Cadet Benjamin Rosado believes service work is more than just a checklist to be completed. “It should be something you want to do with a purpose and good intentions.” This belief is why the finance major, who is also minoring in Spanish, joined his fellow Sierra Company cadets on a spring Sunday afternoon to volunteer with Fields to Families, a Charleston nonprofit organization founded in 2006 that partners with local farmers to help disadvantaged families gain access to fresh produce.
“Being out there together built cohesion for our company, especially freshmen and upperclassmen,” said Rosado, a rising junior. “We all agreed it was a lot of fun and worth those few hours of our Sunday.” In addition to gathering produce, Rosado and his fellow Sierra Company classmates pulled weeds and handled odd jobs.
Beyond a boost to company unity, the afternoon of service gave Rosado a new perspective. The Boston- area native had little exposure to life outside a metropolitan suburb before the trip to Johns Island. “I haven’t been to many farms,” he said. “It really opens your eyes to other places in the United States and how people live.” The cadet was also struck by how little some people right in his own backyard have. “I realized how many less-fortunate people there are. I didn’t know until I got here.”
Rosado is eager to continue to make service a foundation of his time at The Citadel. “You have to think of it not for yourself, but for the people you’re serving. You’re doing something bigger than yourself. When you do that, you feel like you’re contributing to a cause. These experiences really make you into the sort of person you would expect to be—and would like to be–coming out of The Citadel.”