Giving Back While Still at School: How and Why

Photo Curtsey of The Val R. Christensen Service Center

Why

1. It Is A Great Way To Get Involved
Students new to a college campus may be wondering how they can make new friends and get involved. Volunteering is an outstanding way to do both. There are plenty of organizations on campus that can introduce you to new friends and new ways to volunteer. Check out the Val R. Christensen Service Center usu.edu/servicecenter for a full list of organizations you can join. 

2. Volunteering Can Give You Job Experience
Volunteer experience is also professional experience. After graduation some may find it hard to get a good job without any experience. And how can you get job experience without getting a job? Volunteering can be the perfect opportunity to take on responsibilities that will transfer nicely onto your resume.  Any experience  you have, paid or unpaid should go on your resume.

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

Any experience that you have, paid or unpaid, should go on your resume - See more at: http://cashtastrophe.com/volunteer-during-college-to-help-you-land-a-job-after-college/#sthash.cCh6BeC1.dpuf

3. Networking, Networking, Networking
Incoming Freshman may not understand the power of networking. Aligning yourself with a volunteer organization can not only connect you to fellow students but faculty advisers can also provide a wealth of knowledge and guidance. Organizations that also reach out to the local community can also provide networking connections that can lead to future jobs or internships.


How

1. Find a Volunteer Organization on Campus
Check out the Val R. Christensen Service Center usu.edu/servicecenter for a full list of organizations on campus that you can join.

2. Contact A Group You Admire. 
Do you like spending time with kids? Contact your local after school club. Most organizations are always happy to take on volunteers so don't be shy and just ask.

3. Give a Hand During A Local Event
In a college town there is always something going on. Ask to volunteer with Homecoming, A-week or the Logan City Galley walk. You might be asked to help with advertising, set up or coordinating volunteers. All of these give you skills that are transferable to your resume.

 

Aggies Giving Back

Aggies Giving Back

Aggies all over the world are giving back in their communities. We've chosen a few stories about Aggies making a difference by volunteering their time and resources.

USU volleyball player Kaitlyn VanHoff recaps her volunteer trip to Tanzania with HELP International 

(Article Courtesy of UtahStateAggies.com)

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State volleyball player Kaitlyn VanHoff recently returned from a month-long trip to Tanzania on the eastern side of Africa volunteering with HELP International
....
VanHoff, a native of Draper, Utah, will be a junior middle blocker for the Aggies this upcoming season. While in Tanzania, VanHoff kept a journal and upon her return, has shared her experiences from her trip:
It's hard to know where to begin talking about Africa. Being there a whole month really puts your life into perspective and changes your outlook on life completely. Right after stepping off the plane I said to myself, "Let the adventures begin."
...
 I've also come to learn that schooling and education are such a huge blessing. I know sometimes you don't want to have to wake up for that early class, but think for a second, three-fourths of the people there don't even have the OPTION of going to school because of financial reasons, not enough opportunities, etc. A lot of them are selling things on the street and begging for money. We live in such a blessed and amazing country, so don't ever take it for granted.
...
Leaving the kids and people of Tanzania was so hard because you get so attached to the people you work with. For me, I made friendships that will last forever. I'm so grateful that I was able to go over there and help as much as I could.

To Read the Full Interview Visit 

http://www.utahstateaggies.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/080213aaa.html

USU- Engineers Without Borders

The Utah State Chapter Engineers Without Borders is an organization that send Aggies all over the world to create sustainable projects that help people lead better, healthier lives.

Check out this video of the impact one of their solar panel projects had on a village in Uganda.

To learn more about how you can help the Utah State Chapter of Engineers Without Borders visit ewb.usu.edu.

Local Logan Resident Earns USU Distinguished Service Award

Listen to the UPR interview with Global Village Gift founder Sally Keller.The 80-year-old Cache Valley transplant reflected on a decade of service at her Logan alternative gift store and on the lives of the people she has helped serve through the years. 

UPR Interview with Sally Keller 

Test drive your improved Alumni Association

Aggie Representatives are coming to an area near you! With this new phase in the USU Alumni Association’s history, we have developed new approaches to help bring more Aggies together in some exciting ways. The Aggie Rep program is one large piece of our new plan.

Think of the Aggie Rep program as a new model of your favorite car. It’s still the same brand you love, but this new model has more passenger room for all your friends, a blue tooth so you can stay connected to fellow Alums, and a sexy leather interior. There is no need to worry about this new car; we’re still the same company you know and love.  But now this car is more up-to-date, plus it’s still engineered to get you where you want to be. Now you have a car your friends will be jealous of and your in-laws will want to borrow. 

This new program is designed with you in mind.  After all, without your support and involvement your Alumni Association would cease to exist.   

                

Brett Bills is one of our Alumni Association members in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado.  He has been given a sneak peek of the things to come and we asked him what he thought. Bills said the new changes are going to be a good way to keep people more informed.                                      

                “It’s more just keeping people in the loop. The university has been good at getting people out here and showing interest in our chapter, keeping them involved in events. I just hope the growth continues. We have a huge alumni base that we try to continue to reach out to. We hope those people that have been impacted positively by the university will reach out and get connected.”

