Ever since I first applied to USJ, I quickly searched up everything under the title “social work”, for I have a passion towards helping people in need and being at everyone’s service. And I must admit, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The first day of university, I joined its pastoral; and the following week I enrolled in the “Opération 7ème Jour” (O7), “Service de la vie étudiante” (SVE), and the chaplaincy (aumônerie). I started helping out and volunteering with different majors and branches across all Beirut campuses.

We delivered food boxes to poor people in need during the financial crisis; we helped rebuild a bunch of houses, and clean up the streets of Beirut after the blast; we distributed bookmarks to doctors and nurses in some of the hospitals on International Women’s Day, in support of their hard work and productivity during these hard times.

All this social work has enabled me to gain a lot of experience on the field and expand my repertoire. It has taught me humility, consideration, and thoughtfulness. It has also taught me to enjoy people’s company, and be grateful for everything I have. And most of all, it helped me build connections with different people around all university branches.

It is a wonderful and wholesome experience that I would recommend to anyone interested in drawing smiles on people’s faces.

Carl Saad - L5