On first thought, the word “volunteer” itself brings about connotations of selflessness, of community service, and of outward devotion. In no way are these translations incorrect, yet they only scratch the surface of what it truly means to be a volunteer--both in wholehearted spirit and on the University of Tennessee campus.
Don’t get me wrong; dedicating one’s self to community service is great and all, and I know that the time I’ve spent doing so has been instrumental in my awareness of privilege and human compassion. In fact, I believe that the knowledge gained in actual volunteer work is a hefty piece of the puzzle that comprises the Volunteer spirit. Without a proper understanding of the roles we play in the lives of others around us, we might as well be walking robots, all steely and apathetic and such.
Volunteerism goes deeper than the literal translation though; dedicating myself to exemplifying the spirit at Tennessee requires me to take initiative in my own life by excelling in school and participating in a variety of on-campus clubs and organizations. My chosen major of biomedical engineering is relatively new, with a lot of discovery still left to be had in the field, but this only …show more content…
Quite possibly, the most prominent premise behind being a Vol is the freedom you get in determining what that means to you. While my idea of volunteerism within academics is to expand my knowledge and its uses as vastly as possible, someone else may believe that achieving Fortune 500 status is their own service to society. Neither of us is incorrect, as the in the grand scheme of things we are both accomplishing the same thing: the outright maximization of our differing potentials. I can't even begin to estimate the amount of intellectual and interpersonal skills I'll gain through my time at Tennessee, but it is my intent to leave my mark on the University and the world
Don’t get me wrong; dedicating one’s self to community service is great and all, and I know that the time I’ve spent doing so has been instrumental in my awareness of privilege and human compassion. In fact, I believe that the knowledge gained in actual volunteer work is a hefty piece of the puzzle that comprises the Volunteer spirit. Without a proper understanding of the roles we play in the lives of others around us, we might as well be walking robots, all steely and apathetic and such.
Volunteerism goes deeper than the literal translation though; dedicating myself to exemplifying the spirit at Tennessee requires me to take initiative in my own life by excelling in school and participating in a variety of on-campus clubs and organizations. My chosen major of biomedical engineering is relatively new, with a lot of discovery still left to be had in the field, but this only …show more content…
Quite possibly, the most prominent premise behind being a Vol is the freedom you get in determining what that means to you. While my idea of volunteerism within academics is to expand my knowledge and its uses as vastly as possible, someone else may believe that achieving Fortune 500 status is their own service to society. Neither of us is incorrect, as the in the grand scheme of things we are both accomplishing the same thing: the outright maximization of our differing potentials. I can't even begin to estimate the amount of intellectual and interpersonal skills I'll gain through my time at Tennessee, but it is my intent to leave my mark on the University and the world