When you do something for your community, you give yourself a sense of pride in yourself. Being in Big Pals-Little Pals I have learned more than just leadership, responsibility, or accomplishment; I have gotten the chance to have someone that doesn't have much in life, look up to me. Responsibility is the ability to respond to a person that makes a demand on us (Messmore, p. 723). Being a role model to someone that is so much younger than I am gave me a feeling of pride. I became a Big-Pal because when I was growing up I didn't have a perfect childhood, and I know that the kids that are in this program are in it for a reason. If I can give back to just one person and make there childhood a little more memorable, a little more fun, and give them just a little more than what they were getting then that is all I needed to apply for the program. I am blessed to have been accepted to the program because I met an incredible seven year old that has changed my life probably more …show more content…
than I have affected hers. This is a government-funded program and this may be one of few government organizations that I am happy that they fund for. It is an excellent program that gives people the chance to affect youngsters and also to give back to the community in a sense that you are giving a hand to less fortunate kids. Society's “American family” definition is completely different than what it really is. If you look at any regular or normal American family there is usually something missing, whether it be a single parent family due to divorce, a family member missing due to death, or maybe it is as simple as they are just short on finances for the month. All the kids that are in Big-Pals Little-Pals are kids that are as I said before missing something in their family life. With the American family changing it has put a great impact on kids that aren't able to grow up with everything that some other kids have growing up. My little pal grew up in a single parent family with no siblings. So for me to volunteer and put in my time to change a young girls life and give her opportunities that her mom can't give her because she works a full time job and a part time job changes the way that society should look at people that volunteer. When I met my little pal I realized that money isn't everything. In a civil society, people take for granted voluntarism; people think that since they have it good that everyone has it good, however, that is not the case. The government isn't responsible for making sure that our neighbors and us are taken care of. It is mine and my neighbors’ responsibility to help have that sense of relationship with one another (Rauchut, 2008, p. 254). I have been involved in Big Pals-Little Pals for a while. It was just like any other day I get to hang out with my little pal, Jena. Every week I get the chance to hang out with Jena anywhere from one hour to four. We make sure to change it up and do different activities every week we hang out so that it is a different routine for her. When I am with Jena I am taking the responsibility of her and being her caregiver for the time we are together. I have the obligation of making sure she is safe and that nothing happens to her. As stated Carnegie, “it is the duty of the man to set examples of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display” (1889, p.694). I feel that it is my duty to display to Jena the most honest personality there is because with her looking up to me she takes after that, too. Having been with Jena for bout a years now, it doesn't feel like I am doing a volunteer project for work that makes this civic project easier, I believe.
Over the year, I have become more of like a big sister for Jena, her being an only child. This week I decided to take Jena to my apartment to make bake. I have now learned that when having a young child help make desserts usually turns into a big mess. Later we decided to rent a few movies to watch. Of course being in second grade we had to get the Chipmunks and the Smurfs. As usual about half way through the second movie Jena was out, and that was my key that she was ready to go home. When I first signed up to be a Big-Pal I did not have a clue that Jena would have such a big impact on my life. But everyday I get to spend with her, even though, it is only one day a week, I have learned a lot about myself, and I have also been given the chance to meet Jena. I have been given the chance to find the pursuit of happiness and so has
Jena. It is hard being a Big-Pal being so busy with everything else I have going on in life but my Little Pal, Jena and I have found our ways to still get to be with each other almost every week. If I were every to skip a week, I always make sure to be with her for more than an hour the next week, but for the most part I take her for more than an hour already. There isn't that much that you can get accomplished in an hour of time. It is hard to just summarize the time Jena and I have spent together for the civic project when I have been with Jena for about a year now. I can't even put into a small summary the feelings that Jena has given me over the years. I have learned more from here about being there for people when they need it the most than I have learned in any course I have ever taken. Being from a single parent family and also being an only child has taught Jena to be mature at a very young age, which I think is really hard on her. Kids like her need to be able to run and play and not worry about cleaning the house and doing the dishes, but I know that when she gets home after school she does that while her mom is at work. She is an inspiration to all people. About a year ago, Jena was diagnosed with ADHD and I know that from the weeks that we have hung out it takes a lot out of her. She wears a patch on her back that releases Adderall into her system. I feel that for volunteering for this in the beginning has really showed to be beneficial to the community because I am giving a person/child an opportunity to do things and activities that she wouldn't be able to do if she didn't have a Big Pal. I, in a sense, played part in a sort of charity and I agree with the statement “charitable giving is about values, not about economics.” Without our free market society and individual liberties that were granted by our founding fathers, I never would have had the chance to accomplish this and find out what is best for me. I feel that Messmore clearly states what Big Pals-Little Pals is about when he says, “it gives people a sense of belonging of identity and status, a sense of connection with the larger social realities of life.” (p. 719). This class really taught me a lot about our nation, and myself and I really thought that it was a great experience.
