Hello Everyone,

                Every year in Utica, NY, in the month of July, there is an annual race called the Boilermaker. All locals are familiar with this race and know it is 15 kilometers long (9.3 miles). Every year Mayor Palmieri and his crew get together to participate in a city sweep. The city sweep is a cleanup along the Boilermaker route in the city of Utica. This year Indium Corporation and the interns joined together in community volunteering. My first thought was excitement because I always enjoy giving back to the community. Not only do I want to help benefit the city of Utica but I want to make the area a more enjoyable place to live. Being from the area I’ve always gotten involved in community service or volunteering. My Utica College baseball team and I have volunteered many times throughout my three years at Utica College. Every single experience feels like the last because you always know that you are valuable. I specifically thought that the city sweep for the Boilermaker was the best experience for community volunteering that I’ve had. I say this because it is a rare occasion that the city can get together as a whole and enjoy one event. Just to say I was a part of the cleanup process of that event means something. Getting to do this with a great group of interns was even better.       

                Prior to my internship here at Indium Corporation I have done community volunteering for Utica College. I have participated in a Utica lawn clean up. This consisted of the Utica College baseball team raking lawns throughout Utica during the fall. The next community service opportunity was the Special Olympic fundraising I took part in. This was also with Utica College baseball and we helped fundraise for the Special Olympics at Applebee’s in New Hartford, NY. We acted as the Applebee’s staff that night and helped the Applebee’s employees serve the customers who donated to the Special Olympics. The other experiences I had were a Utica Memorial Auditorium trash pickup and the class speaker at the High School I graduated from. I was invited to Thomas R. Proctor High School, where I graduated, to talk to a class about possibly pursuing a career in Cyber Security. I also explained what Cyber Security at Utica College is all about. All of these were amazing experiences and I suggest that everyone should start participating in community volunteering. It is a great way to bring a community together, even if it is for a short period of time.

                Community volunteering has always been important to me. I always have taken the approach that there is always someone who will appreciate you and benefit from the service you are providing. I am thankful to have had the chance to represent Indium Corporation while helping the Utica community. I also look forward to the next community volunteering event I can get involved in.

I wish you all the best,

Matthew D. Haddad