Community Volunteering Award celebrate the exceptional service of UCD students

Posted 20 November, 2024

The outstanding contributions of 90 student volunteers have been recognised at the 2024 UCD in the Community Volunteering Awards.

Presented to those seen to be making a positive change at the University, the awards celebrate those involved in the running of sports clubs, societies, class rep and peer mentorship programmes, as well as activities supporting UCD’s commitment to the wider community.

“My biggest takeaway was self-discovery. Having never left my hometown before, being this introverted person, volunteering pushed me out of my comfort zone-meeting new people, engaging in conversations, and learning to embrace different experiences,” said Balika Kannan, one of several students who spoke about their personal volunteering experiences at a ceremony for the awardees.

_{Awardee Balika Kannan}

“Looking back, I can confidently say that volunteering helped shape a better version of myself. It taught me resilience, adaptability, and the joy of connecting with a community."

“I’m sure every awardee would agree that volunteering is an extremely rewarding  experience and once you see the impact you could have; there’s no going back,” added Kundanika Khanna, another awardee.

Bronze Awardees

“You learn things about yourself that never knew, like your ability to take up a  leadership role. You learn new skills and make new friends, all while giving back  to the community and it leaves a lasting impact.”

The second-year medical student continued, explaining how being part of a busking group during UCD MedSoc’s annual MedDay event had inspired her to use music to engage with other fundraising events, such as organising a karaoke stall for the 24-hr Relay for Life Event.  

“Playing music and seeing people stop, listen and even join in was an incredible way to connect with others and raise funds for an important cause,” she said.

_{Khudanika Khann speaking about her volunteering experience}

For the 2024 Awards, there were three categories available to awardees, Bronze (for 20 hours of volunteering), Silver (40 hours of volunteering) and Gold (60+ hours of volunteering). 

Silver Awards

Gold Awardee Soffiyah Adewoyin said her experience volunteering on campus had helped her develop a “sense of belonging” and given her the confidence to work with organisations outside of UCD such as Kinia and St Vincent De Paul.

“Every volunteering opportunity I signed up for has been a positive experience and I’ve met some of the most incredible people I know through such activities,” she added.

This sentiment was echoed by fellow gold awardee Esra Benfayed, who said she was proud to have helped “make UCD a more inclusive space for all”.

_{Awardees Esra Benfayed and Soffiyah Adewoyin}

Gold Awards

Addressing the ceremony (opens in a new window)Professor Jason Last, UCD Dean of Students, highlighted that student volunteers had helped deliver almost €30m in value to civic society. 

Guest speaker UCD alumna Janice Lau advised students to “find your passion, explore your interests, go out and continue to volunteer your time”, adding volunteering provided people in need with hope and helped them see “what seemed impossible at one point is possible with the help of one person, one coach, one dentist, or one organisation”.

The UCD in the Community Student Volunteering Awards were established in 2020 with the aim of celebrating and recognising student volunteering in the community and in UCD activities, such as clubs, societies, peer mentoring, class representatives and the SU. For more information on the Awards, visit here.

By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Niamh Byrne, UCD in the Community)

To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie