Today I present to you my first Volunteer Opportunity of the Week blog post. This (hopefully) weekly feature will give details about one particular non-profit/community service organization that I have either personally worked with, or researched a great deal. Since I have mentioned Circle K a few times in my previous mosts, I thought that there's no better way to start off this feature than to give some information I talk about so much.
So, what is Circle K? Circle K is the world's largest collegiate service organization! Its 12,000+ members dedicate themselves to the tenants of service, fellowship, and leadership. Let's take a quick look at each:
Service
Service is certainly at the heart of what Circle K does. Whether it's tutoring a child, packaging meals for elderly citizens who are homebound, cleaning a park, or helping to raise money for any number of worthy causes, Circle K members love to help others! Since CKI does not focus on one particular non-profit, it's a good way for college students to explore what volunteer opportunities exist, and to see what they enjoy the most.
Leadership
Opportunities for leadership development occur often in CKI. Members can become officers at the club, district, or international levels. They can also serve as a committee chair or a committee member at any one of these levels as well. Many CKI clubs are small to medium sized, which gives new members plenty of opportunities to play an important role in the organization, and to have their voices heard. Moreover, leadership conferences and workshops at other conventions also help members to achieve their full leadership potential.
Fellowship
College students like to have fun, and CKI members are no exception! Clubs, districts and subregions often plan social events, where members spend time getting to know one another. Some examples include going on ski trips, tailgaiting at a football game, or going bowling. In addition, clubs hold district-wide events, where the first part of the day consists of service, and the second part consists of a social. This enables members to meet other people from CKI clubs throughout their state, or grouping of states. At the conventions, socializing, service, leadership training, business matters, and celebration of accomplishments are all combined into one awesome and jam packed weekend. All districts hold a convention (usually in March), and it is a great experience. Even more amazing though is the International Convention (ICON), where you can meet Circle K members from all over the country, and possibly from some other countries as well!
Another great thing about the Kiwanis family (all of the related clubs under the Kiwanis umbrella, of which Circle K is just one) is that anyone can get involved at any age! The different groups are:
K Kids- elementary school group
Builder's Club-the middle school group
Key Club- the high school group
Circle K- the college group
Kiwanis- the "adult" (aka working professionals) group.
Golden K- geared towards older adults.
Aktion Club- geared towards people with disabilities.
These groups may all have different names, but they all share the same purpose of serving others, especially the children of the world.
This post hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of what Circle K and the Kiwanis family are about, but it would be impossible to tell you everything in just one post. So for more information, check out www.circlek.org and www.kiwanis.org.
As a sidenote: CKI works with several service partners. Thus, my next few "Volunteer Opportunity of the Week" postings will be about these four organizations: Better World Books, UNICEF (and specifically the Six Cents Initiative), STUFH, and March of Dimes.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Why Non Profit: Part II
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...
The last time I posted, I wrote about my involvement in volunteering. I then promised that the next post would explain my academic plans, and how I ended up figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life. So, here we go!
Upon entering my first year of college, I thought that I wanted to become a high school teacher. I knew I wanted to make some positive impact on the world, and thought teaching would be the best way to do it (and I still maintain that it is an excellent career field by the way). In my first semester of college, I took a European Civilization sequence to fulfill my arts and humanities requirement for the honors college at my university. This particular section of EuroCiv emphasized Russia; I had an interest in Russia growing up and I heard the professors were very good, so I was very excited to take the course. Partway through first semester, I had a conversation with my professors; they thought that with my personality and passion, perhaps I was better suited to teach as a college professor, rather than as a high school teacher. After giving it some thought, I agreed. I dropped the emphasis in secondary education, added a Russian Studies major to go along with my English major, and figured I really knew what I wanted to do with my life.
Fast forward four years later. A college senior, I was rather worried about graduate school, for a number of reasons. Chief among them: PhD programs were competitive; I didn't speak Russian well enough; I don't particularly want to focus on research, publishing, academic conferences; I wanted to go out into the world and make a difference in fewer than 5 or 6 years; and most importantly, while I love Russian literature and such, I wasn't sure I was passionate enough to devote my life to Eastern European and Slavic Studies for the rest of my life. On a whim, I began to look up information on careers in the non-profit sector, and to see what opportunities were available. I was pleased to find that in my city alone, there were quite a few job opportunities, far more than if I were to pursue a career as a college professor. As I researched more, I grew more and more excited, and became convinced that this was what I had been looking for. For the first time in ages, I felt incredibly enthusiastic about this path. Every past semester, I had misgivings about obtaining a PhD in Eastern European and Slavic Studies, but my professor always managed reassured me that I would be fine. I couldn't fool myself any longer; I knew what I truly wanted to do. I contacted the head of the MPA department at my university, and after I had heard everything, I knew this was it!
So, now I am in the process of applying to the Masters in Public Administration program, with an emphasis in non-profit management and leadership. Most people I know are incredibly supportive of this decision, and think that it better suits me. A few question whether I will find a job, or say I won't make enough money. Honestly, I've never chosen to do anything for the amount of money I can make. Wealth doesn't bring happiness and fulfillment for me; serving others does.
