Community Service

Service can be one of the most gratifying aspects of the college experience, and it plays a big role in the lives of Washington College Students. Whether you prefer working with children, preserving the environment, feeding the hungry, or brightening the lives of the elderly, you will find plenty of opportunities to get involved in the surrounding community.

Why Community Service?

People get involved in community work for a variety of reasons—to explore various social issues, as a class requirement, to gain professional experience, or to experience Chestertown beyond the campus grounds. The connections and relationships that emerge through community work differ based on each individual’s time commitment, interests, and experience.

Questions when seeking community service projects

What are your motivations?
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
What do you have to offer?
What do you hope to achieve?
Are there particular social issues that you would like to address?
Are there particular kinds of people, age groups or communities you would like to work with?
How much do you already know about the issue or constituency?
Is there a need to learn more before acting?
Would you like to continue a past interest or pursue new experiences?
Are you interested in direct work with people, or would you rather do administrative, research, or policy work?
How can you connect your community experiences with your academic and professional goals?
What kind of work would challenge you the most?
How much time do you realistically have?

Where can I volunteer?

Check out the Service Opportunities to see local and national service opportunities. To get invovled on campus, check out Campus Service Groups!

If you have questions please contact Secretary of Service Learning for the SGA Mike Powell, mpowell2@washcoll.edu, or the Director of Student Development Programs Beth Anne Roy, broy2@washcoll.edu.

Service Organizations at Washington College

Best Buddies

Best Buddies is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with mental retardation by providing opportunities for one-on-one friendships and integrated employment. Best Buddies is an international organization. Washington College is proud to be involved with Best Buddies, helping to create friendships that would not have otherwise existed. College students are paired with individuals from the Kent Center. The members participate in monthly group activities, including pizza parties, bowling outings, picnics, game day, and other various one-on-one activities.

President: Best Buddies
Email: jcomotto2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Dr. Rosemary Ford
Email: rford2@washcoll.edu

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity joins together in the local area to build homes for the underprivileged.

President: Billie Ricketts ‘13
Email: bricketts2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Maria Hynson
Email: mhynson2@washcoll.edu

Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA)

Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and Health Science Education Division of ACTE. The mission statement of HOSA is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health science technology education students, therefore, helping students to meet the needs of the health care community.

As the first post-secondary chapter in the state of Maryland, HOSA at Washington College is an organization focused on better preparing students for the graduate and various medical school admissions tests and to provide volunteer services to local health organizations. Our goals are to provide students with study groups, study materials, writing seminars, mock interviews, alumni guest speakers, practice exams, trips to medical schools, volunteering opportunities, connections with people in the health care field, and much more!

President: Eshan Patel
Email: epatel2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Dr. Aaron Amick
Email: aamick2@washcoll.edu

Relay for Life

Students, faculty, and staff team up to raise money for the American Cancer Society each spring. Learn more on their site.

Service Council

The Service Council organizes and hosts events that promote awareness and invovlement in a wide variety of service opportunities.

President: Kelsey Mills
Email: kmills3@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Beth Anne Langrell
Email: blangrell2@washcoll.edu

Student Environmental Alliance

The Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) is the primary environmental club on campus. SEA works closely with the Center for Environment and Society to plan large campus and community wide events revolving around environmental issues. The main objective of SEA is to raise campus awareness of the environment.

Co-President: Amanda Anastasia
Email: aanastasia2@washcoll.edu
Co-President: Kathy Thornton
Email: kthornton2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Shane Brill ‘03
Email: sbrill2@washcoll.edu

Students Helping Honduras

Students Helping Honduras, aka S.H.H. Our chapter is one of many that make up the non-profit organization. Our mission is to build a movement of young leaders in order to empower orphaned and vulnerable children in Honduras by running service trips to Honduras throughout the year including over winter and spring break.

President: Laura Kennedy
Email: lkennedy2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Dr. Christine Wade
Email: cwade2@washcoll.edu

Students in Free Enterprise

WC Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is a student–run organization that creates projects incorporating different aspects of business involving students, faculty, and the community. WC SIFE provides leadership training, regional competitions and career fairs for thousands of college students throughout 33 countries. Working together we “Take Pride” in being not only a group of college students, but a group of people that reach out to the local communities, schools, and other organizations to teach and promote a better well being! “A head for business. A heart for the world.”

President: Dominic DiMarino
Email: ddimarino2@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Professor Susan Vowels Email: svowels2@washcoll.edu

Students for Social Awareness (Sociology Club)

Students for Social Awareness is an active club on campus that promotes the awareness of a number of social issues that influence our society as well as our communities. Some of these social issues include: gender, age, and race which, stem to homelessness, poverty, and hunger. The club sponsors an array of different events throughout the year that contribute to the community, whether it is collecting Halloween costumes in October, collecting mittens in December, a Canned Food Drive in November and April or various other events pertaining to student involvement in the greater community.

President: Erica Riley Email: eriley3@washcoll.edu

Advisor: Dr. Erin Anderson
Email: eanderson3@washcoll.edu

Campus Life