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by Jaspreet Mangat
Scholarships and International Volunteering
It was raining cats and dogs as my good friend Gurjeet and I walked briskly up a hill towards a small building, trying to avoid getting mud all over our clothes from the unpaved roads. As a part of an ambitious team of 12 undergraduate students from across North America, we gathered at the emergency ward at Akal Charitable Hospital in a rural town called Baru Sahib in the Himalayas. Inexperienced and young though we were, our global health initiative in the Himalayas had a mission: to assist rural children and working families — many from households so poor that they didn’t have enough to eat — with access to primary health care services, education and food resources.
The initiative involved rigorous planning, team co-ordination, supportive community partners and, above all, a compassion for those in need of socio-medical assistance.
Scholarship committees search for students with well rounded backgrounds. In addition to community service, what other activities are you passionate about? Do you play any musical instruments? Do you play sports?
When I went to the Himalayas, I did not anticipate how demanding our physical work-load would be: hours of walking between villages and hiking up steep slopes to reach rural residents. Athleticism is more than just playing basketball, tennis or hockey — it’s about maintaining fitness throughout your intense academic life.
Some of the team members in our health initiative also had a passion for music: Harmit Sarai learned violin, Ishrat Gadhok learned sitar and Rameet Dhaliwal played harmonium. They were able to bond with local community children through the shared medium of music, which helped to facilitate a harmonious healing environment during our health and nutritional assessments of the villagers.
The point is that diverse skills play an essential part in professional development, even though we may not immediately recognize it.
One of the most common questions I receive from readers is: If students wish to get involved in community service, where can they go to find guidance? The best resource for high school students is guidance counsellors. I remember back at North Surrey Secondary School, my guidance counsellor Mr. B was a fantastic resource for informing me of what activities were happening at school. One issue I vividly recall was unhealthy eating habits during lunch time. Mr. B and I used to discuss how students always found their way to vending machines for chocolate bars or a Big Mac at the McDonalds down the street, or slices of greasy cheesy pizza in the cafeteria.
On one hand, high schools promote athletic activities by enforcing mandatory physical education until Grade 10. But on the other hand, high schools were serving unhealthy foods in the cafeteria and enabling local fast food restaurants to influence students’ eating habits. I wanted to do something to improve the availability of healthy food options in high schools like mine. After I discussed my concerns with Mr. B, he connected me with an organization called BC Student Voice. After I got in touch with the organization, my involvement in leadership activities started snowballing.
I was given an opportunity by BC Student Voice to present my concerns to other students across the province. Before I knew it, I found myself presenting to the minister of education, Shirley Bond, at a colloquium on student learning and engagement. I expressed the concerns that hundreds of students had about unhealthy eating practices and their effects on learning. The colloquium was a huge success. Minster Bond decided to fund us in a provincial high school healthy food choice project. I joined other students in the organization to make pamphlets that were distributed to 36 high schools in the province. We also gave presentations during staff meetings to educate and help develop healthier eating practices in high schools.
High school guidance counsellors are a great resource as they are familiar with the system and are well aware of pressing issues in the student community. In the scholarship application process, creative thinking, communication and personal initiative are tremendously valuable characteristics.
If you would like to talk about how to get involved in your community, you can contact Jaspreet via email at jaspreet@mehfilmagazine.com.
Jaspreet Singh Mangat is recognized as a National Scholar on the Canadian Association of Principals, founder of the non-profit North American Student Alliance Global Health Care Foundation, and has worked modestly in communities below the poverty line in Europe and India. A Governor General Award recipient, he now works within the community to engage students in dialogue surrounding community development. For project ideas and scholarship advice, you can reach him at jaspreetsingh@nasaghc.com |