Weber County member Stephen Noel agrees that the changes will be good for everyone in the Alumni Association. His favorite feature is the increase of networking opportunities. Noel also has ideas to bring this new model of alumni involvement to the many USU regional campuses. With the new Alumni Regional Reps we will have the opportunity to grow and reach out to the regional campuses and beyond. Noel is ready and willing to stay involved and help make a difference in the new program. “I would welcome the opportunity to be a regional representative in my area,” he said, “I want to be helpful to the neighbors around me.”

                

Now, more Aggies than ever will have the opportunity to follow Stephen and Brett’s examples and get involved with us on a local level. We invite you to take a look at how easy it is to become involved. We look forward to sharing how your involvement will benefit you, your family, and your community. Even if you’ve never been a part of the Alumni Association before, take advantage of these new changes and test drive your USU Alumni Association today!   

 

Written By: Liz Wilson

4 Reasons to book your next trip with your Alumni Association

It seems that there are not many activities in life as universally enjoyable as traveling.  Think about it – students want to travel after graduation; favorite destinations are often listed in one’s obituary; you can even keep track of your travels on websites sites such as Facebook, TripAdvisor, and more.  For many people, traveling the world for business or pleasure is a big part of life. 

I have often been asked why the USU Alumni Association sponsors a travel program.  Although there are many reasons, here are my top four:

Bringing Aggies together through a common experience 

Spending a week or more together with fellow travelers, alumni cannot help but find common bonds.  Traveling Aggies will often find connections with one another (“Hey, your sister was my college roommate!” or “Do you remember Dr. Welti’s class?”).  I have seen several occasions where new friendships are created and these new friends continue to travel or socialize together years after the tour.  Believe it or not, there was an instance a few years back when two ladies realized on a trip that they had attended Utah State together, but they had not seen each other for decades.  Amazing things happen when Aggies get together. 

Let us do the planning 

Although you may be an experienced and intrepid traveler, sometimes there are countries or places you want to visit but would rather have someone else take care of the details.  I once traveled with an Aggie who was fiercely independent in his previous travels.  He wasn’t sure how he would like the group experience, and he especially did not like the idea of visiting sites on a bus with a group.  Well, by the end of the week-long tour visiting Civil War battlefields on the East Coast, he was hooked and has continued to travel with the Aggies.  We take care of the details so you can relax and enjoy the experience.

Continuing your education 

One of my favorite travel-related quotes comes from St. Augustine.  He said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”  Just as you would not read one page of a book and profess to know its entire contents, we cannot truly know about the world by never experiencing its many offerings.  By continuing to learn about other people, cultures, and countries, we expand our world view and become better citizens.  Even if you do not have the time, resources or interest to travel internationally, there are many places to visit in our own country.  We keep in mind the domestic, as well as the international traveler, when we design our annual travel programs.  You might say we try to offer something for everyone.

Support for the Alumni Association 

Yes, by traveling with the USU Alumni Association, you are helping to support our programs.  Our mission is to engage you, our alumni, with Utah State University and with each other.  When you support our programs, it demonstrates that we are accomplishing our mission and we are able to continue to grow and offer more and more.  See how this works?  You support us and we support you.  A real win-win relationship.

We strive to offer a variety of destinations and prices in our annual travel programs.  Coming up in 2013, we will be offering a tour to the Galapagos Island, European Tapestry cruise, a River Boat Cruise along the Mississippi, and more.  I invite you to come along on a journey with your Alumni Association.  Our complete travel schedule is available at www.usu.edu/alumni/travel, but if you have suggestions on destinations or types of trips you would like us to offer please feel free to email me at scott.olson@usu.edu.  Happy Travels!

No Money, No Problem: New ways to stay involved with USU

A few months ago, my wife took my daughter to a doctor’s appointment in Salt Lake.  She was happy to discover the physician’s assistant helping them was an Aggie. 


My wife is a proud USU graduate, too. 

When the friendly PA asked my wife what her husband does, she told her I’d recently started a job with the USU Alumni Association. To which the PA sourly replied, “So he’s the one who calls me all the time asking for money.”  

Ouch. I couldn’t decide whether to be hurt, or to feel sorry for my poor wife, who spent the rest of the appointment feeling a bit uncomfortable.

I don’t share this story to highlight an awkward moment between two fellow Aggies, but to address a common and unfortunate perception among many of our amazing alumni, including our formerly-friendly PA. That perception is: “the only thing the alumni association wants from me after graduation is my money.”

For those who understand how the alumni association works, you know this simply isn’t true. We’ll also take your first-born child and any beach-front property you’re willing to give us.

But seriously, while the alumni association does offer paid annual and lifetime memberships, we also provide a lot of other ways for you to stay involved with USU. And these don’t cost a dime.

For example, our new Career Aggie Network is designed to better connect our experienced alumni with students, help yourself and others plan for career advancement, and provide ways for you to mentor others in your industry.

Serving as an Aggie Rep in your community is another new way to show your support for USU. The alumni association has expanded, and enhanced, the impact of our alumni base by dissolving our chapters and instead selecting alumni representatives of USU in areas scattered across the country. Doing this provides an easier way for more people to get involved with the alumni association, with USU, and with their communities.

But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there. The USU AlumniAssociation will also be reaching out to you more to share your expert advice, personal experiences, and professional know-how with other alumni. 

Because the way we see it, we can all benefit from each other’s stories and talents. After all, we do all share one common connection – we’re Aggies for life!