Thomas Jefferson High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
I will never forget it: the pure elation and gratitude on the face of a homeless man as I handed him a pair of socks. My eyes wandered down to his blistered feet where I noticed that his previous footwear had been a pair of mangled flip flops. He later explained to me that this was the only pair of shoes he owned, the shoes that he had worn throughout the brutal winter. I was astounded that people were so appreciative to receive an item as simple as a pair of socks. These are the moments that define service for me. Volunteerism is not just a resume builder on a college application or number of hours needed to meet a National Honors Society requirement. Service opens a door to new worlds, exposing volunteers to situations outside of themselves and helping them to gain a greater perspective.
My view of service has been greatly impacted through the creation of my own volunteer project as a member of the Pittsburgh Cares Youth Advisory Council. My event, Mission from TJ, is a service project that I began in 2017 in which I recruit volunteers from the community to pack over 100 bagged lunches for the homeless. I partner with the organization Mission from Mars, and we deliver these lunches to the homeless on a Sunday when the shelters are typically closed.
During the first Mission from TJ event in 2017, I noticed that a diverse group of volunteers from different backgrounds were present. I was pleasantly surprised to see new acquaintances working together in an assembly line and uniting for a common cause. Sandwiches, socks, and sweets were dropped into the bagged lunches, but the items that inspired me the most were motivational letters that many of my volunteers had written. It was truly rewarding to see that my passion could extend to others as they worked to spread positivity to those who were currently experiencing difficulties.
Two cars were soon packed full of lunches as we drove to the North Shore to deliver them. I did not know what to expect as I first approached the extensive line that wrapped around tables of food, but I quickly felt the immense impact of this experience. For the next few hours, I handed out lunches to the homeless who often received them with insurmountable gratitude. I was touched when I recognized that people who had so little would file through their lunches and share items that they did not need with others. This experience ignited a passion in me to improve the conditions of the homeless, and I now plan to continue my work with the homeless in Philadelphia next year as I attend the University of Pennsylvania. Often volunteerism is thought of as “giving back,” but I found that the people I interacted with through Mission from TJ have given more to me than I could ever hope to give to them.