When I first saw the opportunity to volunteer through my first-year sociology class, I excitedly ran to my parents and shared the news of the opportunity. I volunteered at home in Red Deer with Dopamine Gym, boxing with people affected by Parkinson’s disease, and as the youth volunteer coordinator at the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter. I love volunteering because it’s very rewarding and immerses you and makes you part of the community. You secure a sense of appreciation and fulfillment. Moving to Vancouver, I had to give up these positions and knew that I would miss these settings. I didn’t think that I would have time to volunteer during my first year, and so, being given an opportunity to volunteer that is also a part of my education was very exciting. I believe that no matter where you live, you should make a contribution to your community.
The Trek discussions and Trek dinners were a large part of integrating us into university. Since Trek students were a small group with the same interests and ideas, we were automatically given a group of peers with whom we could relate. It gave us an additional opportunity to meet new people and establish some important relationships. We built a new community within the broader community and that gave us a good foundation, rooted us in the new community. It also aided us in navigating the institution as we were responsible to apply to, and navigate Trek and our placements not solely on our own, but also with support from faculty. It helped us get to know Dr. Greer a lot better as we were often in contact with her regarding our placements and during Trek discussions. I learnt that there was a lot of help available, and much of it was just an email or visit away. If you had a question or concern there was always someone there you could reach out to and it taught me to use those resources to better navigate the university.
Strathcona Community Centre
Trek supported my learning by exposing me to new places and people, expanding my mind and understanding, giving me insight. It is not easy to get out to the east side but when you arrive at your placement, you find out that there are people who need you. The emotional labour was sometimes tiring and overwhelming, but meeting these people makes the trek worth it. I got to meet new people, and because of that I felt better connected to my new community, and I learnt a bit more about my new community. Alone and sacred, walking through Vancouver’s east
side, I learnt about poverty first-hand… And then I saw hope and opportunity. What I was learning in class was right before me, I saw social structures, constraints, power, wealth and social stratification at play, among many other concepts. Campus is not representative of the greater Vancouver area and without Trek I would not have ventured as far as I did. Volunteering made me get out into the community, I got a better feel for the broader city. This work provided me with a unique hands-on learn while doing atmosphere. I took on a new challenge, and it allowed me to experience a diverse situation. This mix of unique learning opportunities was beneficial. Instead of writing more papers, I got to go out and learn first-hand, and then apply my learning through our sociology class. I’m very happy I had this choice.