Features

Giving back to the community the OU way

By Alexus Bomar|October 18, 2015

Getting involved while being enrolled in college is very important because it shows that you are doing more in college than just studying. Getting involved with your community is also something that employers could look at.

Jordan Belanger, career ambassador for Career Services, said that having volunteer experience on a resume is excellent.

“It shows that you are a well-rounded student and you actually do something on campus besides going to class,” Belanger said.

Belanger explained that having volunteer experience on your resume could help a student stand out when they are up against other candidates.

Niko Parks, career ambassador for Career Services, said that having volunteer experience on a resume shows that the student is going above and beyond in their college experience.

Students don’t have to go far to get involved in community service. There are many service-based student organizations on campus.

Both Belanger and Parks agree that any volunteer experience a student has should be listed on a resume.

“If a student was just a member in an organization, then it should be listed under volunteer experience, and if a student took on a leadership role, such as president, then that should be listed under leadership experience,” Belanger said.

According to GrizzOrgs, there are 22 organizations dedicated to service, including Actively Moving Forward at Oakland University, Rotaract Club of Oakland University, Student Organic Farmers and Rebuilding Together Oakland University.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is a non-profit service and student organization that changes people’s lives by having students volunteer at out-of-state organizations and communities during OU’s spring break.

Vincenzo Julian, president of ASB, has been involved with ASB since 2012.

“I’ve always been interested in volunteering so the idea of traveling and volunteering really appealed to me,” he said.

Alternative Spring Break plans four different trips every year, and in addition to those trips, there is at least one weekend trip in the local area. There are also fundraisers to help raise money for ASB overall.

Julian said that participating in ASB teaches leadership, maturity and selflessness, which he considers to be very important benefits.

“Students should know that these trips aren’t necessarily luxurious, but they can be life changing,” Julian said. “The participants on these trips can really make a difference in the communities they are serving and I think the students will always remember their experience with the people they are helping.”

Julian says it is incredibly important to get involved.

“Whether it’s on campus or off, whatever you choose to do outside of class can really make your college experience worthwhile,” Julian said.

Some other student organizations dedicated to service: