Volunteering at College Summit

Each summer, College Summit volunteers give more than 12,000 hours of their time as Writing Coaches and College Coaches at our Peer Leader Workshops. These weekend-long conferences, held during the summer on the campuses of our partner universities, are life-changing opportunities where students come together to build community, affirm their strengths and chart a course to college.

During Peer Leaders’ four day odyssey, Coaches guide them in crafting their personal statements, creating their college lists, learning important information about financial aid and more.

Joan Stern, who served as a College Coach at USC, sums it up: “Exhilarating, exhausting, emotional, life-changing. Those are just a few adjectives that I would use to describe my experiences at College Summit.”

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Volunteer Profiles 

Each year, Southern California volunteers log more than 10,000 hours of service at our workshops, the College Summit Awards and at other events. Here are two of our fantastic volunteers:

Jennifer M. Gundrum

Occupation

Senior Manager, Deloitte Tax LLP

College Summit Workshops

California Lutheran University, 2007 and 2008; University of Redlands, 2009 and 2010.

How did you get connected to College Summit?

Deloitte has a strong culture of supporting organizations that foster education and development of the next generation.  I personally have always felt that education is critical to a person’s success in life, and also that is very important that people of all demographics have equal opportunity to obtain a quality education. 

College Summit represents an opportunity for me to volunteer with an organization that is in line with my values, and Deloitte made it very easy for me to take time off from work to participate in workshops.

Why do you volunteer for College Summit?

Workshops are very challenging for both the students and the volunteers, but I have never participated in an activity that is more rewarding. The students who participate in the workshops are there because they want to be there; they are committed to following the College Summit methodology and really look to all of the coaches and College Summit coordinators for guidance.

Because the writing workshops are organized with only a few students assigned to each writing coach, you are able to make a connection with the students and really feel like you have had an impact on them individually. I believe I have really received just as much out of the workshops as my students have.  I leave every workshop inspired by their efforts and their desire to be successful. 

The summer workshops are an amazing experience for students, because they take away a better understanding of the college application process while developing stronger bonds with other students, learning that they are not alone in facing some significant personal challenges and developing a stronger confidence in themselves.

What lessons have you learned through your experiences with College Summit?

College Summit’s model - a coaching-through-questioning method of guiding students to write their personal statements – has taught me that every student always has a great story to tell. Sometimes they are based on overcoming challenges you can’t imagine having dealt with in a young life. But more often, they are based on the successes they’ve accomplished during their short lives. 

The challenge of being a writing coach is asking the right questions of the individual student to find a story that brings out their character, and continuing to challenge the students to reflect on the meaning of their stories.

What other organizations/causes do you support?

I have volunteered with Junior Achievement of San Diego over the last several years, teaching the Junior Achievement curriculum to elementary and middle school students, working with high school students to run a company business, and helping to organize our annual office-wide Bowl-A-Thon, raising money to support Junior Achievement.

 

José Gutierrez

Occupation

Regional Program Director, Hispanic Scholarship Fund

College Summit Workshops

During the last five years (2006-2011) I’ve completed workshops at: University of Redlands, UC Berkeley, University of the Pacific, University of Missouri St. Louis, and the University of Southern California

Why do you volunteer for College Summit?

Volunteering and connecting with students allows me to learn so much from amazing Peer Leaders who may not have the resources to navigate the path to college. Every summer, I receive countless acknowledgements from Peer Leaders, but in all honestly, what I provide, I receive ten-fold in insight, courage and inspiration from amazing students across the country. I return every summer because I’ve seen the power of positive energy in action and recognize that College Summit works.

What is your most memorable College Summit moment?

My most memorable College Summit moments are keeping in touch with Peer Leaders and tracking their progress. Last summer a former Peer Leader emailed to tell me she was finishing her undergraduate degree and was planning on pursuing medical school--all because I encouraged her. That’s an amazing feeling!  

What lessons have you learned through your experiences with College Summit?

Life can certainly be difficult, but no matter how tough it might get, remember this: There are people out there, like College Summit’s volunteers, who care and will go out of their way to help and support you. College Summit is a place where great things happen, one step at a time.  

What other organizations/causes do you support? 

Southern California College Access Network (www.socalcollegeaccess.org), UC for California (www.UCforcalifornia.org), Campaign for College Opportunity (www.collegecampaign.org), and Educators for Fair Consideration (www.e4fc.org).

Other Opportunities for Volunteers

Though 95% of volunteer hours are amassed during the Peer Leader Workshops, we also host various events, including various volunteer mixers, our CS awards, and opportunities to be a spokesperson for College Summit. Click here to learn more about how you can support us as a volunteer!