Our generation has been labeled as one of the most generous and imaginative of all time. More and more people are creating and forming businesses, non-profits and organizations with the purpose of helping others. Positive and effective change is occurring all around the world because of resourceful organizations that strive to make the world a better place. Organizations founded by students and young, creative people are becoming wildly successful in enacting positive differences because of their inventive and easily 
accessible tactics.

Sevenly is one particular organization that is easily accessible to people who want to donate, helps the art community and allows users to learn of smaller non-profit organizations. Sevenly is a business that allows customers to purchase merchandise for a specific non-profit every week. With every purchase, $7 are donated to that specific organization to help bring awareness and funding. Since starting in 2011, they have helped over a million people around the world. The company brings support to artists 
around the country by hiring them to 
create designs for T-shirts, posters and other merchandise for customers to buy.

With organizations like this so easy to donate to, students should remember what is important in life. Whether students realize it or not, we are all blessed in ways that we take for granted. It is easy to forget that millions of people in the world constantly struggle 
to get clean water when students have 
access to clean water in every building 
they walk into.

We need to keep in mind that although college is a time to think about ourselves, we should also spend time helping others. It’s so easy to say you don’t have enough time or energy to volunteer and make a difference in the community, but volunteering should be an important part of every college student’s life.

College kids need to take a break from thinking about themselves once in a while. Remember that there are others out there in need and invest in something that won’t necessarily give you anything in return. The University has a plethora of volunteer organizations for every person. Students who take advantage of their talents and interests never leave volunteering events unhappy. Whether students are gifted in manual labor, the arts, working with children or athletics, there is something to participate in. With plenty of opportunities for students to donate time or money, we have no reason not to attempt making a difference in the world.

Carolyn Duke is a sophomore majoring in secondary education, English and Spanish. Her column runs biweekly on Monday.