Alternate Break Immersion Trip

Following college, I moved to Portland, Oregon and looked for ways to continue developing my skills and fostering my passion for social responsibility. I started at Impact NW as an AmeriCorps member, where I served two terms helping run the AKA Science program. In my role, I managed hundreds of volunteers, wrote curriculum, and trained instructors; but above all, I learned how to work with corporate partners. Aided by corporate volunteers, our program served thousands of students each year. I quickly realized the importance of establishing meaningful, long-term relationships. Companies gave back to our community and in return we provided them a chance to hold an engaging experience for their employees. Every committed corporate team we cultivated helped us build capacity and redirect vital resources back into our program. We also encouraged volunteers to share their skills and as a result they would provide us with amazing insights. For example, one group of volunteers from Nike world headquarters helped streamline our processes by sharing ideas from their work in lean manufacturing. These experiences sparked something for me and I realized that my strengths as a creative thinker and a leader and my passion for giving back unite.

In the course of my time at Union County College, I was able to participate in measures that aided my community and those in need. I took part in the donation and creation of care bags which were donated to the Salvation Army. This initiative was made by AESNJ as part of their statewide drive to help those who lack the resources needed to obtain day to day necessities such as hygienic supplies, socks, tissues and other essentials. Additionally, I made a financial contribution which went towards aiding Syrian children. Helping individuals in need encouraged me to participate in Strides against Breast Cancer a walkathon which generated money for women whose lives were impacted by cancer. The financial donations assisted women who were unable

While volunteering at Discovery Challenger I have exclusively worked with a blind man named Geno. My service to the Discovery Challenger Program has positively affected the community in that the athletes that required a helper were able to have me as one despite the limited number of volunteers who helped the athletes. Another community service I committed myself to while in high school was the club Life is Delicious. Life is Delicious is a club that between two and three times Year members of the club cook a warm meal at the high school, and then some go to the St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in Waterbury. At the end of my sophomore year I was named Co-President of the club. As a member of the club I went to all of the cooking and serving activities and was able to help the homeless of Waterbury by giving them a warm meal. The most impactful service I performed in my opinion was during my junior year when I was the organizer for the Penguin Plunge. During my junior year I thought that it would be a good idea for the basketball team to do the Penguin Plunge in order to raise money for Special Olympics Connecticut as I had done so in the previous two years. So, I approached the athletic director

Last May, I traveled with Alternative Breaks to New York for community service. During this service, I worked with Meals on Wheels who dedicate their time to provide food for the elderly of Manhattan. As I delivered the food to the seniors, I got a sense of fulfillment because I made them smile by providing them with food. Thus, I chose MDC’s Single Stop because I wanted to make a difference in my home campus by providing and assuring nourishment to those that do not have it just like I did in New York. As my first two years of college comes to an end, I wanted to leave a mark of my own here at home at Miami Dade College North Campus. During the month of September, I decided to partner up with a few of my peers to serve at MDC’s Single Stop.

Throughout the past four years of high school, I have done my best to try and stay actively involved in the community. I have been presented with some amazing volunteer opportunities such as Huron Safety Town, STAR Leadership Camp, American Red Cross, and Huron High School Girl’s Basketball Biddy Program. I spent over 24 hours at Huron Safety Town where I was able to help young students, mainly those going into Kindergarten, learn how to stay safe while on the road. I was also able to spend over 24 hours at STAR Leadership Camp where I was a councilor to those going into the sixth grade. I made sure that each student understood the importance of being a leader in today's society and how important they are to Huron’s community. Through National Honor Society I have been able to maintain in constant contact, approximately 10 hours, with the American Red Cross by volunteering in monthly blood drives. I have also dedicated 16 hours of my time to those young girls interested in someday being a varsity basketball player through the Biddy Basketball Program.

Due to my involvement in my school, I have a plethora of opportunities that affect my community. As a member of the National Honor Society, we stay involved in activities that benefit our chapter and Walkerton itself. For instance, we annually undergo a food drive at our school in order to supply food for the people in the community. Then we transport the food to the food pantry and once every month we take turns to distribute the food to the people who need it. This distribution we do for the community aids the people in need as most people receiving the food are unable to transport the food themselves. Alongside the food drives, I spend hours of volunteering for concessions, tutoring students after school, and aiding for the band teacher.

