Emma Li

Volunteering impact also does not need to be confined to a set amount of time or awards. If we encourage students to approach their nonprofit work with longevity in mind, they are more likely to carry on their work, furthering acts of volunteerism in their community.

Scrolling through Instagram, numerous abandoned nonprofit accounts emerge. Initiatives that were once active during a student’s time in high school now lie dormant. These accounts cast doubt on the extent of students’ volunteering commitments past high school.

Students may found or participate in nonprofits as an extracurricular that they can add to their college resume. According to the 61 responses received in a schoolwide survey shared via Schoology on April 22, 95.1% of student respondents are involved in nonprofits, with 29.3% of them founding their own. 

Although parental pressure and resume-building are among some of the reasons that prompt students to join nonprofits, many do establish a genuine connection with their volunteering work. 56.9% of the respondents feel that the nonprofit they are involved in strongly aligns with their interests, even if they did not initially pursue the nonprofit out of pure interest. 

With 63.8% of the 61 respondents planning on continuing their nonprofit involvement after high school, it is evident that nonprofits joined in high school have the potential to last beyond graduation. Students and faculty should promote continued engagement after high school as part of a broader lifelong endeavor of volunteerism.

Volunteer work should not solely serve as a checkbox that must be filled out before graduating high school. Students who engage in a cause that they are genuinely passionate about can increase their impact in a community they truly care about. According to a paper published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, continuous participation in philanthropic activities fosters personal growth and satisfaction, leading to more positive outcomes both within a person’s character and in their surrounding community.

Volunteering impact also does not need to be confined to a set amount of time or awards. As evident in the survey responses, 46.6% of respondents volunteer one to three times a week, while 19% volunteer a few times a year. With students participating in nonprofit organizations for different amounts of time, with some doing so to meet community service requirements and others applying for awards like the President’s Volunteer Service Award, each student should be free to individually decide the extent of their commitment. 

Regardless of how much time individuals spend volunteering, each act of service can make a difference in the lives of others. But by committing to volunteerism for the long term, students can create a community-oriented legacy beyond their high school years.

Those who limit their work in nonprofits to their high school years should seek to encourage continuation by other means, like mentoring those who come after them. This type of engagement can foster a more meaningful impact inside the target community.

If we encourage students to approach their nonprofit work with longevity in mind, they are more likely to carry on their work, furthering acts of volunteerism in their community.