So, that's the end of this story- but not the end of this blog! You never know when or what I'll post next, so stay on the lookout for updates!
The last time I posted, I wrote about my involvement in volunteering. I then promised that the next post would explain my academic plans, and how I ended up figuring out what I want to do for the rest of my life. So, here we go!
Upon entering my first year of college, I thought that I wanted to become a high school teacher. I knew I wanted to make some positive impact on the world, and thought teaching would be the best way to do it (and I still maintain that it is an excellent career field by the way). In my first semester of college, I took a European Civilization sequence to fulfill my arts and humanities requirement for the honors college at my university. This particular section of EuroCiv emphasized Russia; I had an interest in Russia growing up and I heard the professors were very good, so I was very excited to take the course. Partway through first semester, I had a conversation with my professors; they thought that with my personality and passion, perhaps I was better suited to teach as a college professor, rather than as a high school teacher. After giving it some thought, I agreed. I dropped the emphasis in secondary education, added a Russian Studies major to go along with my English major, and figured I really knew what I wanted to do with my life.
Fast forward four years later. A college senior, I was rather worried about graduate school, for a number of reasons. Chief among them: PhD programs were competitive; I didn't speak Russian well enough; I don't particularly want to focus on research, publishing, academic conferences; I wanted to go out into the world and make a difference in fewer than 5 or 6 years; and most importantly, while I love Russian literature and such, I wasn't sure I was passionate enough to devote my life to Eastern European and Slavic Studies for the rest of my life. On a whim, I began to look up information on careers in the non-profit sector, and to see what opportunities were available. I was pleased to find that in my city alone, there were quite a few job opportunities, far more than if I were to pursue a career as a college professor. As I researched more, I grew more and more excited, and became convinced that this was what I had been looking for. For the first time in ages, I felt incredibly enthusiastic about this path. Every past semester, I had misgivings about obtaining a PhD in Eastern European and Slavic Studies, but my professor always managed reassured me that I would be fine. I couldn't fool myself any longer; I knew what I truly wanted to do. I contacted the head of the MPA department at my university, and after I had heard everything, I knew this was it!
So, now I am in the process of applying to the Masters in Public Administration program, with an emphasis in non-profit management and leadership. Most people I know are incredibly supportive of this decision, and think that it better suits me. A few question whether I will find a job, or say I won't make enough money. Honestly, I've never chosen to do anything for the amount of money I can make. Wealth doesn't bring happiness and fulfillment for me; serving others does.
So, that's the end of this story- but not the end of this blog! You never know when or what I'll post next, so stay on the lookout for updates!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Why Non-Profit: Part I
Normally I won't post twice in one night, but I feel that it's important to give a bit of background information as to who I am and how I came to decide on my career.
I grew up in a loving home where my parents were able to provide for all my wants and needs. I have been fortunate enough in my young life to have never experienced hunger, homelessness, or the violence of gangs. Although I was a fairly sheltered child by most standards, I always possessed a keen awareness that there were many people not as fortunate as me, who needed to be helped. Much of this was due to my mother's stories. Although she spent much of her life in the same town where I grew up, her circumstances were very different. She lived in poverty because her father, who worked in construction, would take much of this money and spend it on alcohol. When he did return home, he would abuse his wife, and bring home "girlfriends" for whom she would have to cook. Needless to say, these stories made quite the impression on my young mind. Throughout my school years, I always desired to give back to others in some way; thus, I joined Girl Scouts and National Honor Society, in hopes of making a difference. As time passed, our troop became less active and NHS didn't offer nearly as many service opportunities as I would have liked, but I still did what I could.
After high school, I went straight to college. At this time, I was looking to join a service organization that was more active than my high school chapter of NHS, which had only required 10 hours of community service a year. By some stroke of fortune, I stumbled upon Circle K International. I had never heard of it before, and had only vaguely heard of Key Club, the high school level of the Kiwanis family. When I heard that it was an organization that worked with a variety of non-profit groups, I was hooked. I signed up at our student organization fair, and participated in the group all year. Although I attended the majority of meetings, I only participated in a handful of service projects. I looked to get more involved, and managed to be elected as the club secretary for my sophomore year. Needless to say, I was quite excited! I became more and more involved with the group: I increased the number of service events I attended, attended events where I met people from around the state of Michigan, and met many wonderful people who were dedicated to service. I also learned valuable skills related to administrative tasks, staying organized, and how to be an effective leader. I continued my involvement in Circle K by serving as president of my club during my junior year of college, and currently serve as secretary-treasurer for Michigan's lower peninsula. I also became involved with other service opportunities, including Transitions, our fall freshman orientation, and Student Ambassadors, where I gave tours of our campus to prospective college students. I truly enjoyed all of these activities (along with everything else I've done in college), and learned a lot along the way...
Stay tuned for part two, where I discuss my academic life and how I decided I wanted to have a career in the non-profit sector!
