Volunteering is a scary word that high school freshman hear the minute they enter through the doors of their high school. Getting involved and volunteering with different clubs and organizations is something that is pushed down our throats for the wrong reasons; “it’s a good thing to put on your resume” or “it’ll look good on a college application” or “join our club: we have free food at every meeting!” Yes, the food is a huge incentive, even in college, but joining a club shouldn’t be about what piece of paper you can put it on. Volunteering should be something you want to do, not something you have to do.

Volunteering is so much more than what people actually think. My senior year of high school, I started volunteering at Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Center (NVTRP), where people with disabilities could come and take horseback riding lessons. In the beginning, I thought that it was going to be a lot of work, but I loved horses, I loved working with people with disabilities, and it looked good on my resume. However, the more often I went, the more I realized how much I loved spending time in the barn. In the summer, the barn is surrounded by green, and sometimes it will be thirty minutes of silence before the next car passes by. The horses are so sweet, and having the responsibility of taking care of them gave me a sense of purpose, even if just for those couple of hours. As far as the riders go, they were inspiring to watch. Seeing them take control of the horse on their own, and how happy they were riding, instantly made me feel happy like I was doing something for someone other than myself. After interning there for three weeks, 5 days a week, for at least 7-8 hours a day, I realized how important it was that I spend time helping others and working hard for a cause other than my own.

Being a volunteer is a lot of work; you have to find something that your passionate about, whether that be animals, people, feminism; whatever the activity, whatever the issue, there is something you can do to make a difference. It can also be scary, putting yourself in a new situation with new people, and it can be scary doing something you’ve never done before, like taking a horse. But, you just need that little boost of courage to get out there and make a difference. There are so many different organizations out there; you need to find the one that fits you the best!

Volunteering honestly changed my whole life. I used to see it as a burden, and something that ultimately benefited me more than it benefitted someone else. After working at NVTRP, I saw that I should always tried to be involved anywhere I live, and never be afraid to go out and seek the organization I want to work with. There is always something that needs help, so never be afraid to go out there and make a difference, even if you think it’s a small difference: I promise you, it’s not.