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QCC Student Learns Exactly Why Community Service is so Vital

April 2020
  • QCC student and PTK member Savannah Vangel.
    QCC student and PTK member Savannah Vangel.

Being home with her family has not stopped Quinsigamond Community College student Savannah Vangel from helping out her community. The QCC sophomore and new Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Zeta Theta Honor Society member has gotten her whole family involved in helping those in need, whether that's delivering food or just giving someone a bit of cheer. Recently we interviewed Ms. Vangel about her time at QCC and learned how the recent pandemic has brought her family together for the common good and caused her to rethink her future.

What is your major at QCC and when do you anticipate graduating?

My major at QCC is Liberal Arts- Psych Option and I will be graduating this May.

Why did you chose to attend QCC?

I picked QCC due to my financial situation. I also was not sure how far I wanted to go with college and QCC seemed like the best choice.

You mentioned being a new Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) member. Congratulations! Can you tell us why is important for you to be part of the PTK Honor Society?

I decided to join PTK because I had been receiving emails about it for a while and it looked pretty cool.  I finally just did it and I have not regretted it. Everyone in the office is so kind and I have made so many new friends and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I am usually very shy and prefer to keep to myself, but they helped me express myself and go out to help my community.

Community service is a large part of being a PTK member. For one of your community service projects, you mentioned delivering meals to people who cannot get out. Can you tell us a little bit about this?

Delivering meals and groceries was something my family and I thought of right in the beginning of all of this. My grandparents were the main people we delivered to, since they are both considered high risk and we did not want to put them in danger by having them go out and become exposed. We really just wanted to help those who are scared to leave home or do not think it is best for them. Some people out there really have no one and we wanted to make sure they knew they were not alone.

You and your family also made cards for nursing homes. How many did you make and how did you distribute them?

Overall, we distributed about 25-50 cards to a local nursing home. We also got more people in the community involved. I had made a Facebook post and a couple of my friends decided to join in. We did practice social distancing. They simply put their artwork in the mailbox and I swung by and picked them up.

Did you find out how the residents of the nursing homes liked your cards?

The residents loved the cards and were thrilled to receive messages and a little bit of positivity to brighten up their day.

During these uncertain times, what has been motivating you to help in your community?

As I said before, my number one motivation throughout all of this is to make sure these folks know they are not alone. To make sure they know there are people out there willing to help and make sure they have what they need without putting themselves in harm's way.​

What are your plans once you graduate from QCC?

I currently do not know what my plans are after graduating this spring. COVID-19 really altered my plans. I was going to go back to school, but now I feel as though I want to go to work full-time and continue to help out the community the best I can.

What would you tell someone who was considering attending QCC?

To anyone considering attending QCC, do it! I am so pleased with my experience and extremely happy I chose to go to a two-year school. QCC has an amazing group of faculty who are always willing to go above and beyond to help you get the best education possible. The guidance and motivation these professors provide is some of the best I have ever been given. I would recommend QCC to anyone struggling to decide where to go to college. Not only is it affordable but it also provides some of the best educational experience possible.

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