College Admissions Essay: The Purpose Of Community Service

Acts of service always created a desire in me to help make people’s lives better. People often put forth their best when

Active involvement in my community and high school has been a priority for me just as doing my best to be successful in high school, at the same time, has. Much of the involvement I have had in my community would be service-oriented. These past four years especially, I have used my time to give back to my community in different ways. Ordinarily, my involvement outside of my high school was spent with my church. On Saturdays, I would often spend time helping with renovations at my church. Additionally, I helped lead children’s groups on occasions such as Vacation Bible School, Sunday school classes, church camps, and on missions trips. Mexico, California, and Alaska are places I have been on missions trips. Outside of church, I have volunteered

I have always prided myself in being involved in my community. Outside of school, I spend most of my free time volunteering at my church, First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. On Sunday nights I get the opportunity to share my love of music with my peers, leading them in worship as one of the lead singers of the Youth Praise band. On Wednesdays I volunteer teaching elementary school children music as well. I do several other odd jobs around the church as well, whenever I am needed. Besides music, one of my hobbies is hiking. Wilderness Trail is a backpacking ministry for youth based in south west Virginia. The past 3 years I have spent my summer volunteering for a month with the organization, both leading groups as well as helping organize future events. By getting the chance to combine my love to help with my love for the outdoors, it makes for the perfect marriage.

As a student, I have demonstrated many works of service to my community and school. Service opportunities have shaped me into the person I am today and these projects have made me realize how fortunate I am for all that I have. While I've been doing these service projects through the years, it has been a pleasure seeing the joy on the faces of people that aren't as fortunate as I am. Service projects that I have completed include managing the fish booth at the St. Leo's Parish Festival, being an altar server at St. Leo's Parish, helping cook dinner for the Ridgway Fire Department during carnival day setup, participating in the St. Marys Light Up Night by dancing, and Christmas caroling to local residents. I also participated in a zombie/princess

Over the past year, I have served my school and community in many different ways. Whether it be through volunteering or participating in organizations that work to make changes in the lives of others. I try to stay involved in my environment. Currently, I am a student at Rockford Lutheran High School. With the multitude of clubs, my school offers, I am able to interact with other club members to promote student participation. Every year we participate in drives and fundraisers. In Key Club, each year we put together solider boxes. We collect a variety of small items and send hand packaged boxes to our fighting soldiers, as a gift for christmas. Other drives that I partake in are the canned food drives for the local food pantries, and the clothing drives to give winter clothing to those less fortunate. This helps to provide this vulnerable population with warmth during the cold winter months.

Service brings me great joy, and I continually seek ways that I can help those around me. The day after school gets out, my youth group and I are leaving for Mexico City to serve with an organization, Niños de Mexico, that provides a safe house for orphans and children from broken homes. I also recently committed to volunteering my time each Sunday with the kids at my church. My efforts to serve extend through my daily life as well, for example, when sister has had a rough day, I make her tea or brownies. I take care of my neighbor’s kids for free when they’re having a busy week. None of these tasks feel like work to me, I love to help people as much as possible. I look forward to the new service opportunities National Honor Society will provide.

Often, we never see the effects of our actions. Sometimes, we find ourselves comfortably distancing acts of service from why they are committed and whom they impact. I never genuinely understood what lies at the root of service until my freshman year of high school.

However, I knew I was here to make a difference, so I flourished in service. My “Service and Leadership” Residential Learning Community, have been volunteering with Scholars with Diverse Abilities, March of Dimes, and OASIS. These three organization taught me the definition of serving all mankind. Spending time with people from all different walks of life, has taught me: that you will meet people along the way who will have different beliefs than me, but you must respect them, because that is what makes us all unique. I learned that when I am committed to something I will go to any length to reach my goal. Service takes up much of my time, but, I still make time for study hall and tutoring. I ended up making the Dean’s list my first

Growing up down South, I did not have many academic opportunities, so, therefore, I participated in many clubs at school. To be a part of these clubs, there were certain requirements such as community service and a certain GPA. I have volunteered in several ways, but the main one that meant the most to me was being able to help my community by volunteering at the Community Center, educating and helping students engage in extracurricular activities that kept them interested in their academic courses. All of the clubs that I’ve participated in have always been to help my community inside and outside of school- not only do I volunteer my time to help those in need, but I also volunteer for many leadership roles. One leadership role that I find leaves a lasting impact is that of Boston Student Advisory Council, where I represent my high school and come up with innovative ways to better serve my

As what seemed to be an almost non-existent summer comes to an end, I have had time to reflect on what I hope to accomplish during my last year roaming the halls of James E. Taylor High School. I picture the impossible calculus problems that I will be required to solve or the piles of books I will struggle to finish as my literature exams near, but one thing that I am truly enthusiastic about is service. Improving my grades had been my most important goal as I began my high school career, however as this draws to an end, I have come to realize that the one thing that will truly leave a mark and will hopefully inspire others is the service that I have given to my community. Through Key Club, I have not only made friendships and bonds that I

Volunteering for the St. Vincent DePaul Community Meals program, since the age of ten, has given me the ability to assist others while simultaneously sparking my desire to help people. Preparing and serving healthy, hot meals provides people in need with a nutritional alternative to an empty stomach. I am a member of various clubs such as National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, International Club, Gender Equality Club, and Global Issues Club. Holding several positions from President to Secretary, these roles offer me responsibilities which allow me to learn balance. I am also heavily involved with the music program. Music has given me the courage to do things such as perform at

We all know service is such a broad term. I used to describe my passions as such, but as I have grown, I discovered I am most passionate about service that aims to make others feel valuable. While giving is honorable, teaching and empowering is transformative. My experiences a Younglife leader were integral to revealing this to me. My job was not to give these kids things but to spend time with them, encourage them, speak into their lives, and show them how loved and cared for they were. I aimed to carry this theme through in my role as Body Image Coordinator. I felt I had the responsibility not just to tell my sorority sisters that they were beautiful, but to empower and instill an ability to recognize beauty for themselves. Further, I aim

During the last 2 years of high school I became increasingly involved in my school and community. The most notable extracurricular activity I did was be president of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) charter at Cesar Chavez high school. Based on its main principle “scholarship for service” I coordinated or contacted volunteer events for my members and other students in the school to be involved in. There were many members, including myself, who would go to those events to serve the community. For that club I was able to present a total of 18 volunteer events that we could help, along with some school events. Other than CSF I was in National Honors Society, Key Club, Interact, MEChA, and Friday Night Live, all of which are service

Do you ever feel like you could do more for people in need? Because I do a lot but I feel like I could do more things for the people in need .

I have a lengthy history with volunteer work surrounding many of the activities I participated in throughout my life. The brain injury I sustained some time ago seems to come into my life a lot but it has been a major part of my life the last two years. I have a vast interest in sports and a few other pastimes that stand out. I have greatly considered a major in nutrition and that is what I am leaning toward. Although I still feel like I have no idea what I want to do with my life I’m trying hard to find the right thing.