Building the Self and the Profession through Voluntary Action: The Impact of Volunteering on Students’ Personal and Professional Development

Manolis Mentis¹, Elena Vrapi², Filio Zoupi², Antony Salachas³ and Georgia Konstantopoulou^4*

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences and Social Work, University of Patras, Greece

²Final-Year Undergraduate Student, Department of Educational Sciences and Social Work, University of Patras, Greece

³Social Worker; Postgraduate Student, Department of Public and Community Health, University of West Attica, Greece; and Business Consultant at “Proopsis” Consulting Company

⁴Laboratory Teaching Staff, Department of Educational Sciences and Social Work, University of Patras, Greece

Citation: Mentis M, Vrapi E, Zoupi F, Salachas A, Konstantopoulou G. Building the Self and the Profession through Voluntary Action: The Impact of Volunteering on Students’ Personal and Professional Development. Am J Psychol & Brain Stud, 2025;2(4):31-40.

Received: 22 December , 2025; Accepted: 25 December, 2025; Published: 26 December, 2025

*Corresponding author: Georgia Konstantopoulou, Laboratory Teaching Staff, Department of Educational Sciences and Social Work, University of Patras, Greece 

Copyright: © 2025 de Souza MC. This is an open-access article published in Am J Psychol & Brain Stud and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

aonal development and social connectedness-after controlling for age and gender. Students who reported volunteering scored higher in self-growth, professional competence and social connection. Age and gender showed no consistent associations with these outcomes. The findings highlight the contribution of volunteering to students’ holistic development within higher education. Participation in voluntary activities enhances personal maturity, social engagement and professional identity formation. Integrating structured volunteer programs into university curricula may therefore strengthen students’ employability skills and civic responsibility.

Keywords: Volunteering; Personal development; Professional growth; Social connection; Higher education 

Introduction

Volunteering has long represented an act of social contribution and active civic participation. In contemporary societies, its role has been significantly strengthened-not only as a form of social solidarity but also as a pathway for personal fulfillment, skills development and professional empowerment, particularly among young people and students. Active involvement in volunteering has been shown to positively influence social awareness, self-confidence and the development of essential competencies such as collaboration, responsibility and leadership^1,2. This experiential pedagogy is crucial for developing soft skills like problem-solving, conflict resolution and empathy, which are highly valued in both academic and professional environments³. Such engagements are particularly salient for university students, as they navigate their career choices and enhance their employability prospects post-graduation^4,5. University student volunteering has an intellectual dimension that links curriculum to volunteer experiences, thereby fostering tangible learning and awareness of social inequalities⁶. Moreover, active participation in voluntary service has been empirically linked to improved academic performance and enhanced employment quality, alongside the development of teamwork abilities and a reinforced sense of responsibility among students⁷. Furthermore, these experiences often lead to the development of transferable skills highly sought after by employers, such as leadership, communication and critical thinking, which are critical for navigating complex professional landscapes⁸. The cultivation of these competencies is paramount for equipping graduates with the attributes necessary for the contemporary job market, which increasingly prioritizes adaptability and interdisciplinary expertise⁹. Indeed, universities globally have increasingly recognized the strategic importance of integrating volunteering into their curricula, shifting from a mere extracurricular activity to a more structured pedagogical approach that builds vocational relevance and enhances student employability¹⁰. This integration provides a practical context for informal and non-formal learning, facilitating the acquisition and transformation of knowledge essential for professional advancement¹¹. Moreover, engagement in volunteer organizations enhances students' socio-political standing and fosters critical thinking, enabling them to make informed decisions and act as catalysts for constructive societal change¹². Furthermore, universities have a responsibility to not only develop students' technical skills but also to instill moral, collective and personal principles, thereby preparing them for complex professional and ethical challenges¹³. This holistic approach ensures students graduate not only with academic knowledge but also with a robust ethical framework to guide their professional lives¹⁴.

