Hempfield Area High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
Volunteering has been a major part of my life since my childhood. I have always enjoyed serving others and my community. Volunteerism is about helping others and being an active citizen in one’s community. By volunteering, I give back to my community while obtaining a sense of pride. Being able to devote my time as well as recruiting others to volunteer their time to improve another’s life and the well-being of our community is extremely gratifying.
My community service efforts began as a child when I accompanied my family on community service projects and has expanded now that I am active in many school leadership positions. As a member and officer in Student Council, I have had the opportunity to do service initiatives while recruiting many students to assist in these endeavors. As a spokesperson for my student body and under my guidance, our student body has collected donations for local charities, hosted and assisted the American Red Cross in bi-annual blood drives, collected food for the Food Bank and organized a mini-THON involving hundreds of students to raise money for pediatric cancer research/treatment. As a member of the Science, Spanish, and National Honor Societies and Interact Club, I have continued my community service by tutoring, mentoring, hosting charity events and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. I also serve as a Peer Mediator and assist my fellow students in resolving conflicts they may have with other students. As a member of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, we host summer camps and I help improve the soccer and basketball skills of youth. By volunteering at my local hospital, I provide patients with warm blankets, water, slippers and anything they may need to help make their stay more comfortable. I have learned that assisting others makes a positive difference in those we help, which in turn, gives one a sense of worth and gratification.
Community service and volunteerism is a rewarding and heartwarming experience that I want to continue to offer as I pursue my future endeavors. By becoming a physician, I will be able to continue to help others. I have seen the joy brought to people through volunteer efforts. Witnessing the thankfulness of those in need when distributing food at food banks and the cheerfulness brought to residents of nursing homes when someone does something as simple as having a conversation with them has shown me that volunteerism makes a positive difference. The motto of the Interact Club is, “Service Above Self.” This motto represents my efforts of service through the various activities in which I participate and will continue to do throughout my adult life.