[Community-service] New list member introduction

[Miranda B.]

Hello everyone,

My name is Miranda, and my husband and I live in Virginia. I will start by
sharing that volunteering in my community and beyond is a very large part of
my life. As I am a college student, my current volunteer experiences are
more geared towards my future career goals in order to gain more focused and
relevant experience.

 

Growing up, my mom instilled a very strong belief in my brother and me about
the importance of giving back to our community. That belief has stuck with
me over the years. After moving out on my own, I had the opportunity to be a
big sister with my local Big Brothers Big Sisters program. As a previous
little sister myself, I thoroughly enjoyed giving back to an organization
that had meant so much to me as a pre-teen. During that time, I was also
able to schedule medical transportation for senior citizens in my community.
As someone who depends on others for transportation (mainly public transit
in my case), I understand the importance of knowing that reliable
transportation is available.

 

My current volunteer opportunities include assisting in an adult English as
a second language (ESL) program, and mentoring high school exchange students
as they attend a year of high school in the United States.

I also completed an internship last summer welcoming refugees to the United
States. There are other opportunities within my community and beyond that I
would like to explore in the future as time allows. Such opportunities may
come sooner rather than later, as my university requires all residential
students to complete community service hours each semester. As I
wholeheartedly agree with the philosophy that volunteering enhances one's
personal and professional development while engaging in the community, I am
excited to fulfill this requirement.

 

I do not share my experiences to brag by any means. On the contrary, I am
sharing the opportunities I have been honored to take part in as a way of
encouraging anyone who may wonder if volunteering as someone with a visual
impairment works or is really worth it. I can say that yes, the
opportunities are there, and yes, it works. If one is willing to combine
patience, grace, and flexability, the rewards far outweigh the risks of
stepping out to enjoy the adventures ahead.

Thanks for letting me share, and have a wonderful week!

 

--Miranda

 

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