Kiski Area High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
I have been taught and encouraged from a very young age to do whatever I can do to help others. At that time, they were simple things for little ones such as singing Christmas carols to shut-ins at nursing homes or delivering cookies to the senior apartments. That led to carrying boxes of food to cars for food bank participants, or cleaning up after a church rigatoni dinner fundraiser as I got older. I haven’t really ever “known” it as volunteering or that it was making a difference to someone, I just knew to do it. It’s more like a responsibility, or an everyday part of life to be involved in church and school activities that show kindness to other people. It’s not something that I think about as “extra,” or requiring effort. Other than a “thank you” from who we helped, my parents never praised us for volunteering with them, they wanted it to be a normal thing.
I participate within my parish as an alter server, six-year youth group member, and a bulletin folder when I was younger. Within my school district, I am a member of Student Council, National Honors Society, Link Krew, and Key Club. As a member of Key Club, I am required to complete 50 hours of community service yearly. We assist with the annual Stuff-A-Bus event, in which we stuff a bus with toys donated by families within the district to children who will not receive Christmas presents. I also participate in Read Across America, in which I read a Dr. Seuss book to an elementary school class, and National Youth Day of Service, where we clean up local community pools and golf courses before they open in the spring.
In return, people have shown kindness to me, and I have met and made many good friends from being involved in my community. The fact that I am nominated for this amazing award from the Trib is a result of working with a Rotarian on a few events, and I would have never imagined it would lead to a recommendation like this. In addition, I have many great memories of working with my friends from school because we signed up together and made volunteering fun!
I can’t be too sure how my help has affected those around me, other than I know they assume I’ll be at the next one! It’s part of my routine and has led to many friends, new skills (I am an expert gift wrapper from many Santa breakfasts), memories and places I would have not found otherwise. I would like to think that as an adult it will provide a network of relationships that I can support and also rely on. I have seen through that Rotarian friend that I mentioned that building a network of connections through volunteering brings more people together over time to get a job done. I hope to continue to be one of those inside a network.