Long Time, No Blog

Long time, no blog!  But it's that time of year again... the most wonderful time of year! Drum roll, please.... Honors Forum II!!  All of the sophomores (now officially upperclassmen!) in the Honors Program go to this class every Monday night to talk about Civic Engagement.  As a requirement in the Honors Program, each person in our class is expected to do 10-15 hours of Civic Engagement (aka Community Service) each semester.  So this blog post will be giving a quick low-down on my community service plans.

I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I absolutely love volunteering!  It just gives me a super happy feeling inside.  I will volunteer to do almost anything.  Just a week ago I volunteered for Lions Lend a Hand, where a group from Honors Student Organization went to a historical site and cleaned/ painted/ weeded/ etc. the property.  It was definitely an experience to say the least.  We practically drove to Timbuktu, met some very interesting people, worked at the crick (more commonly known as the creek), and rang the "supper bell" for lunch.  It was tons of fun!  My favorite part was hearing all of the interesting stories about the property.  All of the history and culture behind it was so cool, and it was great to be a part of a project that will help future visitors learn about the history around them.

This summer I had another awesome opportunity to volunteer.  This was by far the coolest volunteer work I have ever done!  I volunteered at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA.  I mostly worked touch tanks and gave tours.  I can give any tours at the aquarium: gallery tours, behind-the-scenes tours, and overnight tours.  To do this, there were lots of training classes and studying hours, and I learned tons of really cool information about all things fishy and environmental.  As a marine biology major, learning about fishy/ environmental things was incredibly fun and a fantastic way to spend my summer!  I got to share my passion and excitement for marine biology with guests at the aquarium, and it was an amazing experience.

Now you're probably wondering why I told you two random volunteering stories...Well, these stories have something in common.  They all have to do with education, my favorite part about volunteering!  Education is the most important thing I can volunteer for.  Where would we be if we weren't educated?  Everyone likes learning, it just has to be about the right thing.  Just as I enjoyed the historical stories at Lions Lend a Hand and the fun fish facts at the aquarium, others have their own topics that interest them.  And whatever that topic may be, I want to be a part of it.  Whether it's working behind the scenes to set up for an educational event or being part of an educational program, I will be somehow enriching someone's educational experience and expanding their knowledge.  I am very excited about this theme for my volunteer hours, as I believe it holds endless possibilities to where I can volunteer and make an impact.  While I'm working on my own history here at UNA, I want to help others with their own.  So here's the new goal: Be a part of others' histories.  Make an impact through education.