WCU students doing volunteer work for the Cullowhee garden club on Oct. 25, 2017. Photo by Morgan Miller.
You can make a difference and leave your mark when you volunteer during the Make A Difference Day on Oct. 27.
National Make A Difference Day was created in 1992 as a community service event held annually on the fourth Saturday in October. People all over the U.S. come together to improve the lives of others.
According to the Center for Service Learning, this is a great way for students to help the “Whee” community and gain service hours. The event is supported by the center and has been pre-approved for earning points toward the Lily Community Engagement Award, which was developed to reward students who participate in community events and services at WCU.
“We’ll have a variety of options for people to choose from. We generally have 8-10 projects during each day of service, and we try to make sure that there’s plenty of variety, so there’ll be something of interest for everyone,” Jennifer Cooper, the associate director of the Center of Service Learning, said. “WCU students have a huge impact on our community.”
Cooper added that volunteering can help students apply the lessons that they’re learning in the classroom and practice skills like leadership, teamwork, and communication.
“Surveys have found that, on average, employers say that volunteer experience (that’s related to a student’s career field) is more important in their hiring decisions than GPA and college major,” Cooper said.
WCU student Karena Mason frequently volunteers on campus and feels it is important for students to get involved with on and off campus activities, because it keeps them involved in the community.
“Meeting new people while doing something good for others is a great way to gain life experience,” Mason said. “Volunteering for events such as Make A Difference Day will not only look good on my resume, but will also help me to grow as a person.”
Community Service is important part of WCU and there are many different events and organizations to get involved with such as Catamount Student Service Crops, The Ripple Effect, Alternative Break Program, and Local Food & Farm to School Education Project.
Interested participants can email servicelearning@wcu.edu for more information on signing up.
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