During the start of my freshman year at Dartmouth, I noticed how involved the students were. As busy as classes seemed to make all of us, somehow my classmates seemed to have time for other activities as well. Everyone seemed to be a varsity athlete, an amazing musician, or a rock-climbing/hiking/canoeing guru. I felt kind of out of place. I'm definitely not athletic, and I have no amazing talents that could occupy my free time. People seemed to be settling into these little grooves, and I just hadn't found my niche.
It isn't that I didn't do anything except study. I was involved with other activities, but these activities didn't give me the sense of belonging that I was searching for.
I kept thinking about ways that I could feel fulfilled here at Dartmouth. In high school, I'd spent a lot of time volunteering, so I started looking at ways that I could become involved with the community while at Dartmouth.
Deciding to volunteer became one of the best decisions I ever made. Through volunteering, I came in contact with a variety of individuals, from all ages and backgrounds. I met other committed Dartmouth students who are now among my best friends. Through helping others, I grew as a person in ways I never imagined.
During my freshman year, I decided to participate in a program called Prison Project. A friend encouraged me to try it, saying that she had done it and that it was a great experience.
I was more than a little apprehensive. I went to an orientation session, and learned that the prison I had chosen to work at was not a place for petty criminals. Some of the inmates that I was to be working with had committed violent acts, including murder. I wanted to turn and run out the door, but my friend convinced me to stay.
The first time I went to the prison, I was terrified. I was clutching copies of my John Thompson's Modern Course for the Piano, and half expecting that I would be attacked by some burly inmate. I was very wrong. I was immediately struck by how polite the inmates were, and how eager they were to learn how to play the piano.
Although I didn't turn any of them into accomplished musicians, I can say that I did bring some fun and a change of pace into their otherwise routine days.
Whatever I thought about the crimes that the men had committed, I tried my best to refrain from passing judgment on the choices they had made in their lives. Along the way, I felt that I grew more confident in my ability to be successful in situations that initially appear quite challenging.
Since Prison Project, I have participated in other volunteer activities on campus. I co-chair a program which brings underprivileged inner-city youth to Hanover for a weekend of self-esteem building activities and provides them with exposure to the outdoors. I feel that this program has strong positive benefits for the children, but it also helps us, the volunteers.
The group of volunteers bonds through their common interest of reaching out to the less fortunate. We learn about others and their situations and how, despite the differences, we all have much in common.
Currently, I am part of an AmeriCorps program for undergraduates. I've been on service retreats with other college students from throughout New Hampshire. It is great for me to feel a connection to the larger state and national service movements. Helping others is something that is a huge part of who I am and what I aspire to be in the future, and it comforts me to interact with others who have similar aspirations.
My passion for volunteering led me to Chicago this past spring, where I spent the term doing a Tucker Fellowship. I worked at an international refugee center, where I tutored Ethiopian kids, and taught English to Cambodian adults. This was perhaps the best experience of my life, and I felt that I truly impacted the lives of the individuals that I worked with.
Now I'm enjoying my sophomore summer. Spending a lazy afternoon floating in the river is the most athletic thing I'll do this summer. But I've learned that I don't have to run a marathon or compose a concerto in order to do amazing things at Dartmouth, or to feel a sense of purpose. I'm happy to say that I've found my niche, and I look forward to many more experiences as a Dartmouth volunteer.
