Stephanie Poplin: Great social forces are the mere accumulation of individual actions. Think about that. Great social forces are the mere accumulation of individual actions. That was said by Nancy Gibb in the Time magazine article written about the recent tsunami.

And it's true, right? Everything from the Red Cross to the Peace Corps to the civil rights movement, all were made up of individual actions. Yet all were history changing.

I'm Stephanie Poplin. And I would like to speak to you today about why it is imperative that you give yourself the opportunity to live a successful and meaningful life. One way of achieving this seemingly unattainable lifestyle is by contributing and putting yourself into the community that surrounds you. I'm referring to community service and civic engagement. Today I will talk to you about what you can personally gain from your involvement and participation in your community. And I will also address some concerns and reservations you may have about donating your time and your talents.

Now traditionally when you hear the word volunteer, what do you think of? Someone who wants to do good, someone wants to make the lives better of those that are less fortunate. And while this remains true, the attitudes of volunteers are beginning to change.

They are beginning to realize that there are some major personal benefits that come along with their involvement in community service. No longer are volunteers being involved purely for altruistic reasons. In 2001, Student Volunteering UK conducted research into the benefits of volunteering. The study looked at how volunteering can enhance employability and emphasized that volunteer participation help to develop and strengthen new and different skills and to improve job prospects.

I think we would all agree that's a necessity for us, especially in the stages we are in our lives right now. In today's job market, it is becoming evident that a graduate needs more than just paper qualifications. We will need to be able to stand out from a crowd, to be resourceful, to be an initiator, to be a team player, and possess a get up and go attitude. These are now the desired skills of employers. And volunteering can provide all of this.

According to the study's evidence, virtually every paid job can be mirrored by a volunteering opportunity. Taking part in community service is a new and pioneering form of work experience. Not only is it seen as work experience, but employers look at the act of volunteering as taking greater initiative and commitment.

The evidence of the study also lists benefits other than resume building that students felt they had gained from their participation in volunteering. These were building confidence, influencing the career choices. They were able to experience making a difference. And volunteering opened up new opportunities and challenges. So whether you just want to help, make new friends, improve your job prospects, test a potential career, or build confidence, volunteering can be the answer.

So now that we have seen some personal benefits you can gain, I would like to address some concerns you may have. I realize that some of you may have some reservations about volunteering, namely, can one person really make a difference? You may be thinking, if I'm giving my time and my talents and my effort to one specific cause, can I even make a dent in the desired outcome? So next, I would like to elaborate on the idea that one person can make a difference.

You might be thinking, what can I possibly do? But if you have ever spent any time reading or just hanging out with a lonely child, you know that even a small amount of attention and compassion can make the world of difference. I've experienced this firsthand through my involvement in Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is an international organization fueled by hundreds of thousands of volunteers who join with future homeowners to build simple and affordable homes.

It wasn't until my first experience building a home here in Norman that I realized the impact this organization has on its volunteers and the families involved. I have always had a bedroom of my own to escape to. And I have always had a kitchen to make breakfast in in the morning.

But there are two little boys who will have this for the first time thanks to the OU chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I have always taken my home for granted. But now I can be a part of giving those little boys a home of their own. We need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that sometimes big changes follow from small events, such as me sheetrocking an empty space that will eventually become a living room that these little boys and their mom and dad can enjoy together.

In summary, we have seen how you can personally benefit from contributing to your community. Not only do you gain valuable work experience as well as the opportunity to develop new skills and improve your job prospects, but people who have spent time volunteering report that they get back in personal fulfillment and satisfaction more than they ever expend in inconvenience and effort. I have also talked about the theory that one person can make a difference. And I encourage you to explore every possibility and as many organizations as you can and find a volunteer opportunity that fits with your personality that you enjoy and love to do.

Someone once told me, you don't find yourself. You create yourself. As college students, we have every opportunity in the world to create a life that is successful and meaningful. Use it. Use your good fortune and choose to create a life that is service-oriented and give back to the community that surrounds you.

We all have the power to make an impact one way or another. After all, great social forces are simply the mere accumulation of individual actions. Thank you.