Scholarships and Community Service
“I believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since periods of change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world.”
— The Dalai Lama
Scholarship committees have a massive responsibility and that is to distribute the money in such a way that diversity is increased in the classroom, stronger ideals are rewarded and the best students are encouraged to join a University. In this context, those students have an edge who have dedicated their leisure time to empowering people other than their own selves. The question young people ask is: “What can I do?”, “I am still learning myself?” However, each of us has the capacity to help another no matter what our age and/or ability. We all have our unique skills which can be used to benefit other people. For some of you it might be a language skill, for others it could be time and compassion or knowledge of everyday technology, etc. It really depends on how you utilize the skills you have and help make a difference in somebody else’s life.
How to choose the volunteer experience
Ideally, you want to volunteer in a community that you would genuinely like to impact. However, sometimes that may or may not be possible owing to the circumstances you are in. The important thing is to be consistent and work with a community for a long period of time. Being flighty and working a few weeks here and a few weeks there is not really looked upon as being dependable. So be consistent and do some intensive work in a setting to gain the full benefits.
Shivani Manchanda, a post-graduate in Counselling from the USA, is a warm and vibrant counsellor. Her expertise lies in counselling students on career development, stress prevention and international education. She is an enthusiastic speaker with over two decades of experience.