During my time at the University of Tennessee, I learned that public service is a vital part of being both a VOLunteer and an active member of society. In law school, I have learned that legal knowledge is a privilege, and as practitioners (and aspiring practitioners), the legal profession is at a great advantage to help others who may not be able to afford an attorney.
Read below to learn more about my volunteer experiences.
Volunteer Experiences at Belmont:
Expungement Clinic
While volunteering with the expungement clinic, I helped a local attorney fill out expungement forms for women in a drug rehabilitation center.
Essential Documents for Essential Workers Clinic
Through this clinic, I served as a witness to many Franklin police officers’ will signings which were drafted by local attorneys.
Volunteer Experiences at UT:
During my time at the University of Tennessee, I learned that public service is a vital part of being both a VOLunteer and an active member of society. In law school, I have learned that legal knowledge is a privilege, and as practitioners (and aspiring practitioners), the legal profession is at a great advantage to help others who may not be able to afford an attorney.
Leaders for Readers
I had the honor of serving as a mentor/volunteer in the Leaders for Readers program, which is part of the Knox County Schools Great Schools Partnership. Once a week during the academic year, I visited Beaumont Magnet Academy and read with three children in order to increase their reading levels. This volunteer experience greatly influenced my career ambitions because I had the opportunity to work with children who need my assistance.
Emerald Youth Foundation
At Emerald, I tutored high school students within the Knoxville community. I helped them with their homework and essays as well as with their college applications. I am accustomed to volunteering with younger kids, so this was a new experience for me.
The Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley
Volunteering in the Hiking Hounds program at the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley allowed me to expand my volunteer experiences, and it also gave me the opportunity to work with my some of my favorite animals. In my free time, I visited the shelter and took dogs to local parks for exercise and social time. During that time, I educated interested people on the shelter’s adoption policies. Helping the shelter was so rewarding for me.
Smokey’s Pantry
Another philanthropic interest of mine is helping homeless people in my community. By volunteering at Smokey’s Pantry, I had the opportunity to help provide food security and other necessary resources to people who are less fortunate than I am. I’m proud that my undergraduate campus has a service such as this one, and I enjoyed assisting in this food pantry.
VOLServe Days
Once a month, UT’s Center for Leadership and Service hosts “VOLServe Days” which are days where students get together and go volunteer at a variety of non-profit organizations in Knoxville. I participated in many VOLServe Days, and I had the opportunity to volunteer at Beardsley Community Farm , the Love Kitchen, Random Acts of Flowers, and a few others.