Student volunteer brings McMaster connection full circle

This week is National Volunteer Week, during which Canadians celebrate the many achievements of and countless hours of work performed by community volunteers.

One such volunteer, who has spent the last year working with the McMaster Alumni Association, is profiled below.

Ava-Dayna Sefa wouldn't be here were it not for McMaster.

Not just here on campus, finishing her fourth year of a degree in English and political science – here at all. Without McMaster, Sefa may never have been born.

“My mother received admission to McMaster along with a tuition waiver which allowed her to move from Ghana, West Africa to Hamilton with ease,” she said. “Were it not for McMaster, she may never have had the opportunity to come to Canada, meet my father and have my brother and me.”

With such a strong connection to the University, it's no wonder Sefa chose to get involved with the McMaster Alumni Association (MAA). After seeing an MAA information booth at a volunteer fair and discussing the important role the organization plays in supporting McMaster, Sefa began volunteering as an organizer with the senior class gift project.

“I feel a personal connection to McMaster and I wanted to make this connection come full circle by being as active in the McMaster community as McMaster has been in my life,” she said.

As part of her work with the senior class gift project, Sefa organized a farewell event – “The Tassle Was Worth The Hassle” – for graduates in all faculties. Intended as a low-key way for students to relax on the last day of classes, the event was successful in both bringing students together as well as educating them on what it means to be McMaster University alumni. She also helped with the Alumni Launch event and chaired the senior class gift committee.

“I had the responsibility of relaying the importance of alumni donations to students and showing them the objects, services and even people that would not be at McMaster were it not for the generous donations of alumni members,” she said. “I tried to show my peers that it is imperative for graduating classes to continue this practice.”

Though she developed a number of useful skills while volunteering for the University, for Sefa, gaining experience wasn't the highlight of her work.

“I did a lot of public speaking and event planning, I made a number of contacts and was able to learn about the services the MAA has to offer,” she said. “But these things paled in comparison to the satisfaction I received when I was able to help a student see the merit in alumni donations and take up the practice of giving themselves.”

Though Sefa is unsure as to whether her future studies will bring her back to McMaster after graduation, she is certain of one thing: the immense importance of volunteering in the McMaster community.

“Volunteerism is important because you are able to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself and you have the chance to influence people's lives in ways you wouldn't think possible,” she said. “A conversation about the importance of alumni giving can inspire a student to become active in school activities and ultimately make the McMaster community stronger. One person taking the time to give back to their community has the potential to begin a chain reaction – I think that is the essence of volunteerism.”

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