The conversation explores the value of giving back, especially for young people, and how volunteering can help build skills, create connections, and even influence future career choices.
Volunteering Through the Sauk Valley Community College Impact Program
Quinn is involved in Sauk Valley Community College’s Impact Program, an earned program that allows students to complete community service hours that can contribute toward their college tuition.
For Quinn, volunteering has included working in technical and theater-related roles, along with other community activities. One of the most memorable experiences came between eighth grade and freshman year when Quinn participated in a three-day Unite Camp that involved painting houses and serving the community alongside friends.
While some volunteer opportunities may feel like work, Quinn has found that they can also provide opportunities to learn new skills and meet people.
Discovering Interests Through Service
Emily points out that volunteerism can serve a similar purpose to college when it comes to discovering what someone enjoys, what they do not enjoy, and what they may want to pursue as a career.
She shares the example of her teenage daughter, who participated in Spark Camp through the Dixon Park District. Although her daughter had experience babysitting, volunteering at the camp helped her realize how much she enjoys working with children and could influence the career path she chooses in the future.
Volunteer opportunities can give young people a chance to explore different environments without the same commitment that comes with taking a job or choosing a career.
Giving Back Without a Financial Reward
For Emily, volunteering was not something she participated in when she was younger. At the time, she did not see the value in giving her time without receiving something financially in return.
That perspective changed as she got older.
Volunteerism can provide benefits that are not immediately visible. The experience can build confidence, develop skills, strengthen relationships, and create connections throughout the community.
Emily describes this as paying off in dividends. While the term is commonly associated with accounting and investing, the idea can also apply to the good people do for others. The effort put into a community today can produce benefits years down the road, even when those benefits are not financial.
Building Stronger Community Connections
Volunteering can also introduce people to organizations, businesses, and individuals they may not otherwise encounter.
For young people, those connections can become especially valuable as they begin thinking about careers. A volunteer opportunity could lead to a recommendation, a new skill, or even a future paid job.
Quinn has experienced this firsthand through volunteer technical work with Woodlawn Arts Academy. Those volunteer experiences eventually helped lead to paid opportunities with Sterling High School.
It is an example of how volunteering can create connections that continue to pay off long after the original service project has ended.
The Long-Term Impact of Giving Back
Volunteerism is not always about seeing an immediate result. A person may never know exactly how their time, effort, or kindness affects someone else years later.
That is particularly true for educators, medical professionals, mentors, and others who work with young people. The work they do today can help shape the people those young students become as adults.
For young volunteers, the benefits can work in both directions. They get the opportunity to help their community while gaining experience, discovering interests, and building relationships.
Whether it is through a structured program like the Impact Program, a community event, a youth camp, or simply helping an organization in need, giving back can be an investment in the community and in yourself.
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