Serving Others On and Off Campus

When you hear the word “service”, what generally comes to mind? The first thing most people think about is community service, doing activities such as visiting nursing homes or planting a garden. While these acts are service, service can be both on and off campus.

Service is giving of your time, resources, and/or talents to your peers, elders, or community at large. Through my years at UF, I have found it rewarding to do this both on and off the University of Florida Campus. I always reflect on the quote, “To whom much is given, much is required”. University of Florida has afforded me so many opportunities in life and I’ve always felt that I owe UF something. By serving as an ambassador for student involvement, admissions, and my college, I feel I’ve been able to accomplish this. I’ve also been active in the local community by volunteering with children at various elementary schools and after-school programs.

Well, service probably sounds great, but how does it benefit YOU? Some benefits or service include:

• You are able to help others. Who doesn’t want to make a difference in their community? When serving the UF campus, you are able to help students have a better college experience. Helping the greater community allows you to aid those less fortunate than you. You leave feeling blessed and appreciative of all you have in life.
• You become well-rounded candidate from grad school/jobs. We’re all students and we must not forget there is life after college. You are a much more competitive candidate when you have experiences showing that you have been active on your campus and local community. It’s great to go to school and do well, but its even better to show that you’ve taken the extra step to get involved.
• It’s fun! Many service activities are fun! Playing sports with children, going to recruitment activities for your college, mentoring youth are all enjoyable activities that would be considered service. Find something you’re passionate about and focus your service efforts on that. When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you have much more fun doing it.

 It can be very hard to find service opportunities on campus. Many students want to be involved in service activities, but do not know go about finding them. Here are several resources on campus that will help you find them:

• Center for Leadership and Service (CLS). CLS is the department on campus dedicated to service both on and off campus. They are over mentoring programs, days of service, Florida Alternative Breaks, and many other service opportunities.
• Involvement Team (IT). These are the official ambassadors for Student Activities and Involvement. If you visit them on the 3^rd floor of the Reitz, they will be willing to help you find various organizations on campus that fit your passion.
• CALS Advisors/Newsletters. Read the newsletters your advisors and other CALS administrators send out. These often feature various service opportunities on campus and in the greater Gainesville community.

Now, you have all the tools to go and conquer! Take advantage of the opportunities being a UF student affords you. Good luck! 

Joy Scott
Class: Senior
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Major: Food and Resource Economics
Specialization: Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management
Involvement: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Minority Business Society Vice President, IDEAL, Admissions Volunteer Ambassadors, Savant Leadership Honorary
After College: Work in sales management for a food and beverage company