The WSUSA service team is full of students whose passion for service motivates them to help others.
Ty Nelson, assistant to the vice president of service, said his position in the service team has shaped him into the person he is today.
“The sensation I feel when I’m serving is indescribable,” Nelson said.
Nelson is not the only service team member to report this positive feeling to The Signpost.
Hayley Harris, junior, is currently serving as the Youth Impact Chair. The goal of Youth Impact is to empower youth through education, service projects and social support in the Ogden area.
Harris has been chair since last year and said she stayed with it because she is so passionate about the organization.
“Walking through the doors of Youth Impact, you can feel something special,” Harris said.
Harris said she has volunteered at different places, but nothing compares with the way the organization cares about everyone, likening it to a family.
“I get to be a part of the change that happens with the youth,” Harris said. “I feel like I’m actually making a difference.”
On a daily basis, volunteers tutor children in school subjects, play indoor or outdoor games, create arts and crafts, or do special projects, like teaching a hip-hop class, which will begin soon.
“It’s a beautiful chaos of activities and opportunities,” Harris said.
Harris leads a committee of four members who are tasked with recruiting volunteers and planning events. One of their recent projects was a series of Halloween events.
Harris says that the most important aspect is making relationships.
“The kids crave support. They just want to know someone believes in them and that’s what the volunteers do,” Harris said.
Harris says she feels similar support and encouragement from other members of the WSUSA Service team.
Danielle Collier, the special service events chair, says that the service team this year is full of inspirational students.
“Every individual on the service team just wants to help,” Collier said. “It is full of kind and compassionate people.”
Collier, who plans on working for a non-profit organization in the future, says that the service team has helped her grow.
“I want students to know that they can come to the CCEL (Center for Community Engaged Learning) and find their passion,” Collier said.
According to the CCEL, the service team is working with about 21 community members.
The service team is made up of different programs, such as youth, poverty, general service, special needs, and alternative breaks; a director and a student chair lead these programs.
Nelson said that though being a part of the service team provides tangible benefits, the most important benefits are only felt—not seen.
“Service looks great on resumes, but more importantly, service is a professor that you can’t find here on campus,” Nelson said. “I would personally invite every student to come learn about serving so they can experience that good feeling of helping somebody else progress in life.”
