Centralight

At CMU, Craig Torgerson, '09, helped lead volunteer trips to New Orleans, Memphis, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Kansas City. Those experiences helped him develop the skills he uses today as a youth minister in Tennessee – a position that also includes a lot of volunteer work. In his volunteer program, Torgerson encourages inner-city children to reclaim their city from poverty, racism, homelessness, joblessness and hate. He works with between 30 and 40 children each day, doing everything from mentoring to planning trips. Every day, Torgerson mentors children, helps them with homework, and plans games and activities for them. "Many of these kids don't have adults to provide them with moral structure, values, guidance or to model healthy lifestyles for them," Torgerson says. "A lot of these children grow up too fast because they have to become the adults in their homes at an early age. We try to relieve them of those responsibilities and let them be kids." Torgerson attributes much of his success to what he learned while at CMU. "My church, my residence hall and CMU's Volunteer Center each provided me with many opportunities to get involved with and lead a wide range of service events on local, national and international levels," he says. "I use these experiences in my work and volunteer experiences today." Volunteering at Central Volunteer opportunities are abundant through CMU's Volunteer Center – from traveling abroad bringing awareness to social issues to reading to elementary children in local schools. The Volunteer Center coordinates civic engagement eff orts across campus and administers programs that promote literacy, mentorship, awareness, service and more throughout the local, state, national and global communities. More than 4,000 CMU students – approximately 20 percent of the student body – are registered in Volunteer Central, the Volunteer Center's database matching students with volunteer opportunities. As an undergraduate student, Lauren Stachura, '06, completed 13 volunteering trips, which included winter, spring, summer, weekend, international and domestic experiences. Today she maintains those global connections and has traveled to several diff erent countries for her humanitarian eff orts. As a volunteer for a Korean Education Program, Stachura tutors students who have come to the U.S. to learn English in American schools. For the past two years, the traveling teacher has been in diff erent countries teaching English to children, including a visit to South Korea, where she also volunteered at a local orphanage. "I am constantly learning from those I work with – other volunteers, those in charge of an organization and those I am helping," Stachura says. "Plus, being able to walk away having solved even one issue or improving their quality of life even a little is enough to know that your presence there was more than worth it." • and into the community Students fi nd opportunities in a number of areas, including traditional service, special volunteer events, Alternative Breaks and the America Reads program. Volunteer Center Coordinator Shawna Ross says the number of students registered through Volunteer Central is only part of the bigger picture of student volunteerism at CMU. Registered student organizations, Greek life, athletics and residential colleges are among the other campus areas that provide students with additional public service opportunities. CMU has one of the highest rates of volunteerism of any university, with more than 70 percent of seniors reporting that they have volunteered during their time as CMU students. volunteer.cmich.edu centralight spring '10 13 Ross says CMU students are enthusiastic about what they're doing, and once they graduate, the public service in them naturally remains strong. "This truly is a lifelong eff ort. Most, if not all, of our graduates who were involved while on campus have continued to integrate service into their lives," Ross says. "In fact, many are now working for nonprofi ts or providing direction within the corporate environment for their company's philanthropic endeavors." •

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