The Song and Dance Festival 2022 is over, and the pinnacle of the show was all the amazing performers and judges who made the show a success. Often however, we forget that there are those who are working tirelessly behind the scenes making sure we can focus on the main acts of the show . In this article, the spotlight is on one of our hardworking student volunteers!

Abdihakim Keyse Mohamoud, a Spring MPM 2022 student from Somalia, shares his experience as a volunteer in this year’s event. Not only was it his first volunteer experience in KDIS but his first time attending the Song and Dance Festival! His passion and exuberance were felt especially since he says he is considered very social and even a comedian to some of his peers.

He shared his experience with us, enjoy! 

What was the application process like?

I saw Student Affairs put out a call for volunteers on the student e-noticeboard, and as I was not contributing in other ways like performing, I figured this was a great opportunity to give back and volunteer. I have a lot of energy and felt I had the ability to be part of the event because during my undergraduate studies I used to be part of school events through emceeing or the organization of those events. 

How was it like working behind the scenes?

There were five volunteers working alongside me, and we all had different tasks. Some volunteers had to staff the photobooth station, others distributed the food to attendees, and other volunteers were teaching attendees how to use the light wristbands we wore. I was responsible for reserve seating, making sure no one entered the hall with food so it could remain clean and making sure people returned the light wrist bands after the show. I also made sure all the seats had reserved signage on them and would direct people where to sit. 

That sounds busy, was it a difficult job?

Nope! It was a wonderful volunteer experience because KDI students made it so easy for me as they complied with the rules, and it was not difficult as they all listened to what I said and followed the signs put up. The KDIS community is luckily a rule-abiding community, so it was not a heavy lift for me at all – and I still got to enjoy the show. 

What was your volunteering highlight?

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Student Affairs department because they did not treat us like just volunteers but like peers, and a wonderful culture of sharing, honesty, and respect was created. It did not feel like a top-down approach at all. They were all a real joy to work with.

Would you volunteer again, and would you encourage other students to do the same?

I will definitely volunteer again. I feel like I already have the passion and energy to contribute to the school, and this is a wonderful way to do it. There were some nice perks like free meals and the cool shirts we wore, but I can honestly say the experience itself was compensation enough. I would recommend any student who wishes to volunteer to do so as you will also learn so much. I was observing many skills at work like multitasking or working with a diverse group of people as KDIS is a multinational institution, and those skills are applicable no matter where you go next. I hope that one day I could have a similar experience of event management wherever life leads me so I can apply what I saw.