Students driven by giving back, meeting new people in nonprofit work

Vermillion is home to many nonprofits, giving students plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Some USD students, like the ones featured below, have shown high levels of passion and commitment to the causes they’re involved in.
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Mariah Larson

As a marketing major, senior Mariah Larson said she hopes to include her major and interest in nonprofit work into her life after graduating.

Larson has been involved in nonprofit organizations since middle school, she said.

A Vermillion resident, the program she is most interested in is Welcome Table, where she’s worked for close to 10 years.

“It’s nice having something close to home,” she said. “I can relate to a lot of the people because I see them on a daily basis. I like (it) a lot.”

The volunteers at Welcome Table “make the people who come in feel like they’re coming into a restaurant,” Larson said.

“We make them feel welcomed and cared for,” she said. “We always have the meal after we serve everybody and we eat with them so it makes it feel like we’re part of it too.”

One of Larson’s favorite parts of nonprofit work is connecting with people who are in need.

“The coolest part about volunteering is that even if you just do a little bit of good, maybe other people will want to do good, too,” she said.

Rachel Beckman

Sophomore Rachel Beckman has been part of the Welcome Table since October and is on the executive board of Random Acts of Kindness, a USD student organization.

Beckman was introduced to Welcome Table by a friend and continued to do it each week, she said.

“I like how (Welcome Table) brings a different perspective,” Beckman said. “It’s a sense of community.”

At RAK, Beckman said she serves others by showing compassion.

She has painted pumpkins with Jolly Elementary children and raked leaves for community members through her involvement in RAK, which she’s been a part of
since September.

“It’s a lot of fun,”
she said.

During elementary school, Beckman volunteered at several nonprofits with her family. When she got to college, she said she missed doing nonprofit work.

“We just thought it was part of everyday life,”
Beckman said. “When I got to college, I realized I was missing something. I got roped into things (because I needed) that sense of helping others and
serving them.”

Nonprofits have played a large role in Beckman’s life, she said.

“People need to realize life is not everything you think — you still need to help people, you’re not better than anybody else,” Beckman said. “(Volunteering) keeps
me humble.”

Logan Schiebout

First-year student Logan Schiebout said he enjoys talking to people and connecting with them through nonprofit work.

First-year Logan Schiebout stocks food at the Vermillion Food Pantry Jan. 19.

Back in his hometown in Iowa, Schiebout volunteered for churches, youth groups and other organizations.

The only place Schiebout volunteers at now is the
Vermillion Food Pantry, where he’s worked since starting at USD
last semester.

Because he’s participated in the other food pantries before, Schiebout said it was his first choice when choosing where
to volunteer.

“It seemed like something I’d be able to understand
easier,” he said.

Schiebout said he likes the atmosphere of the
food pantry.

“It’s pretty (relaxed) and you do what you need to do,” he said. “You don’t get ordered around or told what to do the entire time — you can just help wherever
is needed.”

When it comes to participating in nonprofits, Schiebout said it helps him understand where people come from.

“It gives me more of a feeling to not judge people — just accept people for who they are,” Schiebout said. “We all have
different stories.”