Many students go into college using biology as a jumping-off point for medical school, expecting the social learning aspects regarding bedside manner to occur sometime then rather than perhaps in a Sociology 101 lecture or through personal experience. Others use biology to find their specialty in an animal or plant-related field, expecting to shut themselves away in a lab for the majority of their career.

Allowing students to have these expectations does them a disservice. Instead, we should be providing them with experiences that would better serve them to create a foundation of knowledge in regards to how to treat the people their work impacts, and how to do so in a way that creates positive interpersonal skills and connection(s).

Giving college students majoring in Biology the option/opportunity to involve themselves in nonprofit work and community service allows them to picture themselves in such work long-term, and garner interest in related industries as career potential.

For most people both in and out of higher education, their first volunteer experiences with nonprofit organizations came either out of an incentive to do so or a requirement from their employer, extracurricular activities, or school. The disingenuousness of mandatory volunteerism can result in those who come out of these experiences viewing volunteering their time as a chore rather than a passion or heartwarming experience.

Giving college students majoring in Biology the option/opportunity to involve themselves in nonprofit work and community service allows them to picture themselves in such work long-term, and garner interest in related industries as career potential. This is in addition to working on soft skills such as communication, respect, empathetic listening, analytical thinking, and confidence; all very necessary and poignant skills that can be interpolated in any career but can be especially useful in a science-related field.

As a woman in STEM, my involvement in nonprofit work as part of my fellowship allows me to empathize more clearly and closely with the people my work in science will impact.

With my experience at Can Play, I have experienced more meaningful and impactful work than the required volunteer experiences I’d had in the past. My first instance of experiencing Can Play’s mission in action was at the youth baseball exhibition games during the Game For Good charity fundraising event that occurred during my very first week of the fellowship. Seeing underprivileged and differently-abled children really enjoying the opportunity to get physically active and competitive really illuminated the communities, purpose, and values behind Can Play’s missions.

In addition to being more involved in the day-to-day programming offered around the Des Moines metropolitan area, as well as doing any support work needed outside my main projects, I have felt so incredibly privileged to be part of such a huge impact on the youth in my community who grew up just like I did. As a woman in STEM, my involvement in nonprofit work as part of my fellowship allows me to empathize more clearly and closely with the people my work in science will impact.