Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Sunday, December 22, 2024 — Houston, TX

Sophia Peng


OPINION 9/13/22 11:07pm

Start your service on the ground

Rice undergrads often treat "community service" as a box to tick for graduate school applications or a story to impress interviewers. It is easy to conduct our service within the Rice bubble – researching and designing solutions without venturing beyond the hedges to the community members we are trying to help. However, to truly make an impact, students need to identify community needs and find service opportunities that act with, and not on, the community. As we enter the school year and begin scouting volunteer opportunities, we want to share an experience that taught us the value of grassroots involvement.