My Parents Fostered and Created My Love for Helping Others

Tiffany Korican, member of the Corporation for National and Community Service Youth Speakers Bureau.  

For the past two years, I have had the amazing opportunity to attend the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Through being a member of the Learn and Serve America Youth Speakers Bureau, I had the ability to spread the message of service and leadership to youth from around the country. I also had the ability to learn, to expand my knowledge of this amazing movement that has given people the inspiration to give back and to get involved. My service journey has only begun to flourish under the tutoring of mentors who have invested their time and energy into my future success.

In the spirit of this year’s conference, I would love to share my personal turning point, when I decided to be the change in my community. While I cannot narrow it down to a single moment, I can say with upmost certainty that my parents both fostered and created my love for helping others. Through competing in 4-H, I learned about a program that gave individuals with disabilities of all varieties the ability to learn how to ride and interact with horses. After expressing interest in helping out, my parents encouraged me to make the commitment to being a volunteer once a week. Seven years later, I continue to volunteer during my college breaks and whenever I can make the journey home. I cannot imagine a greater feeling then witnessing a rider, whom at first was deathly afraid of being near a horse, learning how to ride without assistance and with full confidence. I knew as I stood in the middle of that arena that I had made a difference to that young man and even the smallest moments can make the biggest impacts!

Throughout college I have continued to be active in my campus community. Three years ago I created an organization at Grand Valley State University known as the Grand Valley Disability Advocates; this organization is dedicated to advocating for students rights as well as educating the campus about a wide range of disability topics including etiquette. I am so honored to have the ability to present in April at the National Service Learning Conference in a workshop focused on disability/inclusion in the service world.

Every day I am inspired to keep giving, to keep working, to keep searching for ways to make a difference!! I encourage each and every one of you to get involved, to change a life, to start the changes we need in our world!

In Tiffany’s Spare time she enjoys working with youth mentoring and volunteering with local philanthropic organizations.