Kiski Area High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
Walt Whitman, when explaining the importance of life, said “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse…” It is one thing to act upon and change one’s own life, however it is truly meaningful when one can devote their verse in order to better the lives of others.
Volunteerism shows me that there is no limit to how one can help. Throughout my life volunteerism has affected me by letting me participate in community service on both a local and larger scale. Every year, my brothers and I help take care of a local veterans memorial. It provides me with a chance to do the least I can to help make sure that those who have served stay remembered in a respectful manner. In addition to this, while in Germany this past summer I was able to help serve for the city of Berlin by visiting a refugee center and playing with the young kids. The experience I had there forever changed me. The relationship formed between myself and the children will always stay with me and has only further helped me see that even by doing the most simplistic actions, you can impact yourself and people around you. Overall, I have come to find that the beauty of volunteering lies in the idea that you can perform an action that allows you to impact something that is bigger than yourself; the chance to come across an opportunity like that is rare.
By allowing me to form relationships with a vast network of people, volunteerism has not only affected my life, but those around me as well. During spring and fall, I referee soccer games for five to eight year old kids. By guiding them through the game and teaching them certain rules, I feel as if I am a role model to them. This feeling drives me to be a good example and maintain a positive image. Another example of friendships formed through community service is, in Germany, when other students from the US and myself had to help rebuild a cemetery. From this experience I now have friends all over the country. If anything, volunteerism provides me with another basis upon which valuable relationships can be made. Bonds form around me over the work put in to help each other and the people around us.
Looking ahead, I continue to see volunteerism as a huge part of my life. In college I hope to major in international relations which will allow to be set on a path where I can aid in volunteer work on a global scale. On a more local level, I will always try my hardest to find a way to give back to the community that raised me, whether that be through continuing to take care of our local veterans memorial or finding other ways that I can help. Regardless, volunteerism has always been a large part of my life and I do not plan on changing that in the future.
