In the two short semesters I’ve been at Longwood, I have been given service opportunities already. In high school, I did a lot of service so I was eager to find things to occupy my time in college – and I’m so glad to have found ways to give back to the Farmville community and its surrounding counties.

My very first week at Longwood (for the Honors College Retreat), I was able to volunteer at Clean Virginia Waterways as a part of our service component of the Honors Retreat. I learned more about the Farmville community and what its members, as well as our university, does to help the environment; and I was able to give back to them in return by performing chores and cleaning around the house.

In Sigma Kappa, I was also given the opportunity throughout the second semester to participate in our philanthropy events. Once a month, we do a highway clean-up and visit Waylands nursing home. Occasionally, we will also make cards or crafts to deliver to the Waylands residents – a form of service that has really opened my eyes to the power of small acts of kindness and compassion.