Campus of opportunity: Unique ways students can volunteer
There are many opportunities for students to get involved on campus by doing volunteer work. Volunteering is a great way to get out there, get involved, network with others, have fun and make an impact. No matter what one’s interests are, there is always something for students to volunteer for.
Sometimes, it can seem difficult to get involved in volunteering because students simply don’t know where to start, but if one looks around, there are countless opportunities on campus just waiting for students to contribute. A good place to start is by finding a focus of interest. Think of ways to contribute to the community and ask, what is something one is passionate about, and what can one do to help?
For those who already have an interest in the performing arts, the Bayou Theater has several volunteer opportunities available for students.
“We always need ushers,” said Eric Despard, director of Theater and Cultural Arts at UHCL. “Ushers greet the audience members, check tickets and help direct guests to their seats.”
There are 27 shows this coming season and volunteer ushers get free tickets. There are also theater tech volunteer positions that can be filled. Despard explained that they prefer the tech volunteers to have some prior experience, so this type of volunteer work is perfect for someone who already has a theater background and is familiar with the tech aspects of the performing arts.
Those who have a passion for the fine arts, the Art Gallery also has some volunteer opportunities. This includes working directly with the Exhibitions Coordinator here on campus, Karen Fiscus. Fiscus has over 20 years of experience in this field and says she would be more than happy to accept volunteer workers to help her out at the gallery.
“Knowledge and experience are something students can gain from volunteering,” said Fiscus.
Students can participate in learning how to handle the art, changing out exhibits or becoming a docent.
Regarding civic and community engagement, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership has countless ways for students to get involved. This includes opportunities such as participating in community engagement organizations the office has to offer such as “Hawks 4 Community.” Mohammad-Mehdi Khan, Coordinator of Community Engagement for the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership gave some insight on all the different ways students can volunteer and shared his perspective on the importance of volunteering.
“The important part of volunteering is doing it with intent,” Khan said. “What is your impact? What is the ‘why’ in why you’re doing it? That’s why for all our programs we have a reflection portion called critical reflection, where the students get a chance to reflect on the work that they are doing.”
For those who happen to have an interest in environmental restoration and maintaining habitats, “Habitat Workday” is every Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. Habitat Workday is where students can volunteer to help maintain and restore the various nature habitats here on campus. Environmental Institute of Houston also collaborates with Armand Bayou Nature Center, which happens to be just down the road from campus. These volunteers get a chance to work with members of the EIH, learning, engaging, and making an impact on the beautiful nature preserves here at the university.
“Anyone can get involved,” said Jeffery Fato, President of the Environmental Justice Association and Environmental Science major.
Fato explained that EIH is an open environment that anyone can enjoy. These volunteer opportunities with the EIH are not only fun and impactful ways to connect with nature, but also give students a chance to gain hands-on experience working with environmental matters.
Volunteering is important because it gives students a chance to make connections, gain knowledge, get hands-on experience, network with others, and help the community. For more information on ways to volunteer at UHCL, click the links listed to learn more.
