Students share their summertime volunteer and work experiences

For some students, volunteering is more or less a way to fill up space for their resumes. However, sophomore Matt McCabe has a special reason for volunteering at Special Olympics Kansas.

“I started volunteering with Special Olympics because of my twin brother, Jack [McCabe],” Matt said. “Jack was born with Down syndrome. This organization serves people like my brother. I want to do all I can for my brother and people like him.”

Matt has been a volunteer with the organization since he was 8 years old. Currently, he is the chairman of the Youth Activation Committee. His responsibilities as chairman include organizing and overseeing the Unified Strategy for Schools in the state of Kansas and organizing Unified Sports initiatives. Additionally, Matt coordinates Polar Plunge initiatives and R-Word campaigns for more than 46 schools.

Not only is Matt beholden to the organization for the memories he has gained from it, he said he is thankful for the opportunities it has given him. One such opportunity was the chance to travel to the South Central Region Special Olympics Program Conference. At this conference, Matt had a chance to see how important the work he did truly was.

“A mom of a child with a developmental disability told me, after a panel I spoke at, that when her child was born she wasn’t allowed to see him for two months,” Matt said. “She went on to say that what I said on the panel gave her hope for her child. That means a lot to me. I work to change lives daily.”

After venturing roughly 1,800 miles to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, sophomore Anna Lee and nine other volunteers from her church spent one week volunteering at a children’s home run by the LAMB institute. The LAMB institute website explains they are focused on “educating, protecting, and empowering those suffering extreme poverty, abuse and exploitation in Honduras.” During her stay, Lee painted a house for children supported by the program. She also had a chance to build a first-hand relationship with the children.

“My favorite part of my mission trip to Honduras was playing with the kids,” Lee said. “When you are playing with them, they get to act like any kids would, even though they have been through things most people will never deal with.”

Realizing the difference in the way Lee and the children she was helping grew up, Lee said she sometimes found it painful to see the way they lived. With this understanding of the difficulties some of the children were facing, Lee found her work very rewarding.

“My favorite part of volunteering is the effect it can have on the people that you help,” Lee said. “It might not mean anything to them, but it could also mean the world. I think that volunteering is really important because just wanting the world to change doesn’t solve anything. Taking abstract ideas and creating actual results is rewarding, even if it’s the smallest change.”

These same ideals and concepts can be applied to other kinds of work that do not take place 1,800 miles away from home. Lee said she thinks it is important to find a way to help, whether it is the community or another country.

“I think that everyone should look for an opportunity to volunteer, even if it is as simple as helping out at school or giving up some time to help at a local charity,” Lee said. “It isn’t important that you go as far away from home as possible, because you can usually find opportunities to help through clubs at school like KAY club or student council.”

Summertime brought more than just time away from school for senior Renita Wilson. In the beginning of June, Wilson began volunteering at Olathe Medical Center (OMC) in the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Wilson aims to be a pediatric surgeon when she is older. Since volunteering at OMC, she has seen all the work that goes into the surgery center.

“Seeing all the dedication and effort put in by all of the staff members at OMC has made me recognize the immense amount of teamwork that goes into providing the best care possible for each patient,” Wilson said. “Being able to be a part of that system has solidified my desire to work in a hospital environment, specifically in the surgical field.”

The Ambulatory Surgery Center is typically used for same-day surgery patients. According to Wilson, the center includes pre- and post-operation areas as well as six operating rooms. On a typical day Wilson might help the post-op nurses turnover discharge rooms in between patients or clean beds. From time to time she also will help out with charts, paperwork and inventory checks. However, the most notable experiences while volunteering at OMC for Wilson have been when she has been given the opportunity to observe a few live surgeries.

Not only is Wilson grateful for the experiences she has gained though OMC, she is also thankful for the new skills she has obtained, along with the staff members she has met.

“The doctors and nurses at OMC are very appreciative of the student volunteers, and I love being able to help them out in any way I can,” Wilson said. “They do so much for our community, and knowing that I can provide some help is very satisfying.”

Having previously held a job that required up to 30 hours a week, senior Lauren Semple obtained a new job as the only high school student employed by the Blue Valley branch of the Johnson County Library system. Shelving books and assisting patrons, Semple said her job can become a little monotonous, but would still recommend it to any student in search of a new occupation.

“My job is very self-motivated,” Semple said. “I show up and do whatever I think needs to be done. It works for me because I can be independent but there is always another employee ready to help me if I need it.”

With this independence comes balance, as Semple is dedicated to work 16 hours each week, no more, no less. For Semple, this means going straight to work after school three of five days of the week and giving up time she would otherwise spend watching Netflix or hanging out with friends.

“Having a job and being a student is not easy, but it is important,” Semple said. “You definitely give up some of your free time but you also gain a lot of independence. You no longer have to rely on someone else to pay for everything you need, and I think it’s really beneficial to have experience going through the application and interview processes.”