Meet Caroline Dollase, Social Media and Community Outreach Chair for BU’s Student Volunteers for Special Needs

Meet Caroline Dollase, a senior at BU studying Psychology and Education, who, like most seniors, is applying to grad school, trying to make the most of her senior year, and chasing her dream to positively impact the community and leave it better than she found it!

She has gone above and beyond with her BU club, Student Volunteers for Special Needs (SVSN). After transferring to BU her sophomore year, SVSN immediately caught her eye. SVSN is a small group of BU students who meet once a week with young adults who have various disabilities. 

Caroline explains she was excited about it from the beginning, “Once I joined, I fell in love with the work we do,” Dollase said. “We get to give our weekly visitors a chance to have a normal social experience and just hang out with their peers and get to know us.” 

When asked about the root of her interest in the club, she reflects on her personal experience of having a sibling with special needs. This has inspired her to become more active in working with students with disabilities and helping them have a meaningful community to which they can belong.

As a senior, Caroline serves on SVSN’s e-board as the Social Media and Community Outreach Chair. She is responsible for running the club’s social media and for recruiting new members. She is proud of everything that SVSN has done to create a space for people of all backgrounds and disabilities. 

“So often, there aren’t groups like this for people with special needs to just have a chance to integrate with college students and have fun without anyone treating them differently,” Dollase said.

Caroline happily remembers events that SVSN has put on in the past. Her favorite is the club’s annual Halloween event, in which all the members and visitors dress up in fun costumes and carve pumpkins together to celebrate the holiday. SVSN’s Halloween event will be taking place virtually this year.

Although the meetings are now on Zoom, they are still a fun and welcoming place for everyone. I went to a meeting a few weeks back and it consisted of storytelling, karaoke, and lots of laughter. Everyone there genuinely enjoys going and looks forward to it every week. The sense of camaraderie and friendship was felt through the computer screen and even me, a complete stranger to this club, could not deny feeling like a part of this joyful, inclusive community.

Caroline is currently applying to grad schools to obtain her Masters in Social Work and work in counseling. She hopes to bring SVSN’s inclusivity and joyfulness into her work and continue to make an impact on her community. You can find her on Instagram.

You can also follow Student Volunteers for Special Needs on Instagram or learn more about the club and how to join on their Facebook page.

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