My Experience Of Volunteering In Nashville, Tennessee

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” It wasn't until I started volunteering that I realized life wasn't the same for everyone. When I think about what makes me unique, I’d have to say it was through my experiences in volunteer work with newly settled immigrants. Through volunteering I have realized I thrive when working with other cultures. By being both a tutor during the school year, and at a food bank lunch program over the summer, I have been able to witness first hand what it is like making a difference in the lives of those who aren't always readily accepted. It was also through volunteer work that I learned to appreciate and celebrate cultural diversity. I believe that

As a child, I didn’t realize life was different for other people. Growing up in an affluent community, suffering, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and a general struggle for life was so close in proximity, yet so far apart in lifestyles. There are an abundance of refugees being resettled into Nashville, Tennessee, many just six miles from my house. While many people don’t have the opportunity to see what it is like for immigrants in Nashville, through volunteering, I’ve been able to see it first hand. My mother teaches English as a Second Language and has for many years. In her classroom, it isn’t uncommon to have 20-23 students from more than a dozen countries with almost as many languages. Often, only 1 or 2 students can speak English (it’s an ‘inclusion’ classroom). Volunteering allowed me to understand I could help immigrant students who were in school (many for the 1st time in their lives) to feel more comfortable. It’s very difficult for students who’ve never attended school, been away from their families, rode a bus, let alone have little or no English language. Students come on the first day of school not knowing what to expect and afraid, but they come anyway. The thought of trying to communicate with 20 different nationalities was beyond intimidating for me as a child. Being sheltered in an affluent community, I had never experienced anything like this before. Now, after volunteering and tutoring for about ten years now, I have gained an unbelievable amount of confidence that has allowed me to experience and enjoy learning about the several different nationalities of students I assist in learning. No culture is exactly the same,, and with each child comes a different background, and also a different way I can help. Even though I am the tutor and they are the student, I often find myself a student of their culture. Our interaction each day is both inspiring and challenging. The students are