East Carolina University encourages students to take part in the Greenville community in many ways. Part of ECU’s mission statement explains that the university’s goal is to positively impact eastern North Carolina by training students and sending them back into the community. The fact that a service project was the first activity that I participated in as an ECU student really put into perspective what would be expected of me as an EC Scholar. It set the standard very high and it showed us the community is as much a part of learning as the classroom.

In fact, the 11 freshman EC Scholars also participated in service learning at Golden Living, an assisted living home close to Brody School of Medicine. Over the course of the semester, we met with one resident for a total of about 18 hours in order to learn from these senior citizens. Not only were these meetings powerful lessons about relationships, but they taught us all something about ourselves.  We also were able to compare our lives to the ones they have led and see how different life was when they were our age. It also showed us how much of an impact we could have on one individual’s life.

ECU has offered me, personally, many opportunities to excel as an individual. But more importantly, it has instilled within me, and I believe many of my peers, the idea that we are indebted to our community and to all those who live in it. I have learned that being a student at East Carolina University is about so much more than going to class. It’s what we do with the minds that ECU is shaping and developing that really matters.

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.