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How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Volunteering. Why not get a job where you can make actual $$$? This is where I will tell you that you will earn valuable experience that could shape your future. Yawn... no, wait, listen for a second. Experience helps determine what you want to do (or not) in life and helps you wake up to the future. All it costs is just a little time, some bus fare, or gas money. In the end, you've gained a whole lot of something.

I was in my second to last year of high school when Linda (a friend) and I heard about a volunteer program that the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, QC was holding in the summer. My sister had worked in one of the offices the summer before and loved it. She is now a Manager at American Express Inc. and always held really awesome jobs. Well, I always loved children (I had never grown up myself) and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to better my odds of being accepted in a Child Care Program in Cegep. I was accepted and volunteered three times a week. I was assigned to the toddler room (3-5 years).

Initially, being forced to hear Raffi and other kiddy tunes was a bit of a killer, but I really enjoyed interacting with the kids. It was nice to see all the different varieties and personalities blend in one room with fun galore. Kids see through a whole different perspective and more than once, they taught me something about life. I met people who had chosen this career and enjoyed success and their work which was fulfilling to them. They were fair and considerate of the children, never giving one child favor over the other. Best of all, they allowed me to be involved, to go on school trips and to help out. I still have pictures that the kids drew for me even though it was quite some time ago.

Even though I am in a totally different field than the one that I thought I would be in, volunteering taught me to learn from others, give unselfishly of my time and energy and be open to new experiences. I became more responsible and ready for my time ahead in the work world and now look back on volunteering as being the key to opening many doors, professionally and personally.