Universities are filled to the brim with passionate students ready and eager to be agents of positive change in their communities both on and off campus, and NC State is no exception.
A program made to provide students with the means to be agents of that change, VOLAR, was founded by Shelley Garrigan and James McConnell of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. VOLAR partners willing and able student volunteers with organizations that address the needs of underserved Latino communities in Raleigh. VOLAR stands for Voluntarios Ahora en Raleigh, “Volunteers Now in Raleigh,” and the acronym itself means “to fly” in Spanish.
By letting students branch out both linguistically and professionally and allowing the Mexican Consulate, local outreach organizations like Urban Ministries of Wake County, and local Latino communities access to these valuable volunteers, the good that VOLAR does is exponential.
McKayla Wabalas, a third-year majoring in international studies, acts as the secretary of VOLAR.
“The groups and families we work with are so gracious for our help, which feels great all on its own; but it also helped me build confidence in my Spanish speaking ability because I realized that these native speakers were just happy I was trying,” Wabalas said. “The feeling you get when you finally are able to communicate with and understand someone who speaks a different language than you is so spirited and human. I’ve truly loved all aspects of this organization.”
A growing Latino population in North Carolina has needs to be met and issues to be assisted in and, through VOLAR, Spanish-speaking students have been mobilized for that cause. According to the National Immigration Forum, from 2000 to 2010 North Carolina’s Latino population nearly doubled as a percentage of the population — from 4.7 percent to 8.4 percent — with growth in the Latino population in North Carolina during that period being the sixth fastest in the nation.
Lauren Kirkpatrick wrote the following in an article on VOLAR in CHASS news: “with that explosive growth comes new challenges. New Spanish-speaking residents can struggle to interact with schools, government agencies and even social service providers.”
Serene Ahmad, a fourth-year studying foreign languages and literature, is the president of VOLAR and offered insight into the makings and vision of VOLAR from the inside of the organization.
“To me, the mission of VOLAR is to get students of the Spanish language more involved with the local Hispanic population,” Ahmad said. “This experience provides students with the opportunity to practice their speaking skills while contributing to community partner organizations. VOLAR provides students of the Spanish language with a community who shares that enthusiasm for learning Spanish.”
VOLAR has been recognized with two awards: the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award, given by NC State’s Department of Outreach and Engagement, and the Fred Fletcher Award for Outstanding Cultural Resources Volunteer, given by the city of Raleigh’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.
“I hope NC State students benefit from VOLAR by practicing their Spanish linguistic skills in a situation where using Spanish is their only option to communicate,” Ahmad said. “By being placed in that type of situation, students become more confident in the material they know and begin applying it with Spanish speakers who need their assistance and as a member myself, I learned more about my linguistic strengths and weaknesses, and where I needed to practice more.”
Service opportunities with VOLAR include one-time events and ongoing partnerships, all of them enriching volunteers with valuable experience. Some of these partnerships are with Brentwood Elementary, where volunteers can read books aloud in Spanish to Spanish-speaking students.
“I hope other students will have greater insight as to how many Spanish speakers live in the local area, and how being bilingual will help facilitate communication with others in the future,” Ahmad said. “Students have the opportunity to interact with the local Hispanic population outside of the classroom, where club members can learn more about the Spanish language and culture from natives in the area.”
VOLAR works with the Clothing Ministry of Raleigh at First Baptist Church, where volunteers distribute free clothing to low-income residents, much of which are disenfranchised Latino families with limited English. By speaking Spanish, volunteers are in turn able to connect more intimately with the communities they serve.
“We’re taught in class that English is not the official language of the United States, and it is eye-opening to work with people who embody the diversity of our nation,” Ahmad said. “Working with Spanish-speaking communities reminds me why it is imperative to take initiative and bring our linguistic skills outside of the classroom. There are people who can benefit from us, and volunteering is an excellent opportunity to see how far your Spanish skills can go.”
VOLAR’s next event will be their mid-semester meeting on Oct. 11 from 6-7 p.m. in Caldwell Hall on North Campus.
“When I say that I am studying the Spanish language, I’m not just investing in a language, but also into a culture and its people,” Ahmad said. “And every day I learn that I have more work to do.”
