“An unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.”
Helping Hands
I worked towards multiple goals with the whole committee, including the Toy Drive and Pennies for Patients initiatives, and worked on the organization of the Helping Hands subcommittees as well as the events at Socrates Sculpture Park. The overarching aim of this school-based organization is to provide assistance and raise awareness for those who need it most across the globe as well as in our local community. For the past two years, Helping Hands has served as the fulcrum of my community service, as it provides me with easy access to various initiatives, such as those aforementioned, and is an organization that allows me to manage my own service-related endeavors and interests. Helping Hands has allowed me to learn about a wide variety of local and global issues that are both urgent and ongoing, and has taught me the importance and value of giving back in any way possible. The club has fostered in me an appreciation for community service, and a desire to continue this kind of work in the future as well as I enter college and the professional world beyond. By working with others, brainstorming ideas and actually executing our plans, Helping Hands has allowed me to create positive change in my community and around the globe, and has shaped me to be grateful for any opportunity to do so.
SMILE Train
I co-lead a committee that, along with other peers, is devoted to raising money for the kids who have cleft palates and needed surgeries from developing countries. We have raised enough for more than 8 entire surgeries over the years, mainly by hosting events such as Candy Gram sales, school dances, and bake sales. During our meetings, most of our time went into planning these events and assigning roles to ensure the best experience as well as the highest profits possible. Being a part of a project like this has been an incredibly gratifying experience, as this committee not only represents the manifestation of my desire to give back in what ways I can to the world around me, but also represents the product of hard work and dedication. This experience has taught me about how rewarding Service activities can be, and how easily one can begin to effect change in their communities, and simultaneously around the globe.
Aid for Alzheimer’s
As a co-leader and co-founder of this sub-committee, BSGE students dedicate their efforts to raise money for the Focused Ultrasound Foundation for Alzheimer’s research. I help host bake sales and raffles to publicize our cause while also raising funds through donations. This committee is also equally focused on raising awareness, and by being present at a wide variety of school events, we are able to hand out brochures and flyers that spread the word about our causes and invite others, such as parents, to donate. Although this CAS experience began as a form of volunteer work, it soon turned into something that I personally found mandatory to dedicate time and effort towards, as I quickly learned about how these kinds of Service experiences represent causes and issues that are larger-than-life.
