My career at DeSales University started with volunteering.

I found myself in a job transition and wanted to explore a return to Higher Education in a new setting, Career Development. After an informational interview with the then-Executive and Associate Directors of the DSU Career Development Center, Kristin Eicholtz, and Melanie Vallone, I asked if I could volunteer and learn. I was welcomed with open arms and found myself facilitating mock interviews and webinars along with being a guest on the Career Chat podcast and helping at special events and programming. My time spent volunteering and fostering relationships with staff and students alike, eventually led to the opportunity to work full-time at DeSales doing what I love.

During my time volunteering with the Career Development Center, I learned about the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Competencies. These eight competencies are the transferable career skills employers are looking for in addition to the hard skills previous work and classroom experience bring. Reflecting on my time volunteering at the Career Center, I certainly worked on my Career and Self-Development along with Equity and Inclusion skills among others.

The university’s value of Hospitality encourages giving back and college is a great time to volunteer. Students can develop the NACE Career Readiness Skills through service experiences. Our first years can start volunteering at orientation and the DSU Center for Faith and Justice provides amazing opportunities throughout the year from one-time events to service trips. The transferable skills and experiences students can learn through volunteering are invaluable to their personal and professional growth.

Service continues to help me grow personally and professionally. In 2023 I took the big leap to start my own non-profit organization, the Cindy Miles Adaptive Fund. Our flagship project is building a 10,000 sq ft inclusive playground in the Lehigh Valley with further goals to donate to various municipalities to upgrade their playgrounds for fun and fitness for all. I continue to use the transferable skills I’ve gained throughout my career and volunteering to see this project to fruition and continue to positively impact my community.

I hope all DeSales students embrace service, both during and after their time here, and that they continue to develop these invaluable skills. This will empower them to continue to make positive contributions to their communities- just as they have at DeSales!