Recent projects focus on food insecurity, providing support to people affected by Eaton and Palisades wildfires.
By Jesus Cortez, Staff Reporter
The mission of the Rotaract Club at Cal State Dominguez Hills is grounded in one core principle: service. Through food drives, workshops, and disaster relief, the club encourages Toros to give back while developing leadership skills along the way.
That mission is personal for senior psychology student Ray Dawson, who joined the group two years ago and serves as its president. Dawson calls Texas home, but has lived in several communities across the United States and witnessed some of the hardships people experience every day. He told The Bulletin he joined the Rotaract Club on campus in hopes of making the community here “just a little better.”
“I heard [the Rotaract Club does] a lot of community service, and I always want to be a part of that,” Dawson explained.
Since moving to Carson, Dawson said he was drawn to the club after struggling to balance college life and personal commitments. He found a space where students could not only serve others, but also support one another. With fears of a recession lingering in the minds of younger Americans and uncertainty in the job market, these sessions aim to provide timely, practical support.
“These days, it has become much harder to get a job straight out of college,” Dawson said. “We want to help them better their online presence in the professional world.”
In a recent local project, the Rotaract Club addressed food insecurity on campus by donating unsold goods from Sweet Valentine Bakery—food that otherwise would have gone to waste.
Their service extends beyond the university as well. In one of their larger efforts, club members worked together to assemble care packages for victims of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in January. The project, organized by the Rotary Club of San Pedro, also provided 10,000 meals—enough to feed up to 60,000 people.
“It felt really good to provide help to those people after what they went through,” said club member Diego Hernandez, a third-year kinesiology student. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose everything, so this was the least that we could do.”
In March, the group became an officially chartered Rotaract Club and was recognized with a celebratory breakfast. The charter grants them visibility on Rotary websites and access to expanded networking opportunities.
Dawson said the Rotaract Club has helped him grow both personally and professionally, giving him the tools to better serve others and prepare for life after college.
“The club also does a lot of professional development and networking, which are skills that will be very useful for me in the future,” Dawson said.
Hernandez echoed this view, saying the club helped him to step out of his comfort zone. Last month, he gave a presentation on how to eat healthier on a budget. The workshop was well received by attendees, including sophomore criminal justice major Keke Williams, who joined the club as a freshman to become more involved on campus.
Williams told The Bulletin that she got her first taste of public service at a young age. By the time she was five, she was already volunteering at soup kitchens.
“I was kind of a shy person,” Williams told The Bulletin. “But Rotaract helped me become more confident and I am now more social to the point that I can reach out and network with others.”
Growing up in a family dedicated to helping others, she was drawn to Rotaract’s mission. After a conversation with Dawson about the club’s goals and activities, she knew it was where she belonged. “I guess there was always a sign that I would end up doing something to help the community,” Williams said.
The club’s next major event is a campus cleanup on Apr. 26, organized in partnership with the National Society of Leadership and Success.
“We only want the best for our university, so I’m really glad that we’ll be doing this,” Dawson said. “We hope as many people as possible volunteer to make campus look as clean as possible.”