We’ve finally arrived at the final week of classes. This 10 week term has really flown by, looking back I’m amazed at everything the Students4Giving were able to accomplish. When I first heard that non-profits and philanthropy was offered as a class once a year I was immediately interested. The experience was more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. I was interested in taking the class not because of altruistic desire or an interest in the non-profit community, I was interested because I thought it would give me an opportunity to see what my classmates and community valued and prioritized. Working so closely with other students and learning about what organizations and causes inspired and motivated them was the highlight of my term. I would have never thought such a diverse collection of students could have such an easy time working together and making hard decisions. While we had some lively discussions I was always impressed by our ability to reach conclusions and compromise and collaborate.

I wasn’t just surprised by my classmates and their beliefs and dedication, I was surprised by people’s response to the Students4Giving outside of class. Aside from visiting non-profit organizations in the community, explaining our objective and learning about their causes, the Students4Giving always intrigued members of my immediate community who learned about what we were trying to learn and accomplish. Throughout the term, I must have explained the class and curriculum over 100 times to other students, family, and co-workers. Usually when people ask what classes I’m taking or what I’m studying it’s just a pleasantry, but the response to Students4Giving was very different, everyone I told immediately became interested and engaged and I found myself explaining enthusiastically and offering updates to people in my community throughout the term. The response and support from the community at large was the most surprising aspect of this class for me.

Prior to this class I had volunteered but never really considered the critical impact and importance of non-profit work. Learning the scope of philanthropy, the volume of organizations and the importance and necessity of the services provided made me think twice about my long-term career goals. I’ve been inspired not only to volunteer more but to be more deliberate in the way I volunteer, there’s an opportunity to contribute value and learn skills volunteering that I had never previously considered. I’m also seriously considering the possibility of a career in non-profit work or starting an organization myself someday; six months ago, I would have never considered this an option, the whole process of starting-up and the regulation governing non-profits seemed too daunting.

I learned a lot over the last three months. Most importantly I learned the power of community. I also learned a little something about myself. For me, true happiness is giving back to others.