Moneeza Sami, a recent graduate of the University of Windsor business program, was looking for opportunities to get involved in the community and gain relevant skills and experiences related to her specialization in marketing. In her second year of study, she enrolled in VIP-Community Service Learning (VIP-CSL), an experiential learning program designed to help students simultaneously gain work experience, volunteer in the community, and improve their career-related knowledge.

“When I heard VIP had arranged for students to do volunteer placements, I knew it was my chance to get involved in my community. I was also looking for additional experience to put on my resumé, as I was about to enter the co-op job competition that year,” says Sami.

Sami completed the program three times over three semesters and was matched with Pozitive Pathways Community Services, Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex, and Arts Council Windsor and Region as an outreach and marketing assistant, a role that led to paid employment after she completed the program.

In her role at the arts council, she supported marketing initiatives including social media, donor outreach, volunteer engagement, community events, and fundraising, giving her the opportunity to apply concepts and theories from the classroom to real life settings.

When the organization received a grant to help with fundraising, Sami’s volunteer placement had just concluded, and she was offered a part-time job due to her experience and connections with the organization.

“When the ACWR received a grant to hire someone, they offered me the position of fundraising and marketing specialist in my final semester of university,” says Sami. “The transition to my first job out of school was very smooth because I had already developed a great working relationship with the team and was familiar with the organization through my experience in the VIP program.”

Pursuing volunteer experiences through the VIP-CSL program proved to be a vital investment in Sami’s future, helping her to develop professionally in areas related to her degree, explore her interests, and make connections that helped her secure employment after graduation. By the end of her degree, she had accumulated more than 120 volunteer hours and earned a notation of completion on her academic transcript.

“I got the most value out of the VIP-CSL program by viewing it as an investment in my future,” says Sami. “The program had a tremendous impact on my professional development, helping me to perfect my resume, cover letter, and interview skills, and gain skills relevant to my degree. I was able to learn about my own career aspirations and explore my interest in the non-profit sector in a meaningful way.”

Sami also describes how her volunteer experience instilled a deeper connection with the community and helped reignite her passion for the arts.

“Volunteering at the arts council made me fall back in love with the arts and helped me learn that it is a great way to bring people together through self-expression and storytelling,” she says. “Volunteering also made me feel connected to Windsor in a new way. I feel encouraged to be creative again and am a lot more open to trying new things even if I’m not an expert at it.”

VIP-CSL is an experiential learning program through the office of Career Development and Experiential Learning. Students who participate in the program engage in career development and reflection activities to improve their career-readiness skills, explore potential career paths, and engage in the community through partnerships with local non-profit organizations.

The program is accepting applications until July 15 for the Fall 2024 semester. For more information, visit www.uwindsor.ca/vip.