Last Monday I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 Student Campaign Kickoff event, where I had the honor of meeting Mr. Red McCombs. He talked to us about the importance of giving back to our community and taking pride in being part of our class and the University. What struck me the most was when someone asked him what he expected of the university when he made his donation and he answered that he wanted students to have access to the best education and be able to go work anywhere they wanted upon graduation.

 

I am one of the many students who are benefiting from Mr. McCombs’ donation. I truly believe I am getting the best education, and this has already helped me get the job I wanted. Everyone in this school, in some way or another, is enjoying the benefits of Mr. McCombs’ gift (or as he refers to it, investment). And probably, he had no idea of how many lives he would help transform.

 

That got me thinking about the impact each of us can make on our community. We can give back not only through economic donations, but also with our time. As Mr. McCombs said on Monday, time is our most valuable resource.

 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join the McCombs Diversity Council (MCD), and many other UT students in Project 2010. During a Saturday morning, we went to a park and cleaned it up (doing everything from picking up garbage to building and painting fences). At the end, there was a ceremony where some people from the community talked about the impact we were making there because this was not the first year that UT students have volunteered there. Many kids from an adjacent school are now enjoying a safer and more appealing park.

 

My point is that there are so many opportunities for us to give back to our community. I strongly encourage you to find a cause or a project you like and volunteer. UT has many student groups and many more projects for which we can volunteer. All we need is to be willing to do something for our community.