by Lauren Corcino
Midterms are rapidly approaching, and students have gotten in the swing of their class schedules, workloads and social calendars after successfully completing two months of the semester. However, one important element of college is missing from the majority of their experiences – community service.
The benefit of piling up your resume with hours of community service is always enticing, but volunteering offers more than a few typed lines on paper. College is a time when you grow as an individual and expose yourself to new ideas and perspectives. Serving others allows you to step outside of yourself and become aware of the issues plaguing your community, empowering you to help fix them.
In the past, devastating events such as Hurricane Katrina, destructive tornadoes in Oklahoma have occurred in our nation that left parts of our country hurting deeply. Volunteer efforts helped heal the wounds left behind with selfless acts of collection drives, monetary donations and their time.
When you are sitting in your dorm room in your free time about to hit play on the next Netflix episode, consider how else you could spend your time. Visit your local soup kitchen, tutor students in the local schools or stop by the animal shelter to play with the animals there.
For four years, you claim your college town as your own and utilize all that it has to offer. It is important for us as students to focus our efforts and energies on giving back to the community that we become a part of. During your time at college before you walk across the stage and accept your diploma, step out of your comfort zone and pay it forward. You’ll be glad that you did.
Lauren Corcino is a senior Mass Communication and Spanish major at Georgia College & State University. Lauren is the Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor at “The Colonnade” and enjoys volunteering, crafting and spending time outdoors in her spare time.