Volunteering a viable option in adverse job market

Normally a time for celebration, college graduation day is a somewhat worrying prospect for students this year who face looming loan repayments and discouraging job prospects.

According to the "Job Outlook 2009 Spring Update" released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, nearly 22 percent fewer graduates will be hired this spring than last.

But before grads go backpedaling out of their cap and gown, wondering how they'll bide their newly vacant time, they might look toward one spot of optimism: volunteering.

President Obama recently signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which aims to significantly bolster the number of college graduates who opt for national service. The law expands certain AmeriCorps programs by tripling available positions annually for the next eight years, raising the number of placements from the current 75,000 to 88,000 next year, gradually increasing to 250,000 by the year 2017.

Those who complete their AmeriCorps service are eligible for an education award that can be applied to future college tuition or to repaying federal student loans. The legislation would raise that award from $4,725 to $5,350, which is the first increase since the program's inception in 1993.

EWU's Students In Service Program (SIS) promotes volunteer opportunities to Eastern students through the AmeriCorps program. Amber Rhodes, a career services adviser with SIS, said last year 80 people applied for 50 available positions, and that the numbers will likely increase as more students discover the merits of volunteering. "We'll certainly have the same or more people apply next year," Rhodes said. "We get a certain number of slots from the Washington Campus Compact and more slots open up as the year goes on."

According to its mission statement, Washington Campus Compact (WACC) is a statewide coalition of college and university presidents who have united under the primary goal of creating civil service opportunities for students in order to "connect education with communities."

Jennifer Dorr, executive director of WACC, said that so far in the 2008-09 grant year EWU has been awarded 55 part-time AmeriCorps positions as part of SIS, a number that is expected to rise as a result of the Serve America Act, although she cautioned, "We won't know to what extent until some of the details get worked out."

Students in SIS can choose to volunteer terms of 300 or 450 hours in a year's time or 900 hours over two years, counting the hours toward education vouchers that can be used to pay off loans or for more schooling.

Dorr said students in the current 55 positions will complete approximately 38,400 hours, earning scholarships worth nearly $104,000 while providing community service valued at more than $780,000.

Most students who enroll in SIS are interested in serving their community through weekly volunteering at nonprofit agencies like Habitat for Humanity, K-12 schools, women's shelters and senior centers, said Dorr. Other students opt to complete their internship, practicum or service-learning hour requirements for a course at a non-profit organization in need of support.

For those students wishing to volunteer simply for the sake of service, there are even more possibilities, and some come with unexpected payoffs.

EWU sophomore Aaron Taylor, a business finance major, was recently selected for the Governor's Volunteer Service Award for his community service. In late April, Taylor was flown to Western Washington to meet Governor Gregoire and to be recognized with other recipients of the award at a Seattle Mariners game.

Taylor said he was surprised by the award, which he'd been nominated for by the coordinator of Eastern Advantage. "I think my family was just as surprised as I was," said Taylor.

Taylor spends much of his time mentoring incoming freshmen, as well as participating in programs like Relay for Life and helping clean up around campus and at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. "The least I can do is give back and try to make an impact," said Taylor, who is able to attend EWU thanks to a Bill Gates College Success scholarship. "I believe in giving back what's been given to me."

Cristen Royce, a senior at EWU, had never volunteered before he was required to give six hours of his time to community service as part of a social and political philosophy course with Dr. Terry MacMullan.

Toward the end of winter quarter, Royce began volunteering behind the counter at Spokane's One World Café, a non-profit restaurant that has no menu or prices. Organic food is prepared in small batches and served to customers, who choose their own portions and pay what they feel is fair for the food they eat. The motto at the café is "Everybody Eats," and nobody is turned away for lack of money.

After finishing out his philosophy course by writing a paper about his experience, Royce said he decided to stay on at One World. "I like the place and I like the people," he said. "It's a sustainable idea."

While the difficulty of finding paid work after graduation may still loom large for students like Royce and Taylor, they seem to have found a constructive way to bide their time.

"Volunteering makes me feel good about myself," said Royce. "It's just a positive thing, doing something in the community to help people."