By Alena West

Ms. West is the Chapter Secretary for West Campus High School’s Key Club, and serves as the Division Historian for Key Club’s D07N.

I’ll admit it, I started volunteering because of college applications. Like a lot of students, I knew volunteer hours looked good. And I wanted to be a competitive applicant. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. I found myself showing up not just to collect hours, but because I actually cared. I’m a sophomore with over 200 volunteer hours, and that number only matters to me now because of what it represents, not what it looks like on college applications or to my peers. But for me, it’s the people I’ve fed, the people I’ve talked to, and the ones I have really connected with. Through all of this, I’ve seen firsthand how my efforts influence those around me.

While this is true for many others, I still have noticed a pattern in my school and in the much larger community of student volunteers.

Many students volunteer for the requirement, not the impact. Some do the bare minimum, choosing organizations that already have plenty of help and seem the “safest”. Sometimes those same students stretch, exaggerate, or overstate their involvement when it comes time to fill out forms or write about “their service” on applications. They talk about the new deep connection they have made with their community. Yes, for many people this is true, I have seen such connections, but the problem isn’t their essays; it’s the motivation behind the service.

“Students commonly volunteer to help communities they genuinely feel a strong passion for, Animal Shelters are an example. However I do notice students primarily volunteer for larger events such as marathons for the provided food or free swag—which is still okay because we need all the volunteers we can get, just may be beneficial to other organizations if they also had some volunteers!”
– A Key Club Officer

Volunteer culture today is very tied to pressure. Pressure to build a college resume, to meet scholarship requirements, or to keep up with what “everyone else” is doing. That doesn’t automatically make students bad people or bad volunteers, but it does raise an important question:

Are we volunteering for impact, or for the image of impact?

I’ve come to believe that service shouldn’t just be about showing up. It should be about showing up where it actually matters. Some organizations are consistently flooded with student volunteers. Others, especially those serving the unhoused, domestic violence survivors, immigrants, or under resourced communities struggle to find enough people. Yet those are the places where students often hesitate to volunteer, because the work is harder, more emotional, or less “aesthetic.”

And even if students are helping, the impact made isn’t always as significant  as the time logged may suggest.

“I think more students should volunteer with the purpose of giving back to their communities. Coming from my experience, helping out others always brought back something positive in return whether that’s providing a sense of purpose, communicating with others, or even just feeling like a happier person overall. So why not put a little effort to making a big impact.”
– Service Project Lead

But here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough. Even if someone starts volunteering only for college, it can still lead to real change, not only in the community but in themselves. Wanting to help the community and wanting to benefit personally are not mutually exclusive. What matters is what you do once you’re there.

Personally, I’ve grown. I’ve learned how to communicate with strangers, how to lead events, how to solve problems when things fall apart last minute, and how to work with people from all backgrounds. And I’ve helped my community in ways that go far beyond Key Club.I don’t claim to be perfect, but I do contribute to a lasting impact in my community. While this is true for myself, I have seen it be true for many others as well, primarily throughout the Key Club organization. Yes, it’s always true that there’s people doing extracurriculars for  college applications but that doesn’t mean we should overlook the majority doing it with the care in their hearts. 

“Many volunteers have flourished since the beginning of their community service involvement. As someone who oversees many events and meets various volunteers, yes you can tell why they are doing it. Whether it’s because they need hours to make their applications appear better or if it’s because they have a genuine desire to help others. Some people have it in them and it truly shows that with the right motivation, anyone can make the kind of impact that stays with people. Overall, the reason behind why someone volunteers is what makes the difference, not how many hours but the quality of their work.”
– Key Club Officer

“As Lieutenant Governor of Key Club, I undoubtedly have seen members go out their way to serve the community. With school and other extracurricular activities, many members still set aside time to serve the community. Many people genuinely love serving their community because of the feeling of accomplishment and impact. Many also host their own service projects because of something they want to change in their community. For example, one club hosted a campus clean up because they want to leave their school with a lasting legacy and overall impact the students on campus.” – A  Key Club Lieutenant Governor 

So maybe the real problem isn’t that students want volunteer hours, but when we treat the number like the goal instead of the result of genuine service.

Imagine if the narrative shifted.

If students sought out organizations that truly need support, rather than just the most convenient ones, and chose volunteer experiences that help them grow instead of those that offer quick sign-offs, our community could benefit in meaningful ways.

If we talked about contribution, not just in units of minutes or hours. 

At the end of the day, hours don’t measure care. Actions and the lasting impact it leaves on the communities does.  And if we’re going to claim so many hours, we should make sure the community is truly seeing the change. Not just for the sake of improving our reputations.

We forget that service is supposed to be a relationship, not a requirement. It’s showing up, not just checking off. It’s learning the names of the people you’re helping, understanding the issues your community faces, and choosing to be a volunteer even when no one is tracking your time.

The most meaningful service doesn’t always fit neatly on a resume. Sometimes it’s the unglamorous work like stacking chairs after an event, cleaning up a park when no one else wanted to, staying late because someone actually needed you. Those are the moments that build character.

And if more students approached volunteering with that mindset, with the focus to actually make an impact, the culture around service could shift. We’d stop competing over who has the highest total and start celebrating who’s doing the most meaningful work. We’d choose depth over convenience, curiosity over comfort, people over points.

Maybe then volunteering would be less about impressing someone on an admissions committee and more about discovering who we are, who we want to be, and how we want the world to see us.