Dec. 15, 2015
When thinking about volunteering, it’s normally about giving your time and energy to a good cause for free, whether it’s a personal or professional cause.
In return, you get to use your talents, develop new skills and experience the pleasure that comes from making a difference in other people's lives. During the course of my life I have been honored to volunteer and serve on numerous committees, but one of my most rewarding volunteer positions has been through the ASRT Foundation.
The Foundation has many wonderful opportunities for ASRT members to get involved. I remember back in 2007, when I saw an advertisement for the International Speakers Exchange Award program on the Foundation website. I thought about it and figured I had nothing to lose and a lot to gain, so I applied.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my application would be chosen. In 2008, I spoke at the World Congress in Durban, South Africa, representing ASRT. When I returned from that amazing conference, I felt more compelled than ever to give back but wasn’t sure what I could do.
Less than a year later, I was volunteering for the ASRT Foundation Scholarship Review Committee, which conducts blind reviews of hundreds of applications for various scholarships offered through the Foundation because of the support of its donors. I started as a committee member in 2009 and became vice chairman of the committee in 2014. I am currently serving as chairman of the committee for the academic year. I am honored to take on this responsibility and to continue the great work this committee does. The work this volunteer position takes is time consuming, as each section of every application has to be reviewed thoroughly and evaluated, but it is worth every minute.
This position provided the perfect opportunity for me to give back to something that matters to me. Scholarships have a special place in my heart because I don’t think I would be where I am today if not for a scholarship that enabled me to go to radiology school.
Volunteering has been a very rewarding experience for me. Knowing that I am helping people advance in the profession and change their lives means the world to me. It also has given me the opportunity to work with other ASRT members who live all over the United States. We are all R.T.s, but we come from different backgrounds, which allow us to learn from each other and to establish personal and professional friendships.
I am often asked if it is easy to fit volunteering into a busy life. No, it’s not. Being a part of the scholarship review committee requires a lot of reading and reviewing, but it’s unbelievable how this work changes people’s lives. Many of the recipients never would have had the opportunity to advance in the profession if it weren't for the Foundation and its supporters. Scholarships change people’s lives. I am living proof.
I volunteer and donate to the Foundation because I know it makes a difference. You can be a part of changing people’s lives too, by becoming a committee volunteer or donating money to support the Foundation’s meaningful programs. It’s important that you give back to your professional community at whatever level is meaningful to you.