values. What matters to you, and why? Through volunteering, you find the movements and moments that inspire you to enact change. The Martin Luther King Community Center, just a five minute drive from campus, is one such place where you can experience this.
Coming into Butler and knowing no one, I was excited to join as many clubs and attend as many events as possible. Early in September, I attended Butler’s annual Bulldogs Involved Through Service. After spending time cleaning up the grounds of the MLK center and hearing about the help and support it provides neighboring families, I realized that the people here are special. On such a small campus, showing up for those around you goes a long way and allows you to form irreplaceable bonds.
My story is similar to sophomore pharmaceutical science major Rachel Rodecap, who volunteers in-part due to her commitments to her Morton-Finney Diversity Scholarship. Rodecap finds joy in meeting new people through service and obtaining a new perspective through volunteering.
“I think it’s important for college students because it helps us kind of … Get out of ourselves,” Rodecap said. “I think in college, there’s always things going on. You always feel like you could be doing something better or different or you should be doing more. And I think [volunteering is] a really grounding experience.”
There are many motivations a college student might have to engage in volunteering. The biggest reason for Butler students may be the Indianapolis Community Requirement (ICR) graduation requirement. The ICR is taken as a course but requires service outside of the classroom.
Becoming an active member of campus life means putting yourself in new positions or scenarios, and volunteering should be the place to start.
If you have the desire to serve as a mentor or impact children that live nearby, College Mentors for Kids is a great option. If you want to save the environment, Friends of Holcolmb Gardens meets in the warmer months to clean up or replant the gardens. If you’re looking to consistently volunteer in the Indianapolis area, then Ambassadors of Change is the place to go.
Ella Sibbersen, a junior science, technology and society major, is the student director for Ambassadors of Change, a role she achieved this year after volunteering with the organization for the past two years. As the student director, her role is to help recruit and involve first-years with the program.
“I think the impact I’m most proud of seeing is the people who return the service,” Sibbersen said. “I think it’s really special to have your first introduction to campus also be serving your community, and then seeing the involvement that comes from that with people getting the things like VOC or service positions and other organizations that they’re in.”
The Volunteer Opportunity Committee (VOC) is another helpful place to start if you are unsure of what kind of service you’re seeking. They offer numerous kinds of service without requiring consistent participation or attendance.
Service is selfless, but it can benefit you. There are numerous reports on the power of volunteering for your mental health; doing good for others does good for you. Aside from that, volunteering also looks good on a resume. Depending on your area of study and what kind of service you can engage in, potential employers or grad schools will appreciate your philanthropic efforts.
First-year accounting major Noah Matamoros, who is a member of the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, has seen firsthand the effect volunteering has at Butler and beyond.
“Volunteering teaches us that there’s more important things than ourselves,” Matamoros said.
In college, students may feel alone while they search for the meaningful relationships and opportunities that they will carry with them forever. However, coming together to do good for those around you can alleviate this sensation. College students should emphasize service in their lives so the impact of their actions extends beyond campus and into the world. This guarantees a better life for all of us.