Hempfield Area High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
Volunteerism is the selfless act of giving back to the community that raised you into the person you are today. While participating in the several organizations, clubs, and sports, I’ve inherited the values of leadership, problem solving, and courage. Through these values I hope to give back to my future communities, wherever I may be.
Each year the varsity swim team hosts a stroke and turn clinic for the younger club swimmers to assist them on their technique. After volunteering as an instructor my sophomore and junior year, I wanted to organize and lead the clinic my senior year. It was vital to consider how many certified lifeguards would be available since some swimmers were only six years old! Throughout this experience I developed an even greater appreciation for my coaches who trained me and others for countless years. I can’t imagine how much hard work, dedication, and determination it takes to train young kids in such a dangerous environment as a swimming pool.
I also serve as one of twelve peer mediators at my high school of 1800 students. My training for this valued position involved scenarios where I had to help students in conflict reach a *common* resolution, because we do not choose sides when we mediate. Peer Mediation at Hempfield believes in every student feeling comfortable in their public learning environment, and helping those in disagreement learn to work together and respect each other. By successfully mediating my peers, I give back to those who supported me throughout my time at Hempfield. After graduation, this experience will allow me to become a leader in my community by utilizing critical problem solving skills necessary to succeed in most any endeavor.
Through other community service projects like Red Cross Blood Drives, I am able to amplify the number of people who are positively affected by taking care of the donors. With every donor I assist, three more people are helped by just one pint of blood. In total I have volunteered at 6 blood drives, and I plan on continuing to volunteer for organizations like the Red Cross who impact many lives in emergencies.
These volunteer experiences will allow me to utilize my cultivated skills in the research industry, where I will be leading others in labs, problem solving through scientific processes, and impacting multiple lives in the process. I will be able to continue giving back to my community as a virologist by synthesizing vaccines to treat those who are most susceptible to the most virulent pathogens. I would not only impact those domestically, but be able to treat those internationally who do not have the same privileges and access to proper healthcare as those in first world countries. Ultimately, I hope to create a healthier, safer environment for multiple people throughout the world because everyone deserves the right to feel safe and comfortable in any public space, and I hope to extend these same ambitions and skills to future generations of public health leaders.