Kate Austin, '11 BA & Pooja Happy, '11 BA

Tell us how you stay connected to campus through volunteerism.

Pooja: I stay connected by volunteering for whatever events at the UofA catch my interest! Any time the Alumni Association sends out the email of opportunities, Kate and I figure which ones we want to do.

Kate: Volunteering has allowed me to physically be on campus, which was one of the things I missed the most after graduating. Aside from maybe getting a job at the university, there isn't any real reason for me to venture onto campus, so it's nice to have a reason to come back a few times a month. I also enjoy helping others, whether they're new students or current students who just need a morale boost. It's even better that I have a friend to do it with, since it gives us a chance to spend time together while helping others outside of our busy schedules.

Why do you think it's important for grads to volunteer their time?

Pooja: I think it's important for anyone to volunteer! Rather than 'why', I've always looked at it more like 'why not?'. It's a great way to get yourself out there, try new things, and socialize! Kate and I volunteer a lot together as a way to spend time with each other, meet other people, and give back.

Kate: Aside from the fact that it's a great way to give back to the community and others, I think it's also a good way to get out of the house and do something that actually has an impact. Like Pooja, it's given me an opportunity to do and try new things, and it's really pushed me out of my comfort zone.

What does volunteering mean to you?

Kate: Volunteering, to me, is an act of selflessness in which I use my time to help others in whatever way I can, whether it's as a tutor or mentor, or someone knowledgeable about a particular area (for example, English). Ultimately, it means being of help to others to make their lives look a little brighter, even if they're not aware of it.

Pooja: Volunteering to me is a lot of fun. I get to meet new people, hang out with friends, and experience new things all while giving back. Besides, feeling good about yourself for giving back is always a plus!

What impact has volunteering had on you? On others?

Kate: Volunteering has turned out to be an immensely awarding experience-more so than I had ever thought it would be. My stint at the Gateway while I was still in school was fun more than anything, and there was no way to see what kind of impact I had, since people would be reading the newspaper whether I was the one who worked on any the issue they were holding or not. But when I'm physically present at an event and high school students entering university excitedly ask me about my major and what I did to get there and glean as much information from me as they can-that feeling is absolutely rewarding. And I think it's rewarding for them, too. They walk away with valuable information, memories of a good time, and more, and I don't think you can put a price on that.

Pooja: For me, volunteering has had a huge impact. People I'd have never met, experiences I'd have never had, stories I'd have never known - volunteering really does broaden your horizons. The impact of volunteering on others is a tricky question, but I can't think it would be anything other than positive.

Share a story or a memory from your time volunteering.

Pooja: I think one of the most fun U of A volunteering experiences I've had was one of the Unwind Your Mind events. Going around and handing out healthy snack to students studying for finals was fun. The looks on students' faces, the joy and sometimes suspicion ("Free food? What's the catch?!"), just reminded me so much of what it was like when I was a student. It reminded me of all the stress, the humming, the hawing, the cramming - everything that I went through to graduate was being played out in the libraries. Being able to give those students a little boost brightened my entire day!

Katie: I really enjoyed the Unwind Your Mind events, too. But for me, my favourite memory is from a night back in May when Pooja and I volunteered at the On Your Way to the U of A event welcoming future U of A students who were on the cusp of graduating from high school. Aside from the fact that there were mini cupcakes (how can you go wrong with mini cupcakes?), the experience made me realize how cool it is not only to have graduated, but to be a volunteer, too. A couple of girls were looking pretty lost, so I asked them if they needed any help and they asked me a couple of questions from their scavenger sheet. I don't remember how the conversation started (I'm pretty sure it was the standard "What did you major in?"), but as soon as I told the girls I was an English major, the one started gushing and the other had a lot of questions to ask, mostly about university in general, but I was still able to impart some of my knowledge about the English department and its courses. It felt so rewarding and so fulfilling to be able to share my experiences, especially because I kept with a major everyone told me I might never find a job in. (And guess what: I'm working my dream job, so who can dispute that?)

Do you volunteer for other organizations? Where?

Kate: I don't, unfortunately, but I was a volunteer while I was going to school at the U of A. I was a volunteer copyeditor for the Gateway for about a year, helping the editor-in-chief and managing editor catch grammatical errors before the newspaper went to press. I know Pooja does a lot of volunteering, though-she's actually part of the reason why I thought to look into volunteering at the university. Even better? When I mentioned becoming an Alumni Ambassador she was super excited to come and do it with me!

Pooja: I'm an avid volunteer, having been part of planning committees for the Make a Wish Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society Strathcona Relay for Life in the last couple years. Currently, I'm the VP of the inaugural Edmonton Chapter of the Sunshine Foundation. The Sunshine Foundation has never had an Edmonton Chapter before; it's definitely an adventure being part of their foray into Edmonton. We're actually currently recruiting (plug!)-look us up on Facebook (Sunshine Foundation of Canada: Edmonton Chapter).

On average, how many hours per month do you volunteer?

Pooja: Jeez… I don't know, I don't think I've ever counted… As a rough guess I'd say 30-40 hours? It really depends month-to-month what's happening!

Kate: I would say anywhere from 3 to maybe 7, or 10. It really depends on the month and what I have going on at that time in my life and at work. Since I work with press deadlines, sometimes it can be hard to do more volunteering.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Kate: Don't think so!

Pooja: Uh… Go Bears?

Kate: Oh, Pooja.