"THISJUSTIN"

Group Value- Common Purpose

"Common purpose means to work with others within a shared set of aims and values.  Having these shared aims facilitates the groups’s ability to engage in collective analysis of the issues at hand and the task to be undertaken."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During college, I have worked with a numerous amount of groups and I have learned that any functional group or team must have a shared vision, a common aim, and some mutual values that will determine its future, its goals, and how the members of the group treat each other and do their work.  The second I decided Virginia Tech would be my new home, I had a common purpose as a student: Ut Prosim.  Virginia Tech carries out the motto 'That I May Serve' and it is a shared vision among the student body to give back.  I have participated in many events that fulfill giving back and serving our campus and community like Big Event, Relay For Life, and Greeks Giving Back.  However, Relay For Life has held a special place in my heart over the past four years.  Ever since I was a freshman, I have been extremely involved in Relay For Life and working towards spreading awareness and raising funds to end a horrible disease.  It has been moving over the past years to see the amount of people that have a vision of a world with no cancer and a goal to save lives.  Although everybody has a different reason for why they Relay, we still work together and dedicated numerous amounts of time and energy to make a difference.  The night of Relay For Life, the entire student body comes together to celebrate, remember, and fight those who have lost their lives to cancer.  A big reason why Virginia Tech Relay For Life is the largest collegiate Relay is because of the common purpose that holds shared visions and a common aim.  It is cruicial to understand the reasoning of why a group is coming together and what each individual wants to get our of the experience.  A lot of times, it can be difficult to stay on task, which leads to frustration with the group and yourself.  However, having a common purpose allows you to look back at your vision and get back on track to enable you to reach the goals that were set.  As you can see with Relay For Life, having a common purpose allows for more people to join to share the vision and a better chance of reaching the goals that were set.  One person has the ability to get more people involved and passionate about events that can make a huge difference in the community and change the world.  Even with graduation coming up soon, I want to continue to be involved in community service events and share a common purpose with individuals that I interact with.  

 

Make a difference at:  www.vtrelay.org

 

 

 

"When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible." - Howard Schultz