NSU Horizons Spring 2010

10 horizons learning more By Robert Spencer Knotts by giving more A t NSU, undergraduates and graduates receive a double education—the knowl- edge that comes from books and research and the knowledge that comes from helping others in the real world while still in school. “I find that by taking part in volunteer events, I get one step closer to becoming a physician,” said Norberto Mancera, a junior in NSU’s premed program. “Helping other people and informing them about how to keep healthy is exactly what a good doctor should do.” Mancera is among 50 undergraduate and graduate students trained each year by Mark Jaffe, D.P.M., to provide health screenings. “It’s rewarding to see them having an impact even before they begin their careers,” said Jaffe, an associate professor in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ Division of Math, Science, and Technology. “Students learn the importance of commitment toward society before they go off into their professional lives.” NSU students are proving that commitment daily. Through campus organiza- tions, NSU officials track undergraduate volunteer hours, which included more than 5,400 hours of service during the fall 2009 semester. That number doesn’t include the high number of graduate students and undergrads who help nonprofits outside of campus organizations.