Derry Area Senior High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
When you look outside of a car window, you can see a lot. Whether you’re driving past a park or just down the road, you can see community members, walking, playing, and just carrying on. If you really look though, you can see more than meets the eye. One might see someone playing in a park riddled with needles, or with peoples walking down the street without the clothes they need to stay warm. You can see through the façade of safety in the parks, and the mentality that no one needs help, and look directly at the warning lights flashing. Just this year I have concluded that what I have does not correlate to what others have around me. The clothes I put on everyday and the warm, safe, and happy faces I see to coincide. In a way to remediate these observations and to assist in the needs that encapsulate my community is to be a part of it, whether it is spearheading new groups to remediate the growing rates of needles in our community, or to assist in the organizations giving clothes to those in need, my help and the help of others is needed.
In Latrobe-Derry area, there have been over 30 overdose related deaths in 2017 alone. The paraphernalia that users have utilized lay on our street corners, in bathrooms, and most pressingly, in our parks. Overall, this is a hazard for all community members, including those that use these syringes. In an effort to end the spread of disease and to improve overall public safety, a group of 5, including myself have developed a Hypodermic Trade System, or H.T.S., for short, as a method to contain used needles and distribute clean works. While this may look as a proponent for drug use, our intended purpose is to remove dangerous paraphernalia from our local areas, keeping our children safe and hopefully keeping those who use, safe.
Derry Area High School hosts an event every year that assists those that need clothing in our area. The name is the K.I.N.D. closet, or Kids In Need in Derry. Throughout the year students, teachers, and community members bring clothing in, used or new, to be distributed to those in need in our community. The event is held on a Saturday in December, and after-school on the day before students volunteer to set up and prepare for the dispersing of the clothes. Every year bag upon bag is donated full of clothes. Every year tables line the halls with clothing. Every year almost all the clothing goes. Dozens of community members in need attend the event and take whatever clothing they may need.
Volunteering my time has meant more than I have ever imagined, because in an ideal world, anyone will be able to look out of a car window, and see coats on everyone’s back, and a lack of dirty needles scattered throughout.