“In early spring of 2019, I received an email that was sent to university students, inviting us to serve in one of the many Duck Corps community service groups. At that time, I was suffering from a large amount of social anxiety and depression. I’m a psychology major, and I knew that I would need to grow as a person if I wanted to be the kind of person who could find success in my goal of becoming a couple’s therapist. When I got the email inviting me to serve in Duck Corps, I realized that I could expand my horizons by meeting new people and by serving my local community. I signed up to serve for both the Food for Lane County Youth Farm and the Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley.
I had so much anxiety when I first began serving. I hadn’t made a lot of friends at the university, and my social skills were not practiced. I am older and don’t exactly fit in with a lot of college groups, but I was welcomed into both my service groups with more kindness than I knew what to do with. My teammates were thoughtful, encouraging, and wonderful people. It was the first time at the university that I felt welcomed into a group. I not only found a group that I was happy to be a part of, but I was so thankful to find myself suddenly contributing to my local community through serving with Duck Corps.
I was honored to be invited to serve as the team lead for the Duck Corps team to the Boys and Girls Club for the 2020 school year. I was terrified knowing that I would be assuming the role of the wonderful leaders that were so encouraging and kind to me in the spring. As the term began, I look to my former leaders as well as the amazing supervisors and staff at the Holden Center for guidance on how to conduct myself as an effective and encouraging leader.
Serving with Duck Corps has been the most wonderful and rewarding experience of my college career. I have been exposed to talented and devoted leaders who truly care about showing inclusivity and respect for each and every student on campus. Through the Holden Center, I have been privileged to serve in a Day of Service event, as well as participate in the Lead for Change program. I am so thankful for the leadership in the Holden Center because they were the first group of people on campus to unequivocally treat me with kindness.
I am most thankful to see the growth of the volunteers in my team. Throughout the school year, they have shown an incredible dedication to our service at the Boys and Girls Club. It warms my heart to no end when I step back toward the end of our service time and I see our volunteer smiling and eagerly helping the students learn to tell time, playing your games, or encouraging them to forgive each other after arguments about the rightful winner of a cutthroat bumper-pool match. It is my ultimate hope that these dedicated students can become the most effective leaders they can, and I am so thankful to be a part of a process that visibly has led to real-world changes that I can see on a regular basis.”
Aron Graham
Fourth Year, Psychology Major