Over the course of my academic career, I have volunteered with Key Club at my school and other various places, such as the Poe Center for Health Education and WakeMed Health and Hospitals. Involvement with each organization has had a tremendous impact on my character. Often, while at the Poe Center, I had hours alone to create educational tools, file papers, and enter data into spreadsheets which taught me responsibility and integrity. I always strived for the best when I completed tasks at the Poe Center and at WakeMed. Each organization has been impacted through my volunteer services. With Key Club, we had monthly trips to the senior home. Each time I visited the senior home, the elder’s faces would light up because many of them did not have

Once I became a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I continued my work with local Boys & Girls Club here in Champaign. This is when my relationship with Don Moyer began. I was a part of an organization on campus called Men of Impact. This organization was founded and is known for minority men making an impact in all ways possible of campus. Well through Men of Impact, a partnership with Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club to do a program titled Passport to Manhood was created. I was appointed the head facilitator position. Three members as well as myself would visit the club every Monday and mentor the students as well as engage in activities for about to two hours. The Don Moyer club had a huge impact on me because I was learning things about students who weren’t from the same place as me but were facing the same conditions, if not worse, as those from Chicago. The students would always say they feel that their home is viewed as a party location for college students and they feel that the area is only beneficial for those attending the university. A proud moment I had while volunteering at Don Moyer was when a student stated our group coming every week to spend time with the club has made them want to work hard and pursue a college education after high

The summer before high school, I decided it was time to get involved in the community. A close family friend who attended my church offered a volunteer position with her organization called Clothes to You that supplies low-income families with free attire. The non-profit organization resonated closely with me as my tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, suffers from severe financial hardships, and realizing how life changing an organization such as this could be I promptly accepted her offer. On designated days we drove the mobile van to predetermined locations and transformed the desolate parking lot to a bustling shopping center. People of all ages filled the aisles and I assisted shoppers searching for outfits as varied as interview

I am a member of the Teacher PREP Club and the NSU Chapter of NAACP. I am an actively involved member of both organization, attending all scheduled meetings, offering my ideas and input, and giving of my time whenever I can. In Teacher Prep, I helped volunteer for the Children’s Theatre performance, helping to set up, clean up, and serve refreshments afterward. Additionally, I have helped organize the Black History presentation given to the preschool children. In the NAACP, I have helped organize presentations, support fundraising initiatives, and design the organization’s T-shirt design. I also take advantage of various community service opportunities on campus such as the Red Cross Blood Drive, Youth Day, and Color Run. In my free time, I

For my twelve service hours, I decided to dedicate my time to one organization. That organization is known as College Mentors for Kids. College Mentors for Kids is a program specifically designed for elementary and college aged students. It is a nonprofit organization that works with over 2,000 students and mentors one day a week on a college campus. This program can be found throughout nine states and on 33 different college campuses. I am fortunate enough to be attending Ball State University, which is home to the largest chapter in the country for the program. The program’s main focus is to acknowledge the importance of higher education and career growth as you get older. There are a variety of ways the members of this organization accomplish

For years, it had been my goal to work at a nonprofit. I slowly worked toward this goal by obtaining my Master of Accountancy at Truman State University and doing a variety of volunteer work along the way. I won the Sister Ann Kessler annual community service scholarship my junior year of undergraduate school for volunteer and leadership work and continued to assist through the SERVE Center during graduate school.

My journey through my undergraduate career has not been smooth. During my freshmen year, I performed very well in my classes. With this newfound confidence, I decided to take part in more extracurricular activities during my sophomore year. Growing up in a small, predominantly white community, I was rarely exposed to diversity. Thus, in my college experience, I hoped to learn more about people from different backgrounds and connect with students that have a similar culture to my own. Fortunately, Loyola University Chicago’s diverse environment allowed me to do this and I became more involved in Loyola’s South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) and Hindu Student Organization (HSO). I also began working so I could help my parents with college finances.

During my high school career, I have immersed myself in numerous clubs and committees, empowering my development as an avid leader. I have been involved in my school’s poverty club for four years. Currently as club president, I direct meetings and the implementation of our events and fundraisers for local homeless youth. Additionally, I am co-president for the organization of Moscrop Human Library, a school-wide event that breaks down stereotypes through dialogue. Being involved in the planning since 2015, I was in charge of finding speakers, gaining sponsors, and more. This year, I will be leading the event, delegating tasks, coordinating volunteers, and more. Furthermore, I have been an active member in graduation council for two years and

I took advantage of the opportunity; while other students laughed and giggled I took notes, asked questions (a hard feat for an introvert), and took a more hands on approach to my bourgeoning success. I maintained my academic success throughout the summer courses, Saturday sessions, and after school tutoring provided by Upward Bound. Upward Bound has stressed the importance of becoming more productive citizens by inspiring us to help our community and prosper in our academic endeavors. Perhaps the most involving team project I have participated in this Trio Program was Live United Day of Action volunteer service. The official Live United Day of Action is on June 21 and it’s a day that encourages people to take the pledge and make a change in their community. While in Upward Bound I took fifteen Honors courses, received a CPR license, Microsoft Specialist Certification, CNA licenses, and took the initiative to volunteer at