Beyond giving back: The impact of volunteering in student life

Unlike many universities where volunteering is linked to mandatory requirements, RMIT students participate purely by choice. Even so, many continue to dedicate their time and energy to volunteering, supporting events and organisations throughout the campus. One such student is Thanh Truc, a sophomore majoring in Languages – Translating and Interpreting and a member of the Student Ambassador Team (SAT). 

Before entering RMIT, Truc had the chance to join a high school tour at the university and was deeply impressed by how friendly and supportive the student ambassadors were. Later, when she officially became a student, she saw the same energy again through the SAT volunteers working at campus events. They appeared professional, positive, and genuinely eager to answer any questions regarding student life at RMIT.  

“That’s why I decided to apply for SAT,” Truc shared. “I wanted to give back and support others the way the seniors once supported me.”  

Through volunteering, Truc once led a campus tour for a high school student who later thanked her, saying that her guidance helped them feel more confident about choosing RMIT. From that moment, Truc realised her role went beyond simply guiding tours or assisting at events. “We help students and their families feel assured about important decisions in their lives. Being able to guide them, share my real experiences, and help them imagine their future at RMIT makes this role truly special to me,” she said. 

For Hanh Nguyen, a Professional Communication student, volunteering has been a journey of growth. She started as a general volunteer, later became a subcommittee member, and eventually joined the RMIT Event Drive (RED) Core Team. At the beginning, she was inspired by the professionalism and dedication of the previous RED Core members and hoped one day she could grow into someone like them.  

During occasions such as Graduation, volunteers often work long days across several shifts. Although the work can be tiring, she feels the reward is far greater: the joy of contributing to meaningful moments for graduates and their families, helping them celebrate an important milestone, and creating lasting memories at RMIT. What stays with her most, however, is the connections formed along the way. Many people assume volunteering has less impact than other activities or think that moving between different events makes it difficult to build friendships. Hanh’s experience proved the opposite. 

As a RED Core member, she observed that connections often begin with a morning check-in before an event. Volunteers who were once strangers would sit together in the waiting lounge and start small conversations. From there, people who initially had nothing in common gradually connected, and some even continued signing up for events together and remained friends long after. 

Back to Truc, volunteering with the SAT also changed how she experienced university life. Instead of simply attending classes, she began to feel like an active part of the campus community. Over time, familiar faces started appearing everywhere, from teammates to staff and fellow volunteers, making the university feel smaller, friendlier, and more connected. Her experience was no longer limited to the classroom, as working with people from different backgrounds gave her many opportunities to learn and grow.  

Nguyen Khanh Linh, a sophomore majoring in Professional Communication and a member of the RED Core Team in Hanoi, shared a similar perspective. For her, volunteering has made student life feel more connected and meaningful. It helped her see her role within a bigger picture, where everyone works together toward the same goal: contributing to the success of each event. Being part of that collective effort made the experience both rewarding and memorable. 

Volunteering also creates space for students to grow and develop practical skills. Linh shared that being a member of RED opened doors to opportunities she had never imagined. Although she considers herself a super introvert, she was given the chance to become an announcer for Graduation 2025, an experience that pushed her out of her comfort zone and required her to face public speaking. 

Through these experiences, Linh gained hands-on skills that are rarely covered in the classroom, particularly in event logistics and coordination. This is because rather than being limited to a fixed role, RED members rotate across different responsibilities when supporting events. This allows them to explore their strengths in various areas while collaborating with diverse teams. 

One of her most memorable moments was working with the RED Core team to organise the event Sense in Sync. As a Professional Communication student, she was involved from the early stages of conceptualising the idea to planning and budgeting, while collaborating with different stakeholders such as Student Life and Wellbeing to bring the event to life. 

"Senses in Sync” is a meaningful interactive event that invites participants to step into the shoes of people with disabilities.  

Throughout their volunteering journey, many students are supported by mentors and teammates who encourage them to step beyond their comfort zones. For Phuong Linh, a senior in Digital Marketing and former Buddy Team member, joining the programme became a turning point. “I went from being a shy student to someone confident enough to lead groups of international students,” she shared. Working closely with people from different cultures helped her strengthen intercultural communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills.  

Linh believes volunteering is a valuable opportunity to build essential human skills rarely taught in lectures or textbooks. It creates a safe space where students can test themselves, make mistakes, and learn through real experiences. 

It gave her the chance to work with a diverse group of people she might never have met otherwise and rotate across different event roles, gaining exposure to many aspects of events. Additionally, balancing these experiences alongside her studies also strengthened her time-management skills, teaching her how to organise multiple commitments while continuing to grow both personally and professionally. 

Student volunteers from different disciplines at RMIT tell a different story. Their experiences show that volunteering goes far beyond simply giving back. It becomes a space for personal growth, meaningful connections, and new perspectives that shape their university journey in unexpected ways. Ultimately, the value of volunteering lies not only in what students contribute, but in how the experience transforms them. As Hanh Nguyen puts it, “All you really need is a willing heart to try. Volunteering is a great place to start.” 

Story: Pham Thanh Thao, a Professional Communication student at RMIT Vietnam, with inputs from the students from SSET.