Late last week, the Darden Student Association (DSA) hosted the very first Darden Day of Service, kicking off the start of school with a day dedicated to service to the community. More than 120 volunteers spent the morning at eight service sites, then participated in a celebratory community lunch on Flagler Court — complete with a band performance!
Second Year student Chloe Stegeman was a key event organizer, and currently serves as the vice president of outreach for the Darden Student Association (DSA). Chloe shared a few thoughts about why a Day of Service was important — check out her recap below!
Students partnered with organizations such as Arc of the Piedmont, Ronald McDonald House, Emergency Food Network, Bellair Farms, Agnor-Hurt Elementary School, Camp Holiday Trails, Boys and Girls Club, and Habitat for Humanity to help with various service activities, including washing service vehicles, collecting food donations, and assisting with farm clean-up. Morning service activities culminated in a community lunch on Flagler Court, co-sponsored by UVA Honor, where participants had the opportunity to share and reflect on their experiences from the day with fellow students.
As a member of the DSA Outreach committee last year, I observed that many students had a desire to participate in service activities. The Darden Day of Service event was created with much collaboration and input from the Executive Outreach Committee, the DSA Board, the Office of Student Affairs and other program directors across UVA, as a way to lessen some of the perceived barriers that make it challenging for students to serve; additionally, the event served as an opportunity to grow ties within the Darden community, as volunteers were assigned to service sites to promote connectivity between First Years and Second Years and across sections.
It’s hard to put into words all that this day has meant to me. I believe that when we serve well, we capture the opportunity to grow in empathy and kindness, as our knowledge of life outside of our own worldview expands — I am immensely proud of how our volunteers served in Charlottesville last Friday, and it has been incredibly moving to hear stories from students about their experiences connecting with each other and our partner organizations.
From the DSA Executive Vice President Rachel Southall:
“My team had such a great time connecting and speaking with the Charlottesville community to collect food for the Emergency Food Network. I was struck by how open and inviting people were and how generous both the donors and fellow volunteers were throughout the day. I am encouraged to connect with the larger Charlottesville community while I am here at Darden!”
The day may be over, but a new precedent has been set for how service can be integrated into the MBA experience at Darden, and how Darden can better integrate with the UVA and Charlottesville communities. My hope is that the experiences from the event will send ripples, as students consider future opportunities to get involved in service around UVA, Charlottesville and at Darden.
–Chloe Stegeman, MBA Class of 2020; Vice President of Outreach, Darden Student Association (DSA)
