Vision 2020’s Community Pride and Spirit committee is partnering with Bremer Bank of Austin honor volunteers in 2015. This month’s column focuses on a Riverland Community College student, Nicole Donoso Sanchez.

Nicole is from Colombia and came to the United States in 2013 to attend Riverland Community College. She is pursuing her general education here and will transfer to complete a four-year degree in International Relations.

Miguel Garate, a multicultural advisor at Riverland Community College, shared some of Nicole’s recent volunteering. He reports that she volunteered with Taste of Nations, Freeborn-Mower Habitat for Humanity with the Be Your Best program, meal preparation at the Salvation Army and participating as a mentor in English Language Learners conversation groups at through Community Education.

Nicole has strong ties to the Austin Public Schools. She volunteers at Kids Korner day care and at Hispanic parent events at Southgate Elementary. She also serves at assistant coach for the Austin Public High School Girls Soccer team.

Finally, Nicole volunteers as interpreter and assists Spanish speaking residents to communicate and access services through the mobile Mexican consulate when it is in Austin. She also translates for parents and teachers at Southgate Elementary and for anyone in the Hispanic community in need.

Nicole says, “Anything I can do to help people is a pleasure.”

Did Nicole’s story inspire you? Consider participating in Vision 2020’s Community Pride and Spirit community service challenge for the year 2015—making a commitment of 24 hours of volunteer service. You can volunteer anywhere you like, doing any activity that you like. There is no paperwork or registration process—simply a personal commitment to serve the community this year.

To find—or post—volunteer opportunities, make the connection on the Vision 2020 Community Pride and Spirit website www.vision2020austin.com/spirit or find us on Facebook at “Spread the Spirit in Austin, MN.”