Mandy Anderson grew up working on community service projects, from volunteering in soup kitchens as an elementary student to rehabbing houses in Appalachia during her high school summers.

"It's something I've been doing since I was 7 years old," said Anderson, 22, a graduating senior from Bethesda, Md. "It comes from strong personal commitment and a belief that I belong to a larger community and that I have a responsibility to be an active and positive participant in that community."

Anderson is hardly alone at Duke.

About 75 percent of the Class of 2004 performed some community service while at Duke, through the Community Service Center (CSC), the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and service-learning courses. Beyond Durham, students volunteer nationally and internationally through programs such as the Kenan Institute for Ethics, the Hart Leadership Program and Duke Chapel.

"For a lot of students, it's about getting a connection to the 'real world,'" said Elaine Madison, director of the CSC. "Many students are also looking for volunteer opportunities related to their planned vocational fields. For them, it is an opportunity to get a taste of work life and to get a better understanding of the field they think they want to work in after completing their educations."