Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
These powerful words give a new meaning to the definition of success in the work force. It explains how we cannot measure the fullness of our life by our possessions but only by how we have given back to the world that has given us many opportunities.
“Being ‘socially responsible’ means that people and organizations must behave ethically and with sensitivity toward social, cultural, economic and environmental issues,” according to ASQ, a global community of leaders with the common goal to make the world a better place through ethical business practices. To learn more about ASQ go here: http://asq.org/about-asq/who-we-are/index.html.
Through my enrollment in the Mass Communication 4001 course in the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU I have learned of the importance of social responsibility. The service-learning component of this course has been a tough undertaking but because of it, I have gained a new appreciation for giving back to the community.
I was overwhelmed the first time I looked at the 27-page syllabus but I have come to the realization of the great opportunity to work with BRAC to give back to the Baton Rouge community. BRAC works for the betterment of the Baton Rouge area and through the service-learning component of Mass Comm 4001 we have gotten a taste of what BRAC does. Through this course I will be able to give back to the Baton Rouge community and hopefully show others the great things about the Baton Rouge area with BRAC through the SCVNGR app. To see other ways that BRAC impacts the Baton Rouge community visit their website: .
Not only have we improved our writing skills but we are also being able to impact the community (how cool, right?).
My team, Bengal Communications, will work with the SCVNGR app to show the local community different happenings to discover outside of the main Baton Rouge community. This is not only teaching us different aspects of public relations but also shows us the importance of stewardship in the community.
Corporate social responsibility begins with individual social responsibility according to ASQ. Being socially responsible not only requires participating in socially responsible activities like recycling, volunteering and mentoring, but to actually make it a lifestyle. Only through a commitment to embrace and embed social responsibility into your personal value and belief system can you truly become socially responsible in all you do.
In a nutshell, we cannot truly achieve happiness unless you find a way to give back to the community that you live in. I look forward to learning more about how I can give back to my community through my profession.