Volunteering Is SO Important --Lindsey Tells Us Why

Last week I had a wonderful opportunity to volunteer at Food Day in Tallahassee. Upon arrival to Florida, I have been getting acquainted with the city and getting adjusted to the school. However, it has been difficult to truly get involved since the networks I had built up during my undergraduate career are 2,000 miles away!

Finally a few classmates and I were able to volunteer at Food Day. We got out into the community on a Sunday afternoon and educated locals on exercise and nutrition. We created posters and games and gave away educational handouts.

It reminded me of all the volunteer work I did in undergrad. All the little things truly do add up. Every bit counts on the DICAS applications and graduate school applications. Once you get accepted, though, the volunteer work shouldn’t stop there!

My classmates posing by our booth (having some fun with the food models)

Me posing with a local sustainable farmer at Food Day

Graduate school and intern preceptors want to know that they have chosen a person who will contribute to their program; somebody who will enrich their program, their community, or their school. The volunteer work doesn’t stop upon acceptance. So while participating in your undergraduate, don’t volunteer solely for the purpose of writing it on your application; do it to gain experience and knowledge that you can bring with you in the future. By Food Day 2011, I had no problems  whipping together a poster board of fun facts, and I felt totally comfortable socializing and educating the public.