Riverview Junior/Senior High School
Senior? Yes
Elite top 100? Yes
Letters of recommendation: Letter of Recommendation 1, Letter of Recommendation 2
There is not any financial incentive for anyone to water a flower garden. People water their gardens to improve their spaces and communities; this selflessness is the heart and soul of volunteerism. Volunteering is important because our world is a lot like a garden but, unfortunately, it is no Garden of Eden. For most people, life is far from perfect and we can do better to nurture our garden of society, especially on a local level. Knowing this, to volunteer in my community and to use my energy to serve those who are less privileged is an honor. Volunteering is a way for all of us to be part of the solutions to the problems that plague our world. In all reality, even the smallest things can have a huge impact and create a blossoming community.
Throughout my youth, I have volunteered with many groups for various causes including Presbyterian Senior Care, the Pittsburgh Marathon, the Oakmont 5K, Oakmont holiday parades, Meals on Wheels, and Taste of Two Towns. When I was elected Vice President of the National Honor Society, I wanted to make an even bigger impact in my community. I arranged a meeting with the coordinator of the Salvation Army and over the course of the holiday season, we rang the bell to raise money for those struggling in our community. During these times I learned the importance of cheerful service even if that means volunteering in the freezing cold and snow. To see others who have so little still help others is so inspiring and makes me want to do my part.
Serving others, often less fortunate than myself, is an absolute privilege that I know I want to pursue the rest of my life. I plan on pursuing a career in oncology or anesthesiology to help patients in their most vulnerable times. After my Grandfather’s battle with cancer, I realized that I have an innate desire to fix people who might never recover. I want to be part of the solution whether that means helping a sick patient, making life more comfortable for those in hospice, or finding cures to diseases. Everyone possesses different strengths and together we can water our garden to make society better for future generations. There is plenty of room for watering because even a basic education is inaccessible to millions of people. These societal injustices ignite a sense of obligation and I would love to be a children’s education advocate to help solve this massive issue. With the potential to eliminate inequality and poverty around the globe, access to education is paramount.
Volunteerism has made such a huge impact on my life and the lives of those I was able to help. Our collective garden can only flourish and thrive if those who live in it take part in nurturing it. As a wise man once told me, “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”