Awakening the Volunteer Spirit

Transcript

Next up is Samantha from Flemington, New Jersey, a sophomore double majoring in psychology and gender sexuality and women’s studies. With minors in leadership development through civic engagement and Italian. Sam is a Bonner Leader and volunteers at the global center on human trafficking at Montclair State, and with the City of Elizabeth for Homeless and Act Rescue. Take it away, Sam.

– I’m so happy to be here, Alex, if you had told me a year ago, I would’ve fall in love with Montclair State, I wouldn’t have believed you. Falling in love with your school in a global pandemic is just as hard as you think it is. Luckily I had the Bonner Leader program. I’ve had the opportunity to at least 300 hours of community service each year. This includes the Bonner’s week long orientation. There we do things such as renovating homes, helping facilities, where they help people with developmental or physical disabilities, and helping feeding the homeless in Atlantic city. For me, my fellow Bonners, it was inevitable forming a family like bond after putting in so much effort into a cause bigger than all of us. Our community service continues throughout the year with days commemorating the 9/11 day of service, and Martin Luther king day of service. Each year more than a thousand students are engaged in partner with 200 plus community partners to seek solutions to real issues of public concern. Opportunities for students include the Bonner Leader Program, AmeriCorps, and the community engaged learning program. Personally, I am minoring in leadership through civic engagement. I hope to use this minor to professionally create service opportunities that align with my community values. Even if community service is not your thing, the environment that Montclair provides for its students is an experience that any young adult could benefit from. I barely started my sophomore year, and I’m already so much more of the person I’ve dreamt of becoming. It was wonderful talking to all of you today. Now it’s time for you, Alex.

– Fantastic work, Sam. Here at the college tour, we love seeing Montclair’s vibrant volunteer spirit, students making connections and impacting local communities. Students are engaged, giving back, and making a difference in their lives, and the lives of others, well done.