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Daniel Mullery

dmullery@rollins.edu

Class of 2009

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Major: International Relations

Read more about Daniel...

A Hand Up

February 06, 2009

Waking up at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning is not something I make a habit of. Usually if I’m up before 11 a.m. it feels like a victory. This Saturday, however, I made an exception.

My friend Amy Testa, as an active member of the Rollins Outdoor Club, has been pushing ROC to become more involved in community service. A few weeks ago, she organized a trip to Second Harvest Food Bank and this week she invited me to come out to Habitat for Humanity. I was staying in town and had always wanted to get involved with Habitat for Humanity, so I agreed.

From Habitat for Humanity R-Journal

At a quarter past nine, I rolled up to the job site. I was a little late, but I figured I would still be able to put in two hours and 45 minutes of work. As soon as I passed through the cinder block door frame I saw Amy and another ROCer, Trevor Swanson. None of us had any experience with carpentry, but luckily all we really needed to know was how to swing a hammer and follow directions. This proved harder than I had imagined, but we eventually made everything fit.

Over the course of the morning, we worked together with two dozen other volunteers framing and tacking up new walls. By the end, we had bent and discarded about as many nails as we had put in, but that’s the beauty of being a volunteer. One of the site leaders would periodically come by and give us carpentry tips along with new jobs. The wood beams and concrete floors were pre-marked, so we didn’t mess up more than two or three times before we got it right.

From Habitat for Humanity R-Journal

During one of the lulls, we began talking with one of the other volunteers. She explained to us that in order to receive a Habitat house a family must first put in 500 hours of work on other Habitat houses. She was actually working towards her own home. Her children and extended family members were scattered around the job site contributing hours towards her goal.

From Habitat for Humanity R-Journal

What struck me most was what happened next. After the woman moved on to her next job, we saw a group of high school students pull out a cake to celebrate one of their birthdays. They were also wearing t-shirts they had made announcing that this was their 10th Habitat house. This inspired Amy to not only choose to set aside the morning of her 21st birthday the following Saturday, but also to inquire about having ROC adopt a family and donate their hours. It’s people like Amy and Trevor who make Rollins a place for service and self-discovery.

From Habitat for Humanity R-Journal

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More about Daniel...

Daniel has been involved with a wide range of activities over his first three years at Rollins. He has worked for Residential Life, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, the Dean of the Faculty, the Admissions Department and the Office of Public Relations & Communications.

Daniel has also taken advantage of the many opportunities for co-curricular education. He traveled to New Orleans with Rollins Relief and to Australia for a semester abroad. Daniel describes involvement at Rollins by saying, “Rollins has so many amazing opportunities for personal growth. I hope that my entries will help new students find everything they’re looking for.”

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Daniel's R-Journal archives:

Date	Link
April 22, 2009	Cheering On the Magic Men
April 05, 2009	Like It's Going Out Of Style
March 24, 2009	Don't Drink the Water
March 03, 2009	Classy Ladies
February 21, 2009	Mandatory Fun Time
February 06, 2009	A Hand Up
January 25, 2009	Climb Your Mountain
November 22, 2008	Not Confined to the Classroom
November 05, 2008	We The People
October 27, 2008	It's About Being Real
September 25, 2008	Back in the Swing
September 18, 2008	Growing My Own Way
May 20, 2008	End of Days
May 20, 2008	LEAD Team
April 21, 2008	The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
April 01, 2008	Chillin' at Rollins
March 18, 2008	Residential Life
January 27, 2008	Home Again
December 12, 2007	Australian Field Trips Provide Exploration & Insight
December 12, 2007	Australia: So Close, Yet So Far Away
December 12, 2007	Rollins Provides a Whole New World of Opportunity