For most of her nearly 21 years, Demetria Davis has volunteered in her community.
Now she plans to delay pushing hard for a job in her chosen profession—broadcast journalism—to instead spend a year teaching children in her native Detroit through the
City Year program, which pays a small weekly stipend to young people to provide a year of service in the community.
As a teenager, Davis was involved in any number of civic, church and school activities; it continued into her college years. It’s part of her DNA, which is why she says it’s no big deal to continue the tradition after graduating from
Michigan State University (MSU) in May.
“I don’t feel it’s a mandatory thing," she says, "but if I have the opportunity to give back, why not?”
When she learned about City Year Detroit at a recent career fair, “I thought, what a good way to give back," Davis says. "I think any college student graduating from school should definitely give back.”
So do many of her fellow students.
Community service and volunteering is hot among young people. The
Peace Corps had a huge increase in applications nationally in 2009, and MSU’s
Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement has seen the number of students it assists triple since 2001, from about 5,000 to more than 15,000.
That includes young people who have “service-learning” as part of their classes, those looking into community service as a way to explore their majors and those who simply want to volunteer for short-term projects. Alternative Spring Break, for example, is a way for students not interested in partying away their spring breaks a chance to perform community service in poor areas, such as Appalachia.
“There’s something about this generation," says Nicole Springer, assistant director of the MSU center. "They are more civically aware.”
Bigger Than A RecessionThe economy and lack of job opportunities may be a factor in some young people’s decision to delay their jump into the working world and instead dive into the world of good works.
But students and experts say there’s much more involved than economics.
Springer thinks it may stem partly from students’ experiences in high school, where volunteerism is emphasized more than ever. With online sign-up so easy–“The new generation has no concept of filling out paper forms,” Springer says with a chuckle— getting a volunteer gig also is simpler than ever. And it’s increasingly required in education classes and other curriculum.
“They just feel it's part of who they are—to be a good citizen this is part of what they do,” Springer says.
That’s certainly true for Christlynn Chelladurai, an MSU junior who has big dreams of helping others.
How big? She wants to start orphanages in India, South America and Africa. The latter is a nod to her hero, Oprah Winfrey, who started a girls-only boarding school in South Africa.
Chelladurai also wants to emulate her family; her grandfather, a pastor, started an orphanage in his native India in 1998 and ran it with her father’s help.
“I guess you could say it runs in the blood, but I really do want to carry on his legacy and help children,” she says of her grandfather. “It really breaks my heart when children suffer and go through things that I never have gone through.”
Both her parents, who live in the Flint area, helped with the orphanage before it closed a few years ago. Now, she’s involved in the
Black Theatre Project at MSU and is working to partner the group with
Spartans Against Diseases, which raises money to fight endemic diseases.
“People need to be aware of what’s happening around the world, not just their own world and their four corners,” says Chelladurai, who was born in Kuwait and lived briefly in India before coming to the U.S.
She’s hardly lacking ambition. Chelladurai’s academic specialty is marketing and advertising, and she dreams of being a CEO of her own company or marketing firm.
But she also wants to turn that power into something more universal, influencing others to help people.
Her goal is to open her own orphanage within 10 years.
“I have to give back. It’s something like 'pay it forward,'” Chelladurai says.
Top Four For Peace CorpsThe Peace Corps also appears to have benefited from MSU students’ giving spirit.
MSU alumni ranked fourth among large universities nationwide in producing Peace Corps volunteers in 2009. The agency saw an 18 percent increase in applications last year, covering all age groups.
Students’ passion and intense focus on community service was evident on blizzard-like night at MSU last winter.
About 20 students trekked through the snowy muck to attend an introductory meeting organized by Peace Corps campus representatives. They asked repeated questions about the requirements and how to best prepare for the arduous interview process (for instance, it’s important to know another language and to have done volunteer work).
National Peace Corps officials downplay the impact of the poor economy on the rise in applications. They say President Barack Obama’s call for Americans to perform community service is a strong factor, along with college students growing up in a culture that encourages civic engagement.
Rachel Ellick, an MSU Peace Corps rep, says many applicants say they’re interested in helping people, seek adventure and want to see the world. The job market is a component for some, she says, especially since serving in the Peace Corps tells future employers something about your character.
The economy is actually a fairly significant reason why Amanda Fleming, 20, was at the Peace Corps meeting.
Fleming, whose family lives in Lapeer, is studying zoology. She wants to get a master’s degree in zoo and aquarium management. But she figures people don’t have much disposable income to go to zoos right now and there won’t be many openings when she graduates.
“The Peace Corps is going to give me a leg up in getting hired,” she says, “and at the same time keep me occupied.”
But it’s not just about a job, though, Fleming says. She wants to travel and get some life experience
“I settled on the Peace Corps [because] I’ve been wanting to do something that makes a difference,” Fleming says. “I feel like I haven’t reached my potential. I feel I could do more than I’m doing and the Peace Corps could help me do that.”
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John Foren is a recovering newspaper editor who is enjoying writing again
Dave
Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a
freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie
Photography.
Photos:
Demetria Davis volunteers at her church teaching young
children singing and dance
Christlynn Chelladurai at
MSU theater where she works with the Black Theater Project
All Photographs © Dave
Trumpie