When we were first introduced to the Trek Program as an opportunity instead of having discussions, I remember feeling very excited with the idea of volunteering but also being extremely nervous with what I would encounter if I took that chance. Being an international student, not really knowing much about Canadian culture and never having taken the bus by myself, taking part in Trek was a big step. For you to have an idea of how nervous I was, the first day I took the bus to my placement I ended up getting lost, walking in the opposite direction for 2km while using Google Maps and being more than one hour late when I finally reached my destination. Through the research, we were asked to do in one of our workshops and through talking to people about the region where my placement was located, I had painted a dark picture of what the region and people would look like, dominated by poverty, crime and need. After my experience volunteering, getting to know the community and its people, I can tell you that those challenges are real yet the picture I see now is vibrant and hopeful.
The placement I took part in is the Boys & Girls Club at Grandview Elementary School. An afternoon volunteering at the after-school program would generally look like this: I would leave UBC at about 1pm and I would take the 99 for about an hour; I would reach my placement at around 2pm and would wait for the staff to arrive; we would get started preparings the snacks for the children and once they got to the program, they were given some time to eat; we would then move to the activities such as going to the playground, arts and crafts, playing sports at the gym, tech time and more; the children would leave at around 5:15pm; after they had left we would clean the lunch room and leave by 6pm. It might look like a busy schedule, but I can tell you how important it is as a university student to take some time not to think about work and actually engage in building relationships.
One of my favorite moments was having a conversation with a kid while pushing him, gently, in the swing. He told me about his pet bees and the cat he had at home. Simple moments like that make you remember how being a child felt like and despite our different realities and cultures, imagination is something that truly transcends borders. However, some times listening to these stories is challenging but know that you will have a support system to help you out. In addition, a lot of the experiences you will have will highlight concepts learned in class such as social norms, gender performativity and much more. After all, sociology is the study of society and the only way to truly understand a society, in my opinion, is to get to know it outside of books and articles.
Therefore, the last thing I have to say is while at university seek discomfort because what you will gain from it outweighs what is keeping you back, resulting in real personal growth!