Volunteering

I decided not to have a job during my first semester freshman year so that I could figure things out by making friends, learning the campus, etc. I ended up having a lot of free time on my hands, so I decided to start volunteering. I volunteered a little in high school with certain organizations, but I never had the chance to work with organizations in fields that I’m actually interested in. That’s why I started volunteering for Campus Recreation and Wellness and the Pitt County Animal Shelter.

One of the great things about East Carolina University and Greenville is that there are a ton of opportunities to choose from when it comes to places needing volunteers.

First, I got involved with Campus Rec and Wellness because I learned that they often choose their employees from their volunteer base. I thought I might want to work in the Student Recreation Center one day, so volunteering with CRW might be a good place to start. I love sports. I spend a lot of time at the Rec Center, and they are always looking for volunteers to help with their events. Recently, I worked at the Basketball Shootout Challenge and it was a lot of fun.

Then, for an assignment as part of our Honors Colloquium on Leadership and Service, our groups had to pick a global issue and partner with a local organization that works with that problem. Our group chose Animal Overpopulation and we partnered with the Pitt County Animal Shelter. I really enjoyed working with the animals, so I started volunteering on my own time after the project.

Volunteering is a great way to spend your free time in college. Greenville has tons of opportunities, so it’s easy for someone to find an organization that caters to their hobbies. It is a great way to meet people with the same interests as you and a great way to get familiar with people in the field you might one day want to work. It’s really important to get involved during your time at ECU. Not only does it look good on your résumé, but you can also gain some valuable experience in the process.