Later that year, I was accepted into Spanish Honors Society, a volunteer based program to help out the Spanish communities near my school along with volunteering to help raise money for organizations that help less developed countries. One particular project that I helped raise money for through Spanish Honors Society, was Project Running Waters. The money raised for this event was donated to help people living in Guatemala receive fresh water through pipe systems that would be built. We raised over one thousand dollars to donate to this cause. Knowing that I can positively impact individuals in my community and in other countries makes me feel like I have grown maturely and am able to understand what needs to be done to make a difference to
In sources of strength, the members are chosen as someone who would be a person anyone could come up and talk with if they were having a bad day. Also, as seniors we have two seventh grade kids that we mentor. I do this because I remember how hard it was being a seventh grader and not really knowing much about high school. Once a week we sit down and talk with the children. I always love the stories they have to tell and I truly feel blessed when I can help with anything they are struggling with. Whether that be something in school or something at home, it is so fulfilling talking with them. This activity has taught me what it means to give back to a school and to these kids who need my help. I love service and I spend a lot of time trying to help others with problems. Sources of strength has let me do just that. I have learned what it means to be a leader. This is a large responsibility I do not take lightly. I know the actions I do will have an effect on others, so I try to make sure those effects are positive at all
The most meaningful and challenging experiences in my life have been through sports and the 4-H club. They have instilled the values of perseverance, confidence, and teamwork within me. I feel that my peers and others could learn valuable life lessons through participating in these organizations. They are not just clubs, but a guiding light for life. For example in sports I have had the opportunity to play on both losing and winning teams. This has given me a different perspective of looking at things. I now realize that even if you fail or lose that is no reason to give up, you still have to get right back up. Just realize your mistakes and errors. Then come back the next time, mentally and physically, ready to meet the challenge. To often in life youth and adults alike fail at something and automatically think that they cannot do it, and give up. Instead of just pushing themselves to run another lap, lift another set, study for another hour, or learn another theorem. Imagine a world if the early American settlers had given in to the British, if the North had given in to the South after the first loss of the civil war, or if Michael Jordan had given up after being cut from the team in high school. People just need to learn to have perseverance and believe in themselves. 4-H has been a series of stepping-stones for me. When I first started out at age four I was shy and afraid to do things that I had not done before, but now I have blossomed into a confident and outgoing young man. I no longer fear getting up in front of large groups and speaking because of the experiences I've had in public speaking events. In addition, 4-H has given me the chance to develop myself as a leader. Over the years I have held various leadership positions on the club, county, and district levels. Also, 4-H has given me the chance to go into the community and help people by leading youth in workshops, assisting the handicap and elderly, and also learn from what others have to teach. In both of these organizations I learned the need for teamwork. For example last year my football team went 0-11 and the main reason because of that was we were not a team.
In this effort, I serve the community by making an effort to keep the people in it healthier. Lastly, I show service to my school through the help I provided while in the National Junior Honor Society. As a member of NJHS I helped our middle school begin a recycling program; I helped get the recycling boxes and bins ready, gather paper from around the school, and sort the paper after school. Through this I show a dedication to my school and community, because not only does recycling help the school reduce waste but it also allows the environment resources to last longer. For these reasons, I am an excellent, determined, helpful member, who is more than willing to provide service to my school and community.
I am dedicated to helping out our community and school, because it warms my heart and soul. Seneca said in about 40 to 60 A.D. that you should “be silent as to services you have rendered, but speak of favors you have received.” In other words you should not boast about the numerous projects you have accomplished and how much physical work you executed, but rather pride yourself on how you helped people in community and school, and how you have affected their lives with positive means. I feel life is joyous and it should be the feeling everyone illustrates, and this is exactly what keeps me functioning in the stressful world today. I find comfort in helping others to make their lives a little more like heaven and this comfort motivates me to perform copious service projects to the best of my capability whenever I find the time. Time is fair to the rich, the poor, and to every race, because time is equal and gives everyone 24 hours daily to accomplish their required tasks. Because time is so valuable and I am occupied by difficult advanced placement and honor classes and juggle school, clubs, sports, and friends, I joined Key Club, a high school division of the adult service club, Kiwanis. Key Club opened new doors to make every extra minute count towards helping others.
My extracurricular activities and groups that I belong to fall into the two main areas of my life that I am passionate about: community service and technology/science. I have always wanted to give back to my community because it is the community that has enabled me to be fortunate enough to have opportunities such as these where I can contribute, learn, and grow as a young adult. I have pursued a number of organizations devoted towards giving back and servicing my local community. Those organizations include: Boy Scouts of America, SMYLE youth group (Saint Margaret's Church), and Peer Advocates (Madison Youth and Family Services). The DHHS Tech Club, and the DHHS Hacking Club are the two main technology organizations that I take part in and also have active leadership roles in.
Over the years I have been very involved in my community and school. Being a part of something helps to define who you are as a person and the principles and values you hold as important. A personal experience that helps to show my talents and skills can be illustrated by my trip to Italy last April with the MHS Language Department.
