Volunteer of the Month- September 2017

Yuchen joined ISC’s Volunteer Program in the summer of 2013 and was quick to engage in different activities.

At first, she was an interpreter assisting newcomers who faced language barriers. Soon after, she started assisting ISC’s Seniors’ Program with various activities and workshops designed to improve participants’ English language and computer abilities. Yuchen completed over 40 volunteer hours in 2017, which added to a total exceeding 200 hours so far. This is her story.

“I grew up in a small town in northern China. After completing my high school education in China, I went on to pursue my first Bachelor Degree in Economics in the United States. Then, at the end of 2012, I moved to Canada with my family. I have always been interested in psychology and knowing how human mind works, so I completed a second Bachelor Degree at the University of Calgary, this time in Psychology.

I am a shy and introverted person. Moving to a new country and city without any friends was really difficult for me. I didn’t really talk to anyone in my class. I did not know how to make friends, since I did not know anyone in Calgary when I had just moved here. Then, one of the settlement counselors at ISC referred me to their Volunteer Program. She said "Why not try to volunteer here? Maybe you’ll meet some people". This is how I started volunteering at ISC.

At that time, I couldn’t have imagined how big a difference this volunteering experience would make in my life and how it would change my personality. I started talking to people, learnt how to communicate with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds. I became more outgoing and stressed less about me being a new comer. I first volunteered as interpreter, then I started to help the Seniors’ Program. Through my four years of volunteering with ISC, I grew so much as a person. My volunteering experience at ISC helped me to discover what I really want to do and enjoy doing: help others who are the same as I am, or simply need help.

Later, I started volunteering at other non-profit organizations to help more people. Now that I have graduated, I would like to contribute more to the community. I am really lucky to be able to become part of the team and community. I feel like I gained more than I gave.  

No matter what my career will be in the future, my experience as an ISC volunteer will always inspire and encourage me to be a better person, always ready to help others.”

Thank you for being a part of our team Yuchen and for your tireless support so far. Congratulations!