Meet a volunteer: Emma and Dimitrios from Digital

Emma and Dimitrios from the Digital program are intro guides for the ROS (Shake Us Together) committee, which is responsible for organizing the social introduction day when starting at KEA. This year is the first time both of them are part of organizing an introductory program for KEA's new students. 

Where do you volunteer?

Emma: “We are intro guides. This is my first time doing it.” 
 

Dimitrios: “Same here. I started in January, but this is the first time we've had an introduction day for the new students.” 

What motivated you to become volunteers?

Emma: “I thought it was a good way to meet others at the school, to meet people from other years and be part of a community, so you're not just talking to your own class. I also thought it would be nice to help others to a good start. I've always been a part of the student council, and I really enjoy that sort of thing.” 
 

Dimitrios: “Yeah, I really agree with Emma. I read some articles before I started at KEA about how students' general well-being at different institutions had decreased, and then I saw how a school here could be, and I thought it worked really well. So, since someone did that for me, I wanted to pass it on. It's very rewarding to help others get off to a good start.” 

Three reasons to volunteer

1) Friendship (Emma): “One reason, is you make a lot of new friends. There are a lot of intro guides across many different programs, which I think is cool. It's nice to be able to say hi when you see them in the hallway.” 
 

2) Responsibility for the community (Dimitrios): “You learn to take responsibility and be part of a community where you rise and fall together. I think most people think they know how that works, but it's a whole other thing to actually experience it in practice.” 
 

3) Events (Emma): “I also think it's great to be part of other people's intro days before you start school yourself. You also get to attend the parties. Of course, we organize them, but you still get to attend, and that's a way to talk to a lot of the new students.” 

How much time do you spend on volunteering each week?

Dimitrios: “I think it's hard to measure like that. It's very project based. At the start of the semester, there’s much more time involved than at other times. It's hard to say in terms of time, but you spend a couple of hours or some evenings a week, depending on where we are in the process.” 
 

Emma: “It doesn't feel like too much. It’s not exhausting. We have a meeting once a month, then there are the intro days, and we have meetings leading up to those. The day itself, you sometimes stay longer to clean up and evaluate, but it's very manageable. It was nice to know that you weren’t committing to something that required being there every day.” 
 

Dimitrios: “You also walk away with a good feeling, knowing you’ve established something for others and made a difference. I think that’s why many of us do it.” 
 

Emma: “I’d also say it’s not us who do most of the work. It’s Amanda and Thor, the board members. I think they spend way more hours on it, and huge respect to them for doing that work. I think without them it wouldn’t work.” 

Have you gained any new skills from volunteering at KEA?

Understanding inclusion among new people: 

Emma: “Talking to a group of 40 people who don’t know each other yet and making sure they can meet each other – that’s definitely something you learn from, especially how to conduct yourself.” 
 

Dimitrios: “If you know me, you'd know that the way I talk is often just joking around. But getting a feel for the situation when talking to new people is something I’ve had to learn. It’s not like I’m just Yapping away, but speaking in front of people brings out your inner teacher. You learn how to articulate yourself and include others.” 
 

Event coordination (Emma): “Planning events. You sit in a meeting and maybe think, ‘We should move this up a bit, because I don’t think this part will take that long.’” 

Why should someone volunteer at KEA?

Emma: “I think you become part of a huge community that offers more than just attending school. If you're not that close with people in your own class, you can still find a lot of great friends by volunteering in various areas at KEA.” 
 

Dimitrios: “I think if you have even a small desire to push your boundaries when it comes to planning and organizing things, and if you’re passionate about social events and communities, it’s a really great place to be.”