The Ellis School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
Volunteering has given me a fresh local, national, and global perspective on how I and others go through life. In my community and the surrounding areas, I have learned just how much the smallest things impact people. Lending a hand in any environment almost always allows a situation to function properly and achieve greatness. Having lived in the same neighborhood for my entire life, I have assisted and worked at numerous events to showcase our community. Within my youth group, I have traveled to Nashville and San Diego to aid in supporting foundations and individuals who work to better the lives of others. In Nashville, I worked at a food bank and with mentally handicapped adults. This was the first time I was able to work with people that I would be directly affecting, and it was a very new experience. At first, I felt a very subtle fear of being around people that were different and lived different lives than me. In San Diego, I worked in a food bank, at a senior living center, and a foundation that worked with people in the area to ensure food and clothes to help them get through their lives. The fact that I got to directly interact with the people I was affecting, and do things that I never thought I would have the privilege of doing was so inspiring. I also had the incredible opportunity to travel to Guatemala last year to study education opportunities for girls, while simultaneously observing the environments in which the people live and work. During this trip, I worked with girls, but also was privileged to shadow members of a co-op who are working to support their families and educations. We learned about the process they go through everyday, and how hard they work to earn what they need to live. Having the opportunity to see how different ways of life intertwine for success in the world allowed me to look at my own life and community to work towards creating a change. Being a part of this trip and delving into the lives of these wonderful people who are much less fortunate allowed me to gain perspective not only for myself, but for the world. Reflecting on the trip after I returned home brought out so many feelings in which I realized just how much the action of viewing the way others live their life impacted me. Before I had the opportunity to go on any of these trips, I always believed that an individual could not make a significant impact. As I learned from these experiences, I realized how much one singular person can influence others to create change.