National Volunteer Week is a chance to celebrate and thank our Trent family and community, who give back both within and beyond our campuses.

“Volunteers are essential for communities to grow, innovate, and enhance creativity,” says Sherry Booth, director of Philanthropy. “Our students, faculty, staff, board members, community members, and many roles in between improve and strengthen our community by dedicating their time and talents to help make our Trent community and beyond an excellent place for our students to thrive."

The power of people working together can bring about monumental changes.

This year we are celebrating our Trent family of volunteers with a series of stories profiling members of the Trent University family who give their time and talents by volunteering in our community and beyond, including:

Dorcas Mensah ’13
“When I set out to volunteer, I often don't think of my efforts as changing the world because that can be a little overwhelming. However, as one who is a benefactor of the volunteer efforts of others, I use my time and talents as a chance to connect with others and enrich the future experience of those that will come after me.”

Michael Nakamura, fourth-year student
“My time at Trent has genuinely been the best years of my life. Through my volunteer business placement with the External Relations and Advancement Office, I have learned and can truly say that philanthropy is an asset that’s needed more than ever in the current global pandemic.”

Lucie Edwards ’73
“Trent is building for the future while protecting those qualities of the community that made it so special for me. The great thing about volunteering with Trent is that you get to work in an excellent team with deep technical skills and a big vision for the future."

Don Tapscott ’66
"A bright future isn’t just going to happen. It will be created by people who bring their sense of responsibility, sense of justice, and good values to the table. When I left Trent, that is what I wanted to do, and it still is.”

Martha Wilder ’74
“I think the Trent community is special, in that everyone has the same shared values. Even though I attended Trent more than 30 years ago and the university has changed significantly since then, it still seems to have the same open and generous spirit.”

Garry Cubitt ’67
“Trent is a wonderful university and to have been able to play a part in its future is a wonderful gift. One tends to gain far more from the volunteer journey than what one can contribute. I can only hope that my volunteering at Trent has brought some value to Trent.”

Learn about volunteer opportunities at Trent  and share your #TrentU story on social media.

These profiles beautifully reflect how each person's individual and collective efforts will help re-imagine our future as the value of one and the power of many enables us to thrive together.