UL Student Volunteer Emilio Burke

20/05/2020

I have just completed a Bachelor of Technology (Education) in Materials and Architectural Technology and hope to use my degree to begin my career in teaching this September. I heard about the PVA through a friend in UL and thought it was a beneficial initiative. The PVA pushed me to get more involved in my community and further afield.

Some of my volunteer activities included: using my woodwork skills to build flower beds for Tidy Towns, helping organise stock for a charity clothes drive, painting a storage container for Cork Missing Persons and volunteering as a SNA in the school where I did my final year placement. The PVA pushed me to get the most out of my free classes in the school to help support the special needs unit. The UL International Buddy programme is a great way to meet new people from other countries. It’s a fun way to build up your volunteer hours while getting a taste of many different cultures.

For anyone thinking of volunteering and applying for a PVA I would highly recommend signing up – it brings lots of new opportunities your way.

By Emilio Burke