Apr 19, 2021
Our VOLT volunteers go above and beyond every day. As part of National Volunteer Week from April 18-24, we are sharing seven stories that highlight the accomplishments of our VOLT students and alumni. This year's theme is The Value of One, The Power of Many and we sat down with a few our of alumni who volunteered during their time at Langara to ask them what this year's theme means to them.
Meet Kyle Lucas. Kyle is a writer, carpenter, entrepreneur, Langaran, and proud volunteer. He began his journey as a volunteer when he joined Langara’s VOLT program in 2012. “I was nervous as I hadn’t volunteered much at this point in time,” says Kyle. “But I agreed because I thought it would good idea to give back to my community.” Without fully knowing what he had signed up for, Kyle was about to find one of his passions.
During his time in the VOLT program, Kyle had the opportunity to volunteer for New Student Orientation and feeling like he found himself at home at Langara. Volunteering made him feel like part of a community and since then, he can’t imagine himself without that experience.
As he continued to volunteer throughout the years, he found that one of his favourite parts about volunteering is meeting people. Kyle explains, “there is a positivity I found in almost every volunteering opportunity, where the more grateful and accepting I was to the experience, the more people were accepting and welcoming to me. I love that feeling.” He also touched on the importance of volunteering, “I think a lot of people would say something like "Volunteering builds character," and they are not wrong. I certainly changed because I started volunteering. But I think what made it most important to me is that it helped me grow from being a quiet introvert into someone that didn't freeze up the second I had to speak publicly or meet new people. I changed and became something I was surprised to find in myself: Confident.”
As Kyle continues to find opportunities to volunteer, he would like to encourage others to do the same not only during school but also as an alum. His advice is to start small. Find ten minutes a day to put towards something outside your world. You’ll be happy you did!
This year’s National Volunteer Week theme is the value of one, the power of many. We asked Kyle what it meant to him. He responded, “I think it's as simple as saying that without the support of those around you, and without learning to give yourself to them, you will always feel alone. The more you push yourself to get outside of what makes you comfortable, to see beyond what limits you set up for yourself, the stronger you will become. I found that the more I pushed myself to give, the more I felt I had to give.”