Sarah Walsh - Blog Post 2

I think the best possible way to build a resume while in college is to become involved with campus activities. Not only is it impressive to be able to list your membership in community service or career-prep organizations. it's a great way to make contacts -- both professional and otherwise -- who can back you up as personal references when you apply for jobs later in life. I was too lazy to attend a career fair during freshman welcome week, so any commentary I might offer on "resources" is pretty spartan -- however, I do really appreciate the events that many campus organizations sponsor to draw potential new members. Even setting up outside the Student Center and offering free popsicles like the Women's Center employees did could be considered providing a resource to new students. Especially as a freshman who might not otherwise seek them out, I like that so many campus organizations go out of their way to be accessible and in the public eye.

In my first few weeks here at Mizzou, I've already joined the Little Sisters of the Golden Rose, a mini-sorority with a community-service focus, and written several articles for The Maneater. While I'm still pretty early in my career in both of these organizations, I hope to continue my membership and gain skills, contacts and impressive titles to stick on my resume after graduation. In high school, I participated in an animal-assisted therapy group with my dog, Teddy, and volunteered with a number of programs in the Kearney, NE community -- Summer Reading at the Kearney Public Library, Wild n' Woolly Lamb Camp with Buffalo County 4-H, and (along with the other members of my FCCLA club) a daycare program for autistic children at the Kearney-area Children's Museum. Because I'm fairly young for my schooling level, it's been hard to me to obtain gainful or career-building employment; however, I think that my history of volunteering speaks for itself and might even be more persuasive than job history as I enter the world of professional journalism. I didn't even have to get paid to do all the awesome stuff I did! Hooray!

I'm not sure what else I hope to do as my college career continues, though I will do my best to keep an ear out for interesting opportunities on campus. There are just so many ~*~possibilities~*~!