When I chose to volunteer at the Uptown Shepherd’s Center it was not my first choice. I initially wanted to volunteer with an organization that would involve cooking vegan and vegetarian foods, something I have experience and interest doing. This group was not on the list of approved organizations and I had some difficulty choosing where I wanted to volunteer. I had a difficult time choosing an organization because I wanted to be able to contribute in a significant way to the organization. When I was in high school I did volunteer work that was non-obligatory every weekend and eventually realized that a lot of the volunteer work was not directly benefiting anyone but myself. I often didn’t have real skills to offer and it was more about me being exposed to a diversity of work and people. The volunteer work was valuable to my personal development but I slowly realized that in order to actually contribute in a lasting and sustainable way as a volunteer it is important to bring unique skills to the table. So, choosing the Uptown Shepherd’s Center for me was more about choosing an organization based upon the location and convenience, rather than me feeling like a I had skills to offer them. However, I am now trying to think about what I can offer to groups of senior citizens and what ways Shakespeare will inform my experience them and vice versa. I think that a listening ear is often a really valuable resource to senior citizens who are perhaps bored or unable to leave the house very often. When I was in grade school we visited a nursing home and paired up with a senior named Agnes. I have really fond memories of listening to her stories and learning about her experiences. I hope to have a similar experience at the Uptown Shepherd’s Center. At the Uptown Shepherd’s Center I’ll be volunteering during their drama class and I think it will help me to break out of my comfort zone as well as being supportive of performers who do not have experience on the stage.

            In regard to Shakespeare I think that volunteering with the Uptown Shepherd’s Center will help me to feel the unity of the human experience, regardless of place or time. Shakespeare’s work often feels distant to me and it helps for me to think about characters as actual humans. This is not to say that I have difficulty understanding senior citizens as humans, but the experiences of older generations can often feel distant. I think that hearing the stories of people from older generations will help me to connect more with Shakespeare’s characters and to see the unity inherent in the human experience. Additionally, since I will be volunteering during their drama class I think will make me feel more connected to performance and theater. I am not usually excited about performing, but I am excited to see what plays they will be reading because I do like reading plays. I also think if I am exposed to performance and reading plays aloud that I might be more inclined to try to read Shakespeare aloud.