Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

UL recognises volunteering among its students by promoting President’s Volunteer Award (PVA). It’s a unique higher education volunteer award wherein the President of the University formally recognise students for their volunteering work.

UL further includes PVA in the student transcript to boost its glamour. All you have to do is login to www.studentvolunteer.ie, choose your area of interest and find some time for the events. By participating in these Volunteering events, I gained a deeper understanding of UL’s commitment in student engagement, community support and promotion of sustainable environment. By being a UL Global Student Ambassador, I was able to promote cultural integration in the campus organising various festivals and promoting participation from UL students who have come from different parts of the world. I believe this has improved my time management skills and problem-solving abilities. I have also volunteered at open days and outreach programs which helped me to connect with prospective students and the local community. The best thing about the volunteering opportunities in UL is that everything goes hand in hand with the academics. It was a great learning experience as UL promotes a stressless learning and skill development for its students to bridge the gap between academia and the community. I learned how interdisciplinary collaboration in UL can enhance the learning experience and developed a stronger sense of empathy and cultural awareness. 

When I first started my Postgraduate degree in UL and heard about the volunteering opportunities, I was very impressed with it. I believe in the importance of education and personal development through meaningful initiatives that make a difference. I saw volunteering as an opportunity to develop new skills like teamwork, communication and event management. The best part is that UL has a vast volunteering opportunity, and it is the only University in Ireland to mention the PVA in the transcript. I chose UL because of its strong commitment to inclusivity, innovation and community engagement. I saw that by choosing UL I could be part of impactful initiatives to connect my academic knowledge with real world applications. Moreover, Limerick is a calm city to live in.

UL Global always organises great events, celebrates the important festivals of most countries to make all the international students feel at home. My favourite events were the Diwali celebration and the Lunar year celebration in the Globe. Both the events had a huge number of participants and UL Global organised a small meal native to the culture they depicted to make them much more attractive. These initiatives are something to look forward to amid the sea of academics.

I am part of many volunteering activities like creating content for UL Global, Rooftop Gardening, Kemmy Business School representative on Panel discussion at Postgraduate open day, PIP foundations’ outreach programme in Dublin, Run in the Dark marathon, Dignity and Respect Ambassador programme, etc. I have assisted in organising and facilitating the events which included managing the registration and supporting presentations during sessions, promoting events through social media, creating content to engage participants, gardening at the rooftop, distributing provisions to homeless people in Dublin, engaging with prospective students and parents at UL open day.

As part of the Dignity and Respect Ambassador, I volunteered at the Human rights, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion office of UL during the launch of its action plan. It was a significant milestone for UL, and I have contributed ideas for making the events more engaging. As a Student Global Ambassador, I have made use of social media for event promotions, to increase attendance and interactions in the events.

My volunteering experience has greatly helped me to create meaningful connections. I see it as a tool for personal growth and community building. Volunteering experience has showed me how small contributions can collectively make a big difference whether it’s through supporting individuals or helping an organisation achieve its goals. I gained great satisfaction and happiness in being able to work behind the scenes in organising events. The whole experience has made me more empathetic and aware of the challenges of people, motivating me to give more back to the society. 

During PIP foundation’s “Shine a light in aid of the Homeless” activity in Dublin, a bunch of us have distributed the provisions and warm food to homeless people in Dublin before the Christmas week. This was the best volunteering experience I have had in UL. It was so satisfying and wholesome. And I believe it was all possible because of the teamwork. There were many challenges like the weather itself. It was so cold that night but none of us lost the spirit to do the good thing and that kind of kept us warm. I guess if people put their mind into anything, things can be done smoothly. 

My volunteering experience in the UL has not only improved my communication skills but also made me more confident about myself. I used to be a little bit scared of striking conversations with people that I have just met. But nowadays I feel comfortable in meeting new people and sharing ideas with them. I had to communicate with a wide range of people, including my fellow volunteers, event organisers, coordinators and many local Irish people. It felt good to converse with them about the cultural differences and learn about new things. During the Open day Panel discussion, I was able to actively listen and clear the doubts of many parents and prospective students. I became more confident in public speaking, and I learned to adapt my communication style based on the audience.