Second-year Honors College (HC) student and pharmacy major Ethan Lim has always had a heart for service. Lim’s journey with service began in high school, where he combined his interest in healthcare and service by volunteering with several clinics and hospitals. Over time, Lim’s interest shifted towards service that addresses societal and community issues.
“Service to me was not something I was going to stop after high school; I wanted to continue it for years to come,” said Lim. “I saw college as a gateway to serve at a higher level and to be more deeply involved in impacting communities. I looked for ways to achieve this at the HC my freshman year and stumbled across the alternative break opportunity.”
Lim currently serves as an HC Ambassador and is involved with research at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy studying antioxidants and cancer cells. In addition to extracurriculars and academic responsibilities, service opportunities at the HC have played a major role in Lim’s learning and experiences at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. Through service, Lim has been able to learn about himself and others while building relationships along the way.
“One [of my favorite HC service experiences] is definitely the group dinners on alternative breaks,” said Lim. “It was especially exciting my freshman year as it was my first time ever serving with college peers, and being able to cook with them was an experience I will never forget because our food actually turned out to be so good. This type of bonding experience was like none other that I had experienced.”
After having a positive alternative break experience, Lim had the opportunity to serve as a Site Leader as part of the HC Serves Leadership Team. This year, Lim and his co-site leader planned and led an HC Alternative Break to Crotched Mountain, a school for students with disabilities in New Hampshire. Lim fondly recalls this week-long experience as a true testament to the importance of interaction across service.
“A week is not a long time, but when a kid called me his best friend at the end of the week, I was struck with how much we had been able to accomplish and especially how many relationships we had all developed in such a short amount of time,” said Lim.
Lim has developed a wealth of knowledge and introspection through his time giving and engaging in service. To Lim, service learning provides a hands-on approach that can lead to a new mindset.
“I have so much more insight and hands-on knowledge of social issues ranging from healthcare shortcomings to pollution that I would never have been able to properly address in a classroom setting,” said Lim.
“Service has helped me understand that the rewards of donating my time are worth more than what money can buy, and that is why every semester I always try to revolve my schedule around at least one service opportunity.”
Service has and will continue to be an important part of Lim’s experience at Rutgers and beyond. As a civic-minded leader, Lim encourages all students to find joy in service as he has. Doing so can allow students to play a role in building strong communities for years to come.
“In the end, service should not be a burden or a chore for us. Giving students the opportunity to serve now helps to imprint on them an understanding of the importance of such work for the rest of their lives,” said Lim.
“Your time now paves the way for the future.”