BYU student Paige R. Merkley (’27) is addicted to service. On Sunday afternoons she drinks root beer floats and chats with her adopted grandparent. On Tuesdays she dances with her friends at Adaptive Show Choir practice. On Thursdays she prepares the choreography for that choir. On Fridays she eats lunch with unhoused community members at the Food and Care Coalition. On Saturdays she plays basketball with the Special Olympics Collegiate Teams program. All of this while keeping a full schedule of classes.

In this episode of the Y Magazine podcast, join host Whitney Singley Archibald (BA ’01) as she talks with Merkley and Y-Serve director Christopher J. Crippen (BS ’99) about how to fit service into your schedule.

You can find service opportunities in your community by visiting justserve.org.

This episode is based on the article “Do Gooding” by Brooklyn Hughes Roemer from the Winter 2026 issue of Y Magazine.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy “Saving Days: Ending Period Poverty with Days for Girls,” “Loving the Least of These: How a BYU Alum Helps the Homeless,” “High on a Mountain Top: Rescue Training in the Himalayas,” “Life and Breath: BYU Students Improve Public Health in Nepal,” and “Going Forth—It’s What We Do: How BYU Grads Are Making a Difference.”

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