I had the opportunity to sit down for a student-to-student talk with Emanuel Rivas, president of the student organization AMCares. I got to learn more about the organization, what it does, what it means to him, and so much more. Emanuel is a junior majoring in Fire Science and works alongside Director of Campus Ministry Joe Jorge in the club. Below you’ll find the transcript from our interview, as well as information about how to join AMCares!
BEN: Thanks for taking the time to meet with me. I want to start with a hypothetical for you. If I’m a freshman attending a club fair for the first time and I walk up to the AMCares table, what are you going to tell me?
MANNY: We are a volunteer organization at Anna Maria College as a club that goes into the community to support those in need. We try to get as many students involved to build skills and educate them to become ethical leaders and community-first professionals, just like the Sisters of St. Anne intended.
BEN: What do students learn from being a part of a club like AMCares?
MANNY: For me personally, I’ve learned both soft and hard skills. Communication is obviously a big part of it, but with volunteer work you also learn hard skills like construction and landscaping.
BEN: Do you have a signature event that you host?
MANNY: Yeah, so last year we invited seniors from St. Mary’s Healthcare Center to spend time with us, and it was extremely successful. A lot of people attended, and we are definitely looking to bring it back next year.
BEN: You know when I was in middle school, I was part of a volunteer group called Communiteen, and one of the main projects we did was going down to a local senior center to spend time and play games with them. You know some of the people living in these senior centers might not have many people that can visit them, so it’s super sweet to do something like that.
MANNY: That’s awesome, yeah when we did it, we actually brought them to campus, so it was nice to give them the experience of getting out of the center for a bit.
BEN: If we were to look at AMCares throughout the years, how has it evolved or changed?
MANNY: I joined as a freshman when it was relatively small. But the executive board was pretty much all seniors, so when they graduated, Joe Jorge, Director of Campus Ministry, asked me to step up as president. I was definitely nervous, but it was so worth it. Throughout the years the club has really grown, and our volunteer projects get a lot of attendance.
BEN: That’s admirable that you were willing to step up like that. In high school I was president of a club and quickly realized how difficult it was to run. So, I gave the spot of president to someone else. But the fact that you stepped up after only completing your freshman year is awesome.
BEN: How would you describe the importance or the impact of a club like AMCares?
MANNY: Honestly, in times like these, we need to come together and share love. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, spreading the message of love and bringing people together.
BEN: If I asked you to describe AMCares in three words, what would you say?
MANNY: Community, love, and kindness, one hundred percent.
BEN: Is there a moment throughout the time you’ve been a member of AMCares that really stands out to you?
MANNY: In my sophomore year we volunteered at a food pantry. It felt like this full-circle moment, you know what I mean? As someone who used to be in that position of needing food at a food pantry, becoming someone who can bless others with food and support them was eye-opening.
BEN: That’s incredible. To talk about your role as president, what have you learned about yourself and the club community since becoming president?
MANNY: We hold the aspect of community so close, and that really helped me learn that even though I’m the president, everyone in the club supports me in the same way that I support them. I realized just because I’m the president, that doesn’t mean I have to take all the burden. I have such an amazing group of members, especially Ashley Jorge, my VP (vice president), that can help me and I can turn to them for ideas and questions.
BEN: It seems like you guys really break the traditional concept of the positions.
MANNY: Even Joe, our advisor; I don’t see him that way. He’s like a right-hand man to me, and he also turns to me for questions or advice.
BEN: So, if someone was interested in joining AMCares, what should they know about the commitment level? Is it a big work and time investment?
MANNY: I think we have a pretty low commitment level; we meet every other Wednesday. As students we know how busy college life is, so we only ask for an hour or so of your time. In terms of the service projects, they can definitely be a time and work commitment, but the satisfaction you get from these projects is so worth it.
BEN: Going back to the president part of this, was there any part of you that doubted yourself when Joe asked you to become president?
MANNY: One hundred percent man, my first thought was just “Why?” Looking back at my first meetings they were honestly horrible [laughs], but I’ve learned so much from being president and it was so worth it. Dealing with conflicts was really tough, I realized that becoming president also meant becoming a mediator, and getting used to that role was really tough.
BEN: Has there ever been a moment that really changed your perspective that came from volunteering?
MANNY: We did a project in West Virginia, helping a trailer park home, and I helped build a wheelchair ramp that a guy who was recently paralyzed would use. Theres no better way to describe that feeling than just “damn”, you know? It was just such a, like you said, perspective changing moment to me.
BEN: Do you have another big project like that coming up?
MANNY: Yeah, we have a trip to Myrtle Beach for trash pickup coming up. It’s the first really big project since the West Virginia trip, so I’m super excited.
BEN: Being a president of a club like AMCares can be so different between the meetings and the big trips or projects. Can you talk about that a bit?
MANNY: Yeah so on the West Virginia trip we actually had a lot of new members, so we didn’t really know what their skillset was. Joe talked to me and pretty much said “you know you have to be their guide, their facilitator”. They had to be comfortable talking to me and asking me what to do.
BEN: I find it so interesting how big the role of president is in a club like this
MANNY: Exactly, we all need to do our part in a club like this.
BEN: Well, for my last question, what do you want to plug?
MANNY: We meet biweekly, so every other Wednesday at 3:00 PM in the Campus Ministry Lounge.
BEN: Perfect, well thanks for making the time for this. I really appreciate it.
MANNY: Yeah, thanks for having me on!
Ben Milgate, Communications ‘29
