Jordan, a third year study abroad student from Kentucky shares her experience of volunteering!

18/01/2018

Name: Jordan Kramer                                    Award: Plassey

From: Kentucky, USA                                      Year:  3rd Year, Study Abroad Student

Faculty: Education & Health Science           Course: Exercise Science

Organisation(s): UL Community Liaison Office, Gateway to Education, Limerick Homework Club, Share a Dream Foundation                                                        

Role(s): Usher for PVA Ceremony, tutor, Dream maker.

‘By volunteering with each of these organizations, I learned about how the organizations help the wider community while also teaching me more about myself.  I learned how important the PVA organization is to the Limerick community because it encourages students to be more involved with community service while allowing students to earn recognition for what they have done.  The Limerick Homework Club helped me learn more about the teaching institutions in Ireland, as well as help me work with different types of children.  This was my favourite organization because I was able to see the same students every week and develop a relationship with them and the other volunteers.  Share a Dream was an amazing experience.  That organization impressed me because of all they do to help include children of all types.  Through these volunteering opportunities, I was reminded of my love for serving others, since it is harder to find service opportunities back home.

I volunteered because I thoroughly enjoy serving others.  I chose organizations that worked with children because I want to work with children as a profession.  By volunteering with these organizations, I was exposed to many different children, and I am now prepared to handle the stress of all types of children.

At the Limerick Homework Club, I was responsible for helping children complete their homework for the day, then play various games with them.  It was very interesting and entertaining to work with all of the children I was able to work with.  I wish my school had a site like StudentVolunteer.ie so that I could find volunteer opportunities in my area.

At the Limerick Homework Club, the volunteers worked together a lot, especially if the student you were working with had trouble with a subject that was not your strongest.  The biggest challenge we faced was dealing with children who were arguing, but we could handle it easily by having the children

This experience has enhanced my communication skills because I had to really focus on what I was saying since some people had harder times understanding my accent.  I also learned how to listen more since I needed to really understand what they were saying in order to help them.

Volunteering will impact my career because through volunteering I learned that I do want to work with children.  It will also help set me apart from other applicants to graduate schools’.

Have a look at Gateway to Education's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5snnsx47SM&list=PLwrhL1Q4iZdE5jWYjtYHpl8D5ZXPNiPQR&index=3