Discerning Your Options
Thinking of ways that service can be part of your life after you graduate? You’ve got options! Feel free to contact Community Service and Action for a conversation about the many ways you can serve. We have great resources to aid your search. Plus, all of our staff have done full-time service and are glad to share our own stories.
Where Do I Start?
Begin your discernment of post-graduate volunteer opportunities by thinking about the following questions:
- Why do I want to volunteer after I graduate? What motivates me?
- Where do I want to volunteer?
- What kind of community would I want to join through a service commitment?
- What skills could I offer, and what skills would I hope to develop?
- Do I want to live in community or on my own?
- What support will I need to be successful?
- What financial considerations do I need to be aware of? (Visit Loyola's Financial Wellness page!)
- What other obstacles do I need to manage for this to be an option?
What Programs Exist?
Post-grad volunteer programs abound! And many Loyola alumni/a can share with you their very positive experiences with various volunteer programs. There are a few resources to help you explore post-grad volunteer programs:
- Every fall, we offer a post-graduate volunteer fair where you can meet representatives from different programs.
- Our office carries many materials from different programs for you to browse. Two web resources we recommend are:
Catholic Volunteer Network RESPONSE Directory
AmeriCorps - Want to have a representative come to talk from a particular program? Contact us.
- CSA staff regularly meets one-on-one with students thinking about service opportunities. Contact us to set up an appointment, no matter if you just want to know more or are ready to start applying!
- Learn about benefits, like those offered from AmeriCorps. For example, check out the Schools of National Service that provide various financial and other benefits to AmeriCorps Alumni.