I grew up in a loving home where my parents were able to provide for all my wants and needs. I have been fortunate enough in my young life to have never experienced hunger, homelessness, or the violence of gangs. Although I was a fairly sheltered child by most standards, I always possessed a keen awareness that there were many people not as fortunate as me, who needed to be helped. Much of this was due to my mother's stories. Although she spent much of her life in the same town where I grew up, her circumstances were very different. She lived in poverty because her father, who worked in construction, would take much of this money and spend it on alcohol. When he did return home, he would abuse his wife, and bring home "girlfriends" for whom she would have to cook. Needless to say, these stories made quite the impression on my young mind. Throughout my school years, I always desired to give back to others in some way; thus, I joined Girl Scouts and National Honor Society, in hopes of making a difference. As time passed, our troop became less active and NHS didn't offer nearly as many service opportunities as I would have liked, but I still did what I could.
After high school, I went straight to college. At this time, I was looking to join a service organization that was more active than my high school chapter of NHS, which had only required 10 hours of community service a year. By some stroke of fortune, I stumbled upon Circle K International. I had never heard of it before, and had only vaguely heard of Key Club, the high school level of the Kiwanis family. When I heard that it was an organization that worked with a variety of non-profit groups, I was hooked. I signed up at our student organization fair, and participated in the group all year. Although I attended the majority of meetings, I only participated in a handful of service projects. I looked to get more involved, and managed to be elected as the club secretary for my sophomore year. Needless to say, I was quite excited! I became more and more involved with the group: I increased the number of service events I attended, attended events where I met people from around the state of Michigan, and met many wonderful people who were dedicated to service. I also learned valuable skills related to administrative tasks, staying organized, and how to be an effective leader. I continued my involvement in Circle K by serving as president of my club during my junior year of college, and currently serve as secretary-treasurer for Michigan's lower peninsula. I also became involved with other service opportunities, including Transitions, our fall freshman orientation, and Student Ambassadors, where I gave tours of our campus to prospective college students. I truly enjoyed all of these activities (along with everything else I've done in college), and learned a lot along the way...
Stay tuned for part two, where I discuss my academic life and how I decided I wanted to have a career in the non-profit sector!
Welcome!
First off, I'd like to welcome you to my new blog, One Can Make a Difference. My purpose in creating it is to give others a glimpse inside the life of someone who is striving to enter the non-profit sector. I hope to provide you with interesting insights into the life of a student who is entering this field, information about various non-profits and service organizations, useful links, and anything else that could be beneficial to someone looking to work at a non-profit, searching for volunteer opportunities, or simply searching for an interesting read.
Second, I'd like to give credit where it is due. The title of this blog stems from a friend of mine, Courtney, who serves as the bulletin editor for the Michigan District of Circle K International (more about this group later). She sends a weekly update titled "One Can make a Difference" to club officers in our district. While the information is useful, the title is equally as helpful. It serves to remind us that even though we are individual college students who appear to have little prestige and clout in the world, everything we do makes an impact. Whether we are playing bingo at a nursing home, feeding the homeless, or raising money for one of many charitable causes, we bring hope to the hopeless, joy to those who never thought they could smile again, or simply make a dreary day a little brighter. This thought strengthens us, so that even when we are sleep deprived or could easily go spend the day at the beach with friends, we instead willingly give back to our communities.
Third, I would like to encourage you to examine your life right now, and ask yourself a simple question: how do I serve others every day? Your actions can be as simple as a smile, or holding the door open for someone. Perhaps you have a few extra cans of vegetables to donate to a local food pantry, or a few extra hours a week to tutor a student. Regardless of your age, socio-economic class, education level, or any other factors, you CAN make a difference.
Again, welcome to One Can Make a Difference! This is a work in progress, so any comments, questions, or suggestions are welcome. Thank you!
Second, I'd like to give credit where it is due. The title of this blog stems from a friend of mine, Courtney, who serves as the bulletin editor for the Michigan District of Circle K International (more about this group later). She sends a weekly update titled "One Can make a Difference" to club officers in our district. While the information is useful, the title is equally as helpful. It serves to remind us that even though we are individual college students who appear to have little prestige and clout in the world, everything we do makes an impact. Whether we are playing bingo at a nursing home, feeding the homeless, or raising money for one of many charitable causes, we bring hope to the hopeless, joy to those who never thought they could smile again, or simply make a dreary day a little brighter. This thought strengthens us, so that even when we are sleep deprived or could easily go spend the day at the beach with friends, we instead willingly give back to our communities.
Third, I would like to encourage you to examine your life right now, and ask yourself a simple question: how do I serve others every day? Your actions can be as simple as a smile, or holding the door open for someone. Perhaps you have a few extra cans of vegetables to donate to a local food pantry, or a few extra hours a week to tutor a student. Regardless of your age, socio-economic class, education level, or any other factors, you CAN make a difference.
Again, welcome to One Can Make a Difference! This is a work in progress, so any comments, questions, or suggestions are welcome. Thank you!
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