The Evolution of a Volunteer
It all goes back to Mimi Espinal's sister.
While Mimi was still a Cincinnati high school student, her older sister was enrolled at Miami University. "She was a member of Circle K," Mimi recalls, "and when I visited her I would participate in projects." Mimi couldn't help noticing the effect that helping others had on her sister. "The simplest tasks gave her satisfaction," she says.
Back in Cincinnati, Mimi began donating her time to Project Connect, a program that provides services for homeless kids.
It was a highly rewarding experience. According to Mimi, "The most memorable thing is how quickly they bond to you and how, if you miss one day of volunteering, they ask for you. And the next time they see you, it is like they haven't seen you in years."
Choosing a College, Choosing a Life
Soon, it was time to start thinking about college. And thanks in part to her volunteer experiences, Mimi knew what she wanted to study: child psychology. "I have always wanted a job where I could help people," she says. And she'd heard Capital's psychology department had a good reputation.
An art lover herself, Mimi was thrilled to discover Capital's art therapy major. She saw it as a great way to interact with kids and gain their trust. "Art helps to verbalize that which people cannot say," she explains.
For Mimi, Capital's location was a big plus. "As a first-year, I could not imagine myself far from home," she admits. "But as I continued my career at Capital, I gained confidence and independence." Capital has given Mimi the perfect combination of closeness to and distance from home. It's been a great springboard for new ventures.
Friendships with a Purpose
When Mimi learned that Capital had a Circle K program, she signed up immediately. And she quickly discovered one of the greatest things about community service at Capital: the people who do it. "You develop amazing and lasting friendships when you get involved with volunteering at Capital," Mimi says. These students serve together, laugh together and just have fun together. Maybe that's why Mimi has done more volunteering at Capital than she's ever done before in her life.
Another Kind of Vacation
For many college students, spring break is a time to relax and party. But for Mimi and other Capital volunteers, it's a time to serve others and expand their geographic and cultural horizons.
Alternative Spring Break is a yearly event that takes Capital volunteers to other states to help people in need. Working through national organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, these students have done everything from building houses to working in domestic violence shelters.
Two Memorable Trips
This past spring, Mimi and other Capital students served homeless New Yorkers at several Manhattan clothing banks and soup kitchens. They also participated in Hope 2006, an initiative aimed at counting the city's homeless residents in order to serve them better. "We went around interviewing people to determine what their housing status was," explains Mimi. There was little time to go beyond the questions on the questionnaire. There were simply too many people to count.
The previous year's trip to San Francisco had been different. "We got to sit down and talk with people and learn how they became homeless," Mimi says. One man in particular stands out in her mind. "He'd come over here from Asia, leaving his family behind. Since he was homeless, there was no way for his family to contact him. He just kept crying," she remembers sadly.
Serving the Campus Community
Mimi knows the importance of making a difference … and not just in communities hundreds of miles away. During the school year, she serves as a Residence Adviser in Capital's Lohman Complex. "My job is being there to talk to my students if they have problems," she explains, "and to help them make the transition between high school and college."
A Future of Possibilities
For Mimi, community service has become a way of life. Thanks to all her work with Project Connect, the organization has offered her a paid position for the summer. And after graduation? "I'm applying to be in the Peace Corps," she announces. "Anywhere in Latin America would be great. I want to teach English and sharpen my Spanish skills."
Capital has helped Mimi find her path as an active community member and aspiring professional. "I never even knew that there could be so many opportunities to volunteer," she exclaims. Whichever ones she chooses, it's clear Mimi is set to make her mark on the world.