Her busy schedule as postgraduate student didn't hinder her to volunteer in whatever programs or events available - from volunteering for aged and homeless through the Salvation Army to being involved with the Melbourne's Lord's Mayor Student Welcome to other community charities and events.
She shares how volunteering has helped her in so many ways, "your CV is so full when you have volunteering activities. [Volunteering] provides you local experience which is very important when you are an international student when you get to apply in different jobs and you get to tailor it based on that job position that you are applying for..."
And now that Hope Dolino is working full-time, she still manages to take some time off from her busy workload to volunteer from time to time. "It's important to give back. And for me, it's important that you feel like you have a purpose, not only in your job... it's important that you give back and you get to share those experiences and opportunities that you can provide to, especially to the younger people, when they are just starting."
She encourages students to volunteer and tells about its benefits, "with the development of my employability skills, the confidence, just knowing how to engage with different groups, the exposure that I got from volunteering to start with, prepared me for what it's like being in the real world when you start working."
Hope Dolino (front, right) posed with other volunteers and contestants of the the King and Queen of Melbourne Latin Summer Festival (Supplied by H. Dolino) Source: Supplied by H. Dolino
