On Nov. 7, the Bellevue College Peer-to-Peer program will be hosting the first session of twice a year “Volunteer Fair,” where an estimated 40-45 different organizations will be in the cafeteria to rally student involvement in community service opportunities, internships, non-profit organizations and the resources in the city of Bellevue.
“We usually do two Volunteer Fairs a year, one in fall quarter, and one is usually about in May. The purpose of the [first] event is to give students an idea of student opportunities and activities on campus after getting settled in their classes,” said Sarah Fisher, the program assistant for Student Programs at BC.
Walking past the cafeteria, students may noticed the volunteers in C-105 and C-106, who adamantly respond to student inquiries, donning pins that read, “Ask Me.”
As stated on the Student Programs page of the BC website, the mission of Peer-to-Peer is to “build relationships among students and their community so that they may learn from each other and find the support needed to truly be successful in college and in life through mutual mentoring while giving back to the campus and local community.”
“On a daily basis, the job of Peer-to-Peer is to build a sense of community on campus. The Volunteer Fair specifically bridges the staff and students of BC to the non-profit organizations and city of Bellevue through involvement and volunteer opportunities,” said Fisher.
Students are encouraged to discover what programs different organizations have to offer to enrich their learning experience at BC.
The event has many opportunities for students to discover service occupations that they would like to pursue in life after college.
“The volunteer event is hosted to get students connected with resources at BC that can get them involved in the Bellevue community,” said Fisher.
During the time in which students spend preparing for college transfer, many must consider the role they play in the larger community when composing an application essay. At the Volunteer Fair, there will be opportunities to establish connections and network with a large variety of Bellevue institutions and organizations.
Peer-to-Peer is dedicated to helping students find activities that would be enjoyable to participate in throughout the academic year.
Spring quarter hosts a similar Volunteer Fair to encourage students to find summer internships and volunteer opportunities.
“This is an opportunity for students if they are looking for experience in a certain profession, they can find organizations from any department of study. If you are a student intending to pursue a health profession, I hope to have organizations that can give a more hands-on application of what you will be learning in class,” said Fisher.
If you are interested in becoming a part of the Peer-to-Peer program or have questions, visit them in C-105. With questions regarding Student Programs and plans for the Volunteer Fair, visit the Peer-to-Peer Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BCPeertoPeer.