She stands a staggering 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs a massive 95 pounds, and has short, brown hair and brown eyes. I see my older sister Leslie. Others see a model of perfection. Don't get me wrong, my sister and I are close and have been inseparable since birth. My mother has kept pictures of us ranging from the time we shared a playpen as babies to just recently at Leslie's graduation. For seventeen years, we've shared every life experience imaginable, and we've dealt with the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. But in September, she left home to attend the University of California at Irvine, leaving me to face life alone. However, it gave me the opportunity to live life by myself as Ryan, instead of Leslie's little brother.
Over the four years that I have spent at Good Counsel, I became part of many activities. Each helping me evolve as a person and become stronger yet. Simple lists could be made of every activity that I have ever been involved in but it could never express to a person what I have learned and how it helped me to grow. Every environmental club, science club, political science club, service work, and S.A.D.D. club I was part of had a very special message to deliver to me. Whether the message was one of responsibility, or a life lesson, I grew from it. The Political Science club opened me to many new experiences. It allowed me the chance to attend the Model U.N., where I was asked to address today's top world issues. This club was very beneficial to me because I was exposed to topics and ideas that I had not previously been able to discuss or learn about in a classroom situation. The science club allowed for me to experience extra educational situations as well. I took part in a hovercraft competition, which was very educational while also allowing me the chance to work with others for a common goal.
The Eagle Scout Project and the Webelos Experience I volunteered for are both through Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts is a program which children from 11-18 join, while Cub Scouts are 7-11. At the Webelos Experience Boy Scouts help run stations for the Webelos. Webelos is the highest rank in Cub Scouts. This program teaches the values of citizenship and leadership among many things. We can see these values spillover into the real word as many people who have accomplished great things were in the Boy Scout program. These people include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Barber Conable, the president of the World Bank, and even presidents Gerald Ford, and John F. Kennedy. Boy Scouts makes it’s participants better people and commonly volunteer in the community, such as food drives and helping during flag ceremonies at many places including City Hall. I also volunteered at my church, St. Joan of Arc. St. Joan of Arc is very active in the community and goes on mission trips annually, participates in the Mobile Loaves and Fishes program. Also St. Joan of Arc participates in a program in which the church builds affordable housing for people that are homeless or at risk of being homeless and/or people with low income.
Through NJHS and NHS, I have accumulated nearly 170 hours of community service. While working about every other weekend with my peers, I have learned how to be part of a successful team plus how to exercise patience and how deeply community service touches the hearts of those in our neighborhoods. Throughout the summers, I worked for over 180 hours as a volunteer IT assistant and gardener for various churches. During my time in a 15 person team while being the youngest and only female of the group, I regularly interacted with co-workers of different backgrounds and ages, learning to succinctly communicate with the world around us and how to embrace cultures aside from my own. Through the various clubs at Centennial, I have been able to encourage my fellow peers to honor those around us by using our abilities in music, writing, and language arts. I am passionate about using our talents to benefit others and am looking forward to spreading my mentality in
First of all, I really enjoyed having her next to me because she was very nurturing and compassionate towards me. She briefly shared what she was going through a tough time, which included her boyfriend’s temporary stay in jail and her family conflicts. She spoke about how her family filed a restraining order on her two years ago. She optimistically spoke about her rekindling the relationship with her mother and one of her sisters. And sadly, spoke about continued estrangement from her other sister. She also spoke about the anxiety she felt from spending the weekend without her boyfriend, as she has not been away from her for a year. I can relate to the feeling of being away from the people you love and the inability to control the time apart. Despite all of these, she stated that she was in a good place and did not feel the urge to
It doesn't take much to make your community a better place, every little bit helps. I've been volunteering more and more ever since my freshman year in high school, starting with volunteering with my school's JROTC program at St. Mary's Dining Hall, a kitchen that feeds the homeless. From this first volunteering experience, I went on to start volunteering more. I was able to learn about more volunteering opportunities through Key Club. From there I volunteered in either donating candy for our school's trunk or treat, canned food for a drive, and participate in other organizations that helps the needy, like Bread of Life. Other clubs have opened up other community service opportunities, such as CSF with small opportunities like writing holiday
Ever since I participated in a variety of public service activities, the purpose for me was to set myself apart. The most effective public service that I ever participated in was contributing as a leader for the non-profit organization called the Chinese American Planning Council. The reason working as a youth leader was very meaningful to me was because I put a lot of effort as a leader to help all the teens in New York City by convincing the New York State government to fund more money to the Summer Youth Employment Program so more teens would be accepted into summer jobs. If more teens are accepted, they can explore their career paths and gain more job experience into what it’s like to working in an actual job. I demonstrated this effort
These experiences have afforded me opportunities to demonstrate my gifts and talents that had previously gone undiscovered. Through different community service opportunities, I either learned something new about myself or I was reassured something. These qualities include that I am creative, reliable, open-minded, passionate, and an effective team player. Community service changed my life by developing my character through enhancing my transferable skills, which allowed me to see the world differently. Everyone, from all walks of life, needs to in some way, shape, or form give back to the community because it will not only benefit the less fortunate but it will benefit the volunteers as well. Additionally, I learned about the wide variety of resources available to help the community. There are so many resources out there that people are ignorant to like certain shelters and food banks. Ultimately, community service taught me the greatest gift I could ever receive, how to be