To Monica Sedillo, volunteering is all about playing to your strengths. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Organizational Management and Human Resources Management in 2008, and in 2009, she became certified in sport management. Sedillo chose UCCS because it was close to home, allowing her to continue living with her parents as a commuting student. She began her college career as a withdrawn and quiet freshman. It was not until Sedillo joined a sorority that she was able to break out of her shell and form lasting relationships. Her sorority reignited a passion for connecting with and helping others that she maintains to this day in both her current job and her volunteering career. Sedillo returned to UCCS in 2021 to get a master's degree in Business Management. Now, she is an HR Senior Professional at UCCS' Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Sedillo soon realized that her background in letter-writing - thanks to a position at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs that required her to send hundreds of handwritten thank-you notes at a time to the zoo's donors - made her a perfect fit for UCCS' Write-A-Mountain-Lion Program. This program allows volunteers to write and send notes to incoming students that welcome them to the Mountain Lion family. Sedillo says that it is an opportunity not only to help other people but also to help the program itself, a cause that she believes is more than worthwhile. Because she finds writing letters to be therapeutic and calming, it is easy for her to send out letter after letter to incoming students every summer. She has even contributed an astounding 350+ handwritten letters in her volunteering career thus far! Donating her time and talents to UCCS is a large part of Sedillo's life, and she argues that it is important, gratifying, and mutually beneficial for both the volunteer and the university. "There are lots of opportunities and lots of skills needed," Sedillo explains when asked about the volunteer program at UCCS, "And it's awesome to match up your skills with what the university needs!" While Write-A-Mountain-Lion is her own personal favorite program, Sedillo encourages others to explore UCCS' volunteer opportunities so they can find the best ways to give back. Today, Sedillo spends her time hiking the campus trails, spending quality time with family and friends, baking, watching sports... and writing letters, of course!
