A Shenzhen University student who frequently volunteers in local communities was awarded in April as one of Guangdong Province’s top 10 university students in 2012.

    Ma Xiaodong, a senior, is a veteran member of the university’s volunteer association. He has spent most of his spare time volunteering since he joined the association in 2009.

    Almost every weekend, he goes with classmates to visit elderly people who live alone in the area. Ma said the experiences are meaningful and show young people’s care for the elderly. He said an old woman in a community in Bao’an District often rummaged through her house to find pictures of her children and show them to him.

    Ma also has organized birthday parties and garden parties for senior citizens living in nursing homes.

    “I insist on visiting seniors because we bring them hope and I don’t want to disappoint them,” Ma said of the experiences.

    Ma said his time spent with children suffering from cancer or thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder, shocked him very much. He said patience was necessary because some children would exhibit great depression or become manic.

    Ma has raised funds with classmates to pay for children’s medical treatments or help them realize their dreams.

    In December 2011, he and his classmates launched a campaign in his college to collect clothes for impoverished people in remote, countryside areas of Guizhou Province.

    Ma also has brought the volunteering spirit to students outside of campus. Children of migrant families have been invited to join volunteer efforts with him.

    “I think those activities are meaningful because they not only enrich their lives but also promote volunteer spirit among more young people,” Ma said.

    Last winter, Ma led the school’s volunteer association to participate in Chinese university students’ volunteer movement, SK Sunny, and teach in Heyuan City in Guangdong Province. He said the trip was a good opportunity to develop social skills and make friends with like-minded people.

    He has received a number of honorary titles as rewards for his volunteer work.

    “My life becomes enriched by doing volunteer work,” Ma said.

    (Zhao Jie)