Within the context of higher education, volunteering offers students the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, engage directly with social issues and cultivate skills that are essential both for personal growth and for integration into the labor market. At the same time, participation in volunteer activities contributes to the development of social sensitivity, empathy and active citizenship^15,16. This engagement often leads to a deeper level of learning and reflection, fundamentally reshaping students' knowledge frameworks⁴. This integration of theoretical and practical experience is crucial for developing a comprehensive understanding of societal challenges and for fostering innovative solutions⁹. Such curricula, incorporating service-learning, allow students to apply academic knowledge in practical scenarios, thereby fostering a lifelong commitment to civic engagement and developing essential 21st-century skills like communication, teamwork and critical thinking^17,18. This approach moves beyond traditional pedagogical models by explicitly connecting academic instruction with community service, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts while simultaneously fostering civic engagement and personal development¹⁹. This pedagogical strategy, often termed service-learning, is designed to explicitly bridge academic study with community service, enabling students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts while concurrently fostering civic responsibility and personal growth^14,20. This method not only deepens students' understanding of complex social issues but also equips them with practical skills and an ethical framework for addressing these challenges effectively^21,22. Moreover, by involving students in research projects that tackle current social and ethical problems, universities can provide avenues for applying ethical values in real-world environments, contributing to the development of a more ethical, just and sustainable society²³. This holistic approach encourages a re-evaluation of higher education's mission, shifting from mere career preparation to the cultivation of responsible citizens equipped with both professional competencies and strong social commitment²⁴. This integration cultivates a profound sense of social responsibility and ethical awareness, vital for graduates to navigate the moral complexities of their professional lives²⁵. Service-learning, in particular, serves as an optimal methodology within this framework, intentionally designed to integrate community service with critical reflection to enrich academic learning, cultivate civic responsibility and strengthen community engagement among students^21,26. This pedagogical approach transcends traditional knowledge transmission by encouraging the active construction of knowledge through participatory and solidarity-driven experiences²⁷. Its key elements, encompassing academic rigor, community engagement, reflection and critical thinking, are designed to foster civic engagement and citizenship, aiming for long-term community impact²⁸. This transformative approach not only enhances academic understanding but also cultivates a deep sense of civic engagement and social responsibility, preparing students to tackle global challenges more effectively²⁹. This approach, therefore, moves beyond conventional educational paradigms by fostering a pragmatic synthesis between ethics of care and justice, contributing to a redefinition of the educational concept itself and aligning with international proposals for human development and education as a common good³⁰. Such initiatives foster an understanding of ethical principles like human dignity and social responsibility, which are crucial for addressing complex societal problems and fostering a just society³⁰. 

Volunteering is a multidimensional concept with broad and dynamic meaning, making it a subject of growing interest for both the academic community and society as a whole. Defining the concept is challenging, as it evolves and adapts to the needs and circumstances of each historical period and social context. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme defines volunteering as the voluntary and conscious offering of time and skills by individuals to support society without expectation of financial reward, thereby promoting collective well-being and strengthening social bonds³¹. Similarly, the³² describes volunteering as an act of selfless service undertaken through personal initiative and guided by values such as respect, responsibility and solidarity, in accordance with the fundamental humanitarian principles of the movement. These definitions underscore that volunteering is distinct from simple charity or activism; it involves a sustained, collaborative partnership where individuals engage as learning partners rather than merely service providers, actively working to address real-world needs and promoting personal development and civic engagement^33,34. However, some scholars argue that this conceptualization may inadvertently emphasize individual contributions while overlooking the crucial role of community partners and systemic issues, suggesting a need for broader terminology that highlights reciprocal relationships and structural problem-solving³⁵. Despite its varying interpretations, volunteering generally encompasses actions where individuals dedicate their time and skills to support society without financial compensation, fostering collective well-being and strengthening social bonds³⁵. This commitment is often driven by intrinsic motivation and a deep-seated desire to contribute positively to the community, reflecting a dedication to moral, ethical and social values³⁶. This aligns with the economic perspective that views volunteering as the donation of time to “do good” and maximize utility, alongside consuming goods and enjoying leisure³⁷. Furthermore, academic definitions frequently emphasize the deliberate and productive nature of such activities, undertaken voluntarily and without financial expectation, on behalf of various causes or individuals requiring assistance³⁸.

Furthermore, the European Centre for Volunteering (CEV) emphasizes that volunteering should be accessible to all³⁹, thereby enhancing equality and promoting social inclusion. Active citizen participation in volunteer activities promotes social cohesion and reinforces values such as solidarity and democratic engagement. In Greece, the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA) recognizes volunteering as an institution of vital importance for addressing economic⁴⁰, social and environmental challenges, contributing to the common good and compensating for gaps that cannot be filled by state or market mechanisms. This highlights how volunteering transcends mere individual acts, evolving into a critical societal infrastructure that addresses complex issues and fosters community resilience. This perspective underscores volunteering as a “win-win” relationship, benefiting both the recipient and the volunteer through non-material rewards and personal growth⁴¹. This reciprocal benefit extends beyond individual gratification, often serving as a bridge for welfare services into deprived communities and providing substantial economic advantages to non-profit organizations⁴².

Finally, ⁴³argues that volunteering extends beyond social contribution, encompassing multiple dimensions that benefit not only communities but also the individuals involved. Participation in voluntary activities yields a dual benefit-strengthening social cohesion while simultaneously fostering personal development and empowerment among volunteers

Methods

This study adopted a quantitative research design aimed at examining specific variables through the analysis of numerical data. The approach sought to capture measurable attitudes and perceptions of students in order to identify potential relationships between their participation in voluntary activities and various aspects of their personal and professional development. The use of quantitative methodology was considered appropriate, as it allows for the objective recording and comparison of data, facilitating the identification of general trends and the extraction of evidence-based conclusions^1,2. 

The research was conducted among students attending higher education institutions in Greece, regardless of their field or level of study. A total of 112 students participated voluntarily and completed the questionnaire. The sample was selected using purposive sampling, as the aim was to include both students who had participated in volunteering and those with no prior experience. Although the sample cannot be regarded as statistically representative of the overall student population, it was deemed adequate for drawing meaningful conclusions within the scope of this exploratory study.