Community Service in Graduate School

During my undergraduate years, I was a youth soccer coach. I became involved in coaching, oddly enough, in the same way that a lot of us ended up in graduate school: someone we were mentored by suggested we should do it. One of my childhood coaches asked if I could fill an empty coaching spot for a group of 13-year-old boys. Why not?

I spent a few months schlepping around rural East Tennessee with a gaggle of teenage boys at my heels. They were a great group of kids, and I enjoyed coaching so much that I coached again and again. Coaching youth sports became one of my most cherished activities. I learned how to instruct and communicate, how to be fair and measured in my critiques, and how to encourage their good efforts, to be patient, and to focus on what I could control. I also learned how to extend a little bit of grace to my players. I genuinely enjoyed working with the children I coached—even as I came to dread talking to their parents.

Strangely, the kids learned from me. They learned how to be on a team, how to win and lose graciously, how to pick up after themselves, and, occasionally, they learned how to play soccer. The thing is, you really never know how you’ve impacted someone unless they tell you. Several players told me I was the best coach they ever had. Others would chase me down while at the store or movie theaters to say hello and even hug me, even years after I’d last seen them. So, I had a positive impact on at least some of those kids.

When I moved to a new state for graduate school, I researched how to get involved as a youth sports coach in my new town. Ultimately, I decided I didn’t have time to coach. I realized that what I really enjoyed was less coaching and more working with kids. I found an alternative non-profit focused on children: Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children or CASA. CASAs work with children in the child welfare system. I applied to take the training course, and after all the background checks and interviews, I was sworn in.

I got my first case a couple of months later and have since worked with nine children. Every single case has required me to learn how to communicate a little differently and research intricate, niche topics outside my experience. I’ve had to write documents for judges to read and testify in court. And, just like coaching, the kids are great. They’re funny, intelligent, kind, and generous. Additionally, through my local CASA organization, I’ve had the opportunity to develop professional skills. I’m a member of our fundraising committee and have helped plan and execute months-long projects. I’ve had to sing karaoke for this organization, but otherwise, I’ve developed valuable skills for being successful professionally and personally.

Of course, it would be a mistake to talk about volunteering with children in state care without talking about how broken the United States (and Canadian) Child Welfare system is and how this system’s flaws are an extension of racism, genocide, and settler colonialism. For example, children who are American Indian or Alaskan Native (AI/AN) are disproportionately represented in state care nationwide. In Minnesota, for instance, AI/AN children make up 1.7% of children, but more than 1 in 4 children in foster care are AI/AN. Clearly, something is amiss. We need systematic policy changes along with actual changes in the culture of the Child Welfare System (if not a complete abolishment or upENDing of our child welfare system). In the interim, children need someone to advocate for them and treat them as individuals—often, that means helping them go home to their families of origin. And being a CASA has taught me a lot about my own biases. I’ve had to take cultural education classes. I’ve met families and people I may never have known if not for CASA. The upshot is that there’s a difference between knowing the child welfare system is harmful and understanding how it (and you) can harm.

I know having the time, capacity, and resources to volunteer is also an indication of privilege, so I think it would be wrong to call on you to volunteer. But if you do want to volunteer, here’s some advice for getting connected to an organization. Finding somewhere to volunteer is probably the hardest part of volunteering because there are so many options. First, decide what type of volunteer work you want to do and what cause you want to dedicate time to. Some organizations will expect some physical labor or require you to undertake some training, so you’ll need to set parameters for what you’re able and willing to do. There are also a ton of causes you can spend time on—children, animals, the environment, criminal justice reform, education access, the unhoused and housing, specific policy reforms, etc. You’ll need to decide which causes to get involved in. Beyond this, you’ll need to choose a good organization that matches your values. Most often, local organizations, including local branches of national organizations, are good options. Charity Navigator and Charity Watch are good for checking on charities’ transparency and how they spend their resources, and Volunteer Match and Great Non-Profits can help connect you to local charities. Once you’ve chosen your organization, just reach out. Almost every organization has information packets for potential volunteers and people to talk to about what it’s like to work with the group, including the time commitments and psychological, emotional, and physical impacts of volunteering.

For anyone interested in volunteering, there are two major obstacles: time and skill. Balancing my obligations as a CASA and graduate student can sometimes be demanding. So, I tend to keep a close eye on how much time I’m spending on my various obligations. I try to spend no more than 5-10 hours per month of my volunteer work, including travel. There are non-negotiable aspects of my volunteer work, such as meeting with the children I’m working with once per month and keeping up with my training; these are things I work into my schedule. The great thing about volunteering is you can always find more flexible commitments or decrease the amount of time and cognitive resources you devote to it. For instance, in the Fall, when I’m coaching Ethics Bowl, my CASA organization knows I’m less available. If a conflict arises between my various obligations, I usually prioritize my on-campus obligations. Sometimes, I do prioritize my CASA work, but this is rare, and only after discussing it with my supervisors. But, again, I’m in a highly structured volunteer role. You can choose your volunteer role and how much time you volunteer. And you should feel free to scale down your volunteer work when you need to. Volunteering should benefit you, too, and if your ability to make decent progress in your program or take advantage of another opportunity is at stake or your well-being is on the line, then you should prioritize those other things over volunteering.

Ultimately, I think volunteering in my community has kept me sane and grounded. Giving some of my time to others in my community has been worth doing. By community, I mean getting out beyond my department—they already get enough of me. I’ve grown a lot socially and emotionally. I’ve met amazing people. I’ve developed professional skills beyond what graduate training has given me. I’ve come to better understand the system and society I live in and how I can make local and global impacts. I’ve come to feel like I belong in this community. I’m unsure if I’ve helped anyone, and that’s tough to confront. Still, if you ever get the opportunity to volunteer, you should take it.

Layla Williams

Layla Williams is a PhD candidate at the University of Oklahoma. She primarily works on social epistemology issues like conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs. She is also a Developing Understanding and Engagement Together (DUET) Student Fellow, collaborating with faculty at the University of Oklahoma to develop student-centered classrooms, syllabi, and assessments.