At Valdosta State, giving back is something that is engrained into the campus culture.
On average, Valdosta State students participate in 20,000+ hours of service per year at more than 20 different locations around the community. With multiple service opportunities being provided by the Office of Student Leadership & Volunteer Services each month, students are always on and off campus making an impact on the world around them.
Being a Valdosta State Blazer means that you’re passionate about staying informed, helping those in need, and making lasting, positive contributions to your surrounding community.
Sylandi Brown, Student Campus Service Coordinator for Volunteer Services, and Jacob Highsmith, Valdosta State alum, discuss their experience volunteering at Valdosta State, and share how it shaped them into the people they are today.
Sylandi Brown | Communication major
Q: How long have you been representing VSU as a student volunteer?
A: I have been representing VSU as a Student Volunteer since Fall 2016. My passion for service began in middle school and has only increased since serving in different capacities on behalf of Valdosta State University.
Q: What makes you want to give up your time to volunteer?
A: With the 24 hours we each have in a day, and 168 hours we have in a week, it easily can be consumed by work or other responsibilities we have as students. We need a balance, and I find that being involved outside of the classroom environment and staying engaged through volunteering in our community helps create that balance. It really has affected my overall college experience for the better.
Q: Do you typically volunteer at one or many places around our community?
A: As time allows, I typically volunteer at many different locations. Doing so gives me the opportunity to learn more about the variety of services offered in the community and meet new people. However, I do typically gravitate towards volunteer opportunities involving youth and education!
Q: What is something that you’ve learned while volunteering?
A: While volunteering, I have learned that the service can impact you just as much as you anticipate leaving an impact through service. We often enter into volunteer opportunities looking to fix, change, or transform. We often leave not realizing that what has really changed is us. Serving others allows you to learn more about the people around you and it opens your eyes to parts of the community you might be unaware of. It stretches you, and it strengthens you not only as someone who volunteers, but as a servant leader in our community.
Q: Would you say volunteering is a part of VSU’s culture? If so, how?
A: Yes! With the growing number of organizations and student groups that emphasize service and the implementation of service learning as a part of the University’s strategic plan to increase regional impact, the service culture of VSU is heading in the right direction! I believe it will continue to grow and evolve with collaborative efforts from all VSU students, faculty, and staff.
Jacob Highsmith | Industrial/Organizational Psychology alum
Q: How long have you been representing VSU as a student volunteer?
I represented VSU as a volunteer for three years.
A: What made you want to give up your time to volunteer?
The act of giving back is something that my parents instilled in me at a young age. Not only did they tell me that giving back was important but they also modeled those behaviors and really showed me what it is like to give back selflessly. Volunteering is necessary and makes a difference so we should all do it – simple as that.
Q: Did you typically volunteer at one or many places around our community?
A: I volunteered at a few places in the community but most of my volunteering was done on-campus either in the Drop-N-Shop or at other VSU events. When I first came to VSU as a junior, I found it difficult to find opportunities to volunteer off-campus because I was not very familiar with the Valdosta-Lowndes community. As I become more involved in my senior year, I had more opportunities to volunteer through student organizations I was associated with. For students who are not associated with an organization, it has become a lot easier to find opportunities since the Office of Student Leadership and Volunteer Services is building community connections and providing opportunities to students directly.
Q: What is something that you learned while volunteering?
A: Volunteering can make an impact on the lives of others. Whether it is providing new information to a prospective student or helping a current student get enough food for a week, each service you provide to someone (on campus and off) can make a difference in their lives.
Q: Would you say volunteering is a part of VSU’s culture? If so, how?
A: I would say that volunteering is a part of the overall culture at Valdosta State. The evidence of that can be seen when looking at the student organizations on campus. Almost all of them highly encourage volunteer hours and have on-going volunteer projects that they participate in. There are even organizations that only focus on volunteering. The volunteerism doesn’t just stop at the students either. There are many employees (staff, faculty, and administrators) on campus that are engaged in volunteer efforts in the community and on campus. Volunteering is prevalent on campus, and I believe the University is trying to support it in any way that it can.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: For anyone who wants to help others but thinks they can’t make a difference because they are only a college student or they don’t have enough money – just donate time. Donating your time is one of the most important things you can do. There are many opportunities on campus to get involved, so don’t hesitate to use the many resources that the school has available, get plugged into a student organization, and just give time. That will make a big difference.
