Student Volunteer with UTSNZ, Amelia Morgan, talks about what got her into volunteering and what she gets out of it.

Amelia Morgan is a fourth-year University of Canterbury Law and Geography student. Amelia started volunteering during high school as a Duke of Edinburgh award participant and continued as a school sports prefect, sports rep at her university hall of residence and helping groups such as the UC Student Volunteer Army, UC Sport and a Student-Athlete Commission for University and Tertiary Sport NZ. Amelia was one of two NZ reps that attended the 2017 FISU Volunteer Leader’s Academy in Russia. Amelia is a student-athlete herself, having represented for track and field.

You started volunteering at a young age – what drove you to do it?

Truthfully, volunteering feels like a selfish act. From a younger age, it has generated copious amounts of self-satisfaction and warmth when helping others. For a long time, I was unable to give as much as I would’ve liked to volunteering organisations alike. However due to my step back in track and field I have been able to give my time more freely. There is no denying the satisfaction generated when pouring your heart and soul into something and it pays off or you witness someone truly benefit from the efforts. Thereby, in all honesty it is this feeling that drove me to volunteer and give back from a younger age.

How did volunteering help shape who you are today?

Volunteering and involvement with volunteer-based organisations has enabled me to appreciate and truly understand the amount of hard work, time and resource put into any event or organisation. I have learned the importance of delegation if you want to achieve projects to a high standard and the need for clear communication to facilitate this. Meaningful communication, and connection with those you are working with ensures that the group of volunteers function to their best ability and actually enjoy the task at hand.

You help so many different organisations in so many different ways – which has been the most fulfilling moment for you? Why?

Being a student-athlete myself, working for sporting organisations to empower and enhance student-athletes’ overall health and wellbeing has been incredibly rewarding. I have been working closely with UC Sport and their recently established Student-Athlete Development Programme. This has been a close passion of mine, as it highlights and emphasises the importance of creating a community-based culture for student-athletes at the University of Canterbury.

There is no doubt I tend to favour sport volunteering and sports administration when compared to other areas. This is due to my undying passion for sports and athletes alike, the commitment and work ethic required to be an athlete has driven me to want to help these athletes and completions run as smoothly as possible.

If you were to pitch the skills you’ve learned through volunteering to a potential employer what would you say?

A key learning, I took away from FVLA 2017 was about the volunteer movement and the significant value of volunteers in the sporting world today.  Great emphasis was given to the fact that although volunteers are often perceived as ‘free labour’ and the lower tier of a sporting event or competition, they are in fact the backbone of any success, and if the volunteers are not happy and motivated, the event will lack real success and enjoyment for all of those involved.

For any event or sporting need, planning is essential for success. Athletes, coaches, management and volunteers alike perform better when things flow and day-to-day activity is planned in detail.

You were identified as a volunteer leader in 2017 – what do you hope to see in the student volunteer space in 2018?

I have diversified my time a little bit this year which truly excites me. I have become more heavily involved with the University of Canterbury’s club scene and have earned an executive position on one of the largest social clubs on campus. This is an exciting challenge I have set for myself to give my time to something completely different. This has been very rewarding so far as I have been able to throw myself into the complex administration involved in hosting major social events and recruiting paid members during the new academic year.

I have maintained my involvement with UC Sport and UTSNZ during 2018. I hope to continue learning from the incredible board members of UTSNZ and get a true understanding of the complexities of this entity. I hope to continue developing the student-athlete community we are trying to establish at UC Sport, and am looking forward to being a part of the leadership group within this academy.

Visit University and Tertiary Sport NZ’s website to learn more about their amazing work.

 

Aliesha Singh joined Volunteering New Zealand as a communications intern over the summer. She has since graduated and has a paid role at Ministry for Women. Aliesha shares her experience with interning and how that has helped her grow valuable skills.

My experience interning was definitive in my understanding of how to navigate the workplace and the idea of the workplace as a fun and collaborative environment. I joined Volunteering New Zealand as part of my internship paper at Massey University. I was excited about the opportunities interning would bring and I was fortunate to find that the organisation opened the door to each one.

At my internship I had the freedom to share and pursue my ideas and gained valuable experiences through projects I would not have otherwise got to work on. The projects that I worked on involved collaborating with staff at all levels, including senior management, and that proved to be an important lesson in professional discourse in the workplace.

Despite the fact that I was an intern, I felt like my ideas were heard and that I was a part of a receptive environment that valued differing opinions regardless of the status of the employee that provides it.

While my internship was fun it was also challenging and there was never a shortage of tasks to be completed. Because of this, I was taught a crucial lesson on how to manage my time by prioritising tasks in order to meet deadlines. Since beginning to interview for jobs, I am often asked about my proficiency in time management and I can confidently talk about how interning prepared me for working to a deadline.

As a recent graduate, I truly believe that my internship has given me an edge in entering and navigating the workforce. The experiences that I gained and lessons that I learnt during my interning have instilled confidence in my abilities that I would not have otherwise had.

For ideas on how to have a successful Student Volunteer Week this year, here are some of our
highlights from last year!

“Voluntinder” – volunteer matching event

The University of Otago created a volunteering Tinder to match students with organisations needing volunteers. This fun and eye-catching display immediately creates impact and promotes that there is a perfect volunteer match out there for students.

Volunteer Expos

What could be better than finding a match on VolunTinder?! Getting to cuddle kittens IRL!! Here’s a photo from a Volunteer expo held at The University of Canterbury last year. Holding an expo for students to meet and speak to representatives from organisations seeking volunteers is a great way for schools to get involved. Volunteering Canterbury is holding one at UC again this year!

 

Sharing Volunteer Stories

Last year Girl Guiding NZ shared stories and photos from some of their many student volunteers on Instagram and Facebook. Promoting real-life examples of volunteer work is such a great way to encourage others to think about how they can contribute too! If you’re a student volunteer, share photos and stories on social media, tag your organisations and @volunteeringnz and use the hashtag #SVW2018.

If you’re an organisation, highlighting the amazing contribution student volunteers make is one of the best ways to celebrate and encourage others to join in.

Creative ways to use our graphics

Check out our resources page on where you can download posters, logos and much more, to help promote Student Volunteer Week 2018 at your school, university or organisation. We’ve written a resource guide with tips and tricks. 

Here’s an example of how they were used last year!

 

So go ahead, get planning, and don’t forget to let us know what you’re up to!