F EATU RE S
Life After Guilford: Non-profit fair a profitable experience
MARCH 30, 2012
By Meg Holden
Features Editor
It is a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in
March. The sky is a cloudless blue, music is
playing on Founders patio and the aromas
of French fries, pork loins and vegan chik'n
wraps entice students into the dining hall.
In Alumni Gym, however, a different
scene is unfolding. Inside, away
from the laid-back atmosphere of the
quad, well-dressed students mingle
with representatives from non-profit
organizations from around the state. The
North Carolina Career Consortium Non-
Profit Fair is underway.
According to Director of the Career
Development Center Alan Mueller, the
annual non-profit fair is a collaborative
effort by the career centers of Bennett
College, Greensboro College, Guilford,
High Point University, and Salem College.
The spring non-profit fair supports the
centers' mission of helping students find
volunteer opportunities, internships and
careers.
"The non-profit industry is growing
every day, but the individual agencies are
struggling," said Mueller.
"One of the fastest-growing sectors
of the American economy is non-profit
work," said Eric Melniczek, director of
career and internship services at High
Point University. "In the Piedmont Triad
area alone, there are hundreds of non
profits."
Because there are so many non-profits in
the area, there is a high need for volunteers
and interns. The work experience gained
from working with a non-profit will be
valuable in any career.
"You will gain a skill set (from working
at a non-profit) that you might not get
from working at a larger institution," said
Melniczek. "There are opportunities in
finance, fund raising, human resources,
recruitment, event programming ... It's a
real-world opportunity to build skills in a
work setting."
The students present at this year's
non-profit fair certainly hoped that they
might be able to benefit from working or
volunteering at a non-profit. First-year
CCE student Rena Davis, who has over 15
years experience in property management,
came to the fair looking for volunteer
opportunities that might lead to a new
career.
(Above) Monica Keyes (left) from the Guilford County Partnership for Children discusses
career options with senior Lauren McClure.
(Below) Sophomore Mindy Souvannalay (right) gets excited about the Carolina Tiger Rescue
with volunteer Rita Nunn.
"I want to spend some time volunteering
at a non-profit," said Davis. "If I find
somewhere I can volunteer, I might be able
to get my foot in the door so that later I
can find a position where I can use my
degree."
Senior Sarah Schardt's search for an
internship led her to the non-profit fair.
"I am especially drawn to non-profits
because of the work they do," said Schardt.
"There is a different goal (in non-profit
work). There is more of an emphasis on
community."
Schardt believes that working with
a non-profit is a good way to "get a
job helping and participating in the
community," which Guilford students can
relate to.
Mueller likewise supports working with
a non-profit as a way to support Guilford's
core values.
"Working for money is fine, but helping
other people and getting money for it is
better, in my opinion," Mueller said.
Doing work for a non-profit can be a
great start to a career, but it might not be
for everyone. Most of the organizations
present at Wednesday's fair were looking
for volunteers or interns, so if you are
looking for a full-time job, your search
may not be quite over. And non-profit
work is not for everyone.
"Non-profits are good to work for if you
are highly motivated and care about the
topic," said Andrew Leon, the sustainable
projects coordinator for Caldwell Green
Commission in Caldwell County.
"Personally, I feel like I am making a
difference and directly influencing people."
If you are more interested in the
paycheck than the problem, non-profit
work may not be for you. Non-profits
are often understaffed and underfunded,
requiring lots of effort for little initial
reward.
However, if you are looking (or a
volunteer position, internship or job in a
growing field, non-profit work may be the
key to your life after Guilford, and job fairs
are an easy way to find opportunities.
"It was great of Guilford to put this on,
especially for seniors," said Schardt. "Any
chance to see what jobs are out there is
great."
GLUTEN
Students follow gluten-free diet on and off campus
Continued from Page I
in an email interview. "I also would get severe skeletal
pains and aches. I was unable to hold my body up and
had debilitating back spasms, along with the sensation of a
urinary tract infection, migraines and feeling faint."
Shutler has been gluten-free for a year and a half. After
feeling ill for over a year, she went to a holistic doctor who
suggested she cut out gluten from her diet.
Shutler's symptoms sound horrific. Considering that
gluten is in most products and the severity of Shutler's
intolerance, one can imagine the difficulty of eating gluten-
free meals in the dining hall.
"College is very difficult for those who are gluten
intolerant, because rarely is anything in the cafeteria gluten
free," said Shutler. "Sauces are thickened with flour; meats
and poultry are marinated with chemicals that contain
gluten. Overall, it is difficult to keep things gluten-free in a
large kitchen because foods are too easily contaminated.".
Junior Lydia Rain has gluten sensitivity. She went through
special testing at age ten to determine her sensitivities and
allergies. Consequently, the doctors discovered she was
sensitive to gluten. She "would get these sharp pains in
(her) neck after digesting gluten." After eliminating gluten
from her diet, her seasonal allergies also considerably
downsized.
Rain has had a different dining experience compared to
Shutler. She has been able to find satisfying food options
from the cafeteria. Her meals consist of big salads with
proteins.
"Being able to eat in the caf, where there is an abundance
of mixed greens, fruits and vegetables and protein ... that is
why I eat so well," said Rain. "If I weren't eating in the caf,
I would have a much more restricted diet because I can't
afford to buy things that would go bad."
Rain also pointed out that it can be difficult to find a
filling meal when the only options are either pastas or
pizzas in the cafeteria.
Some restaurants and many grocery stores now carry
gluten-free products, though the dining hall does not often
have these options. Junior Jordan Poirier, who is currently
studying abroad in Ghana, has found that eating gluten-free
can be difficult outside of the United States.
"The labels (on food in Ghana) rarely have allergy
information so basically, I stick to fresh vegetables ...
delicious fruit (and) tons of rice," Poirier said in an email
interview.
While Poirier tries to refrain from eating gluten, cravings
do occur. While in Africa, she has missed the gluten-free
products that are offered in the States.
"In America, I have alternatives such as gluten-free
bread, pizza, beer, etc.," said Poirier. "But here I have caved
and eaten pizza and in turn gotten very ill."
Students at Guilford have a variety of strange diets, from
raw foods to vegan to everything in between. A gluten-
free diet is just one of the many ways students are keeping
themselves healthy, on- and off-campus.