Warm Welcome 2026

On August 19th, I volunteered with move-in day at Rauls and Smith haul at the University of Memphis. This was my second day volunteering with move-in, as I assisted with move in the previous day at LLC. This being my second day volunteering, I felt more comfortable and knew what to expect going into this day of service. This helped me to be more productive and assist even more students moving in this day. Volunteering at Rauls and Smith was very similar to my service the day before at LLC. I welcomed cars pulling up, helped unload vehicles, placed the items in bins and rolled the bins up to students' rooms. And finally took every item out of the bin and placed them in the students room and rolled the bin back down to unload more cars. This service impacted me again this day, similar to how I was impacted the day prior. It was just as special being able to assist new students moving into their dorms and be apart of this special moment, and to help make move in easier for each student. I had many more good interactions during moving in this day as well, talking to families and students that I was helping move-in. As well, as meeting some other volunteers I did not know. This service of move-in impacted the Memphis community by bringing together the University of Memphis community to welcome the new class of students and returning students moving in to the University of Memphis. Another impact of this is that move-in day is usually the start of students' college experience, so their first experience being a lot of student volunteers helping them move in and welcoming them, can definitely make each student feel welcomed and more comfortable about starting college away from home.

This experience was very rewarding. I worked alongside other volunteers and campus staff to keep the move-in process organized and efficient. I learned the importance of being dependable, attentive, and willing to assist wherever needed. Overall, the experience reminded me that small acts of service can make a meaningful difference in someone’s transition to a new environment.

During move in, I worked alongside other student volunteers and campus staff from different organizations and offices to help incoming students and their families have a smooth and welcoming move-in experience. This opportunity strengthened my teamwork, communication, and leadership skills while teaching me the importance of being dependable, patient, and willing to serve others.