Volunteer a year
Postponing college for a year to do volunteer work
could be as valuable as a year of classes.
By Joseph O. Legaspi
You got into your first-choice college, and
yet there is that nagging feeling in your
stomach: Am I ready to commit to four (or
more) years of studies? Am I sure about my
major? Do I know what I want?
Ben Isaac had that nagging feeling after
graduating high school in 1998. Deferring
services and the environment.
AmeriCorps members’ services
range from teaching elementary
school students to assisting vic
tims of crime and natural disas
ter. A modest living allowance
and health coverage are provid
AP Photo/The Sun, Steve Zugschwerdt
his freshman year at
Skidmore, he decid
ed to join City Year
(cityyear.org),
which enables young
people between the
“I am a lot more focused, more
mature, with a different mind
set in achieving my goals.”
ed to participants. Upon
completion of a service
year, members also receive
a monetary education
award, which can be used
to pay off student loans or
ages of 17-24 to perform an entire year of
full-time volunteer community services.
Isaac, along with a team of his peers, facili
tated workshops on domestic violence in
Boston schools. They also spent afternoons
at battered women shelters providing child
care and assistance to the women. “More
importantly, we [were] projecting positive
male and female role models,” he added.
This fall, Isaac is an NYU sophomore
majoring in religious studies and peace &
global studies. He said his experiences with
City Year have made him a better student: “I
am a lot more focused, more mature, with a
different mind set in achieving my goals.”
Eric J. Furda, Director of Undergraduate
Admissions at Columbia University, elabo
rates. “There is a general perception that
students who take time off for substantive
reasons have a greater appreciation for the
college experience.”
Numerous philanthropic organizations
welcome the services of young individuals.
Championed by President Bill Clinton,
AmeriCorps (americorps.org) provides
young people with opportunities to serve in
the areas of education, public safety, human
Related links
For more volunteer opportunities, surf the
following web sites: volunteermatch.Wg.
U.S. Community Action Network
(getinvolved.net). and helping.org You
can also go to various nonprofit organiza
tions like the American Red Cross (red
cross.org). United Way (unitedway.org).
Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org). and
Greipn Peace (greenpeace.org).
to finance college.
If you’re struck with wanderlust, consid
er volunteering abroad. It's a great way to
integrate with the local culture, and concur
rently broaden your horizons. The Peace
Corps (peacecorps.gov) is the largest
organization of its kind. It’s a two-year
commitment, and participants tend to have
degrees, so the competition is fierce. Other
options include Global Service Corps
(globalservicecorps.org), with volunteer
opportunities in Costa Rica, Thailand and
Kenya, and the AFS (American Field
Services) Intercultural Program (afs.org),
which places individuals in many countries.
Both organizations have positions available
in education, conservation and agriculture.
For someone considering a medical career,
the International Medical Volunteers
Association (imva.org) has an on-line list
of volunteer-seeking organizations, and a
database of jobs.
But if you haven’t decided whether to
volunteer, work or study abroad, the follow
ing sites are excellent comprehensive
resources for students and young nomads:
International Study and Travel Center
(istc.umn.edu), collegeboard.org, council
travel.com, iagora.com and studenttravel
er.com. And save travel expenses by logging
on to student-discounted sites like statrav
el.com andtravel-store.com.
If nothing particular tickles your fancy,
ride the wind. Missouri, feeling lackadaisical
after her second year of college, set off on
a road trip, winding up in Espanola, New
Mexico, where she worked as a waitress.
Then she jetted to Greece and entered an
arts program on the island of Paros. Broke
from her wanderings, she returned home
and interned at an educational start-up web
site company. Now, Missouri says, “I’m
thrilled to be heading back [to school] to
complete the second half of my education
with a better focus, a stronger awareness of
my goals.”
Instead of studying, it may be time to
start asking life’s larger questions. Don’t
worry, the school of your dreams will still be
there when you return. •
For more information on studying and
working abroad, plus links to help you plan
your adventure, visit steamtunnels.net.
Top all-time video
rentals
1. Star Wars (Fox)
2. On Golden Pond (ITC)
3. 48 Hrs. (Paramount)
4. The Karate Kid (Columbia)
5. Romancing the Stone (Fox)
6. An Officer and a Gentleman
(Paramount)
7. Flashdance (Paramount)
8. Back to the Future (MCA)
9. Beverly Hills Cop (Paramount)
10. First Blood (Avid)
11. The Terminator (Live)
12. Lethal Weapon (Warner)
13. Dirty Dancing (Vestron)
14. Raiders of the Lost Ark
(Paramount)
15. Police Academy (Warner)
16. Poltergeist (MGM)
17. Terms of Endearment (Paramount)
18. Ghost (Paramount)
19. Braveheart (Paramount)
20. The Usual Suspects (PolyGram)
Source: infoplease.com
(infoplease.com/ipea/AO152571.html)