In some ways, higher education is a self-serving experience.People often seek a college education because they want to improve their lives.Or, they want to increase their chances at gaining well-paying, interesting and meaningful employment.Even if a person wants to find cures for major diseases or solve homelessness, they must spend years gaining knowledge and training for themselves before they can help others.A person's college years are usually very busy. It may not seem like they have the time or the freedom to serve anyone but themselves.But Connie Snyder Mick says they actually do.Mick is the academic director of the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame in the state of Indiana.Centers like hers exist at many colleges and universities in the United States.Mick says the centers help students seeking an experience that may not be directly related to a student's academic progress, but that is still important: volunteering.Volunteering is not uncommon in higher education. Many campus groups organize volunteer events or fundraising efforts for different causes.
