Ishmael Reflection

This fall is my first semester at “Cougar Nation”. I previously attended Saint Xavier University in Chicago, where I held several leadership roles. At the beginning of my sophomore year (August 2014) I resurrected an inactive organization on campus called the African American Studies Diaspora Club. The organization’s mission is to encourage and celebrate the gift of knowledge, power, and unity existing throughout SXU’s diaspora of African American students. Under my leadership, the AASDC became the premier Black organization on SXU’s campus as well as an excellent service to the Chicago community. My work within the organization allowed me to be blessed with several related opportunities of service to the SXU community. I was dedicated

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is an book which discusses many things, most specifically how humans see and treat the world around them. The book categorizes humans into two distinct categories, takers and leavers. There are many themes which are used throughout the book, such as captivity, identity, and evolution. One of the most important things discussed throughout the book is the environment, how humans treat it and how the takers are destroying the world through knowing nothing about it. This book has many parts of it that make it interesting to read, like the Takers and Leavers, all the different themes, and the discussion Ishmael has on the environment and how humans treat it.

What would Ishmael’s grandfather give him and his brother? Explain how this impacted him. What if we had this, how would it impact the world?

Over the past two years (2014-2016) I have participated in the National Junior Honors Society. As a member, I commit to completing community service and to learning among my peers in order to develop into a superior leader. I have taken part in activities such as fundraisers, team building activities, and several forms of community services such as working in a soup kitchen, daycares and organizing social events. Recently, I volunteered for a week as a vendor at a temple in Tacoma, raising money for the establishment during the Cambodian New Year festival.

Even though this speech was incredibly difficult, I loved the project and the purpose of the class: to think deeply, to create and discuss ideas, to change and shape our opinions. I uncovered passions for many different aspects of humanities in this class, and that experience combined with my experience captaining an ethical debate team intersect in philosophy. I’ve always been an avid reader but I find that my favorite books--The Fall, The Trial, Sometimes A Great Notion--all incorporate the critical thought I’m drawn to with philosophy. I love to think, and that’s what philosophy is all

This past year, I have been motivated to keep up my grades and work hard because of Adams' National Junior Honor Society program. I have aspired to be in the Society since I read it over the summer on the Adams website. I was so excited when I received this letter because it meant I had a chance at making the program. I want to be in NJHS because it will teach me how to manage my time, organize events, and work with others. Working with others who also value academic success contributes to my will to be in the program. Together, we can help each other grow and thrive in the community. We can also collaborate to help those in our community who aren’t in the position to speak out for themselves. I read about an NJHS group that organized an event where they donated toys to children who are less fortunate. They spoke out in school and changed the lives of many young, unhappy children through the program.

I’ve dedicated Tuesdays and Fridays to mentoring 9th-graders about making their high school experience easier. My brother’s compassion leads me to mentor another class of special needs students. My passion for giving back to the less fortunate has led me to be a spokeswoman for the "Promise of Gwinnett" campaign and to speak in front of the GA Board of Education about my experiences with education. I made connections and strengthened my relationships with the underappreciated cafeteria staff and custodians through the Chick-Fil-A Leader Academy (CLA) as we threw them a celebration for their service. Every day I’ve been selling candy for CLA to raise money for a scholarship for those in need of financial aid. But my biggest success that triumphs in my heart is my dedication to Holiday

My mother always told, “Verline you have to run faster and jump higher to be the best.” My mother emigrated from Haiti and my father from Dominican Republic. I am a trilingual speaker. I am fluent in French, Spanish, and English. My father and mother came to the United States for a better life for my siblings and me. Being the youngest of eight children, where six didn’t attend college brought a lot of pressure in proving to my family that I am going to be successful. While my mother juggled two jobs and attended night classes it was my community that stepped in and help me evolve into the young woman I am today. I gave back to my community when I entered high school, and I began by volunteering at the YMCA I attended. My position switched from an attendee, to a volunteer, and now a camp counselor. I was so excited to take on a leadership role because I wanted to help students find what they are passionate about just as my mentor once did for me. I appreciate the opportunities that my community gave to me. I’ve gained principles, discipline, and tough love from my mentors in my community. Growing up in a large family l learned to share and the importance of relationships. I am beyond grateful to my family and community support for instilling in me the belief that I could do anything, and the sky is the

I enjoyed reading this book a lot due to the fact that it influenced me in many ways. The first way this book influenced me was how strong hope is. We underestimate many times how strong hope is. We usually complain and complain and never even think about hope. We just get down on ourselves because of the things that we don’t like. Let’s face it, we are lazy. If Ishmael Beah would have been lazy when he was going through his journey than he wouldn’t have achieved what he has so far. He stated “My eyes widened, a smile forming on my face. Even in the middle of the madness there remained that true and natural beauty, and it took my mind away from my current situation as I marveled at this sight.” This shows that Ishmael Beah was able to find beauty but how? It was through hope. He always reminded himself of his childhood and he had hope that it would be the same as it was before by finding his family. We need to start to incorporate hope into our lives. Hope will allow us to survive the hard times that we are going through. Hope allowed Ishmael Beah to survive so why can’t it help us survive something that is not even close to the level of what he went through. A great example for students where they could use more hope is testing especially AP tests. How? How will this even produce positive effects? How will this even help the student? Hope will definitely allow you to get a better score. When you have hope in yourself then you feel better about yourself instantly. This

The final mast of school and community involvement was catalyzed when I joined Key Club as a freshman. Finding a passion for service and leadership, it rapidly became my primary focus in deepening my high school experience. Key Club inspired me to search for further opportunities for leadership and involvement, leading me to join Student Council, Relay for Life, and so forth. Through my various executive positions, I have not only improved my own character and qualities, but also inspired others around me to do the

In fifth and sixth grade, I was invited to attend The National Young Leadership Forum, an organization dedicated to serving academically gifted and talented youth. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a week in Washington D.C., where I learned the qualifications of a righteous leader and to develop academic abilities and interests. I will bring my knowledge of leadership to sustain a school community in which students will strive to maintain integrity and trust with each other. By engaging in community service, I have an opportunity to learn experientially, expose myself to diversity, and develop a sense of responsibility. By volunteering in multiple ways in the last several years, I was able to knit hats for children in hospitals, help at a local food bank, create and donate bookmarks for third graders, and help at the Bellaire Public Library. Helping others has given me a great sense of satisfaction and I plan to continue working on various community service projects in the future. Born and raised to Israeli parents, I am benefited with bilinguality, traveling overseas, exposure to other cultures, and insight on global

In high school I was selected to be a part of the Ronald House Teen Advisory Council (TAC). TAC is comprised of 70 high school students across South Jersey who are dedicated to publicizing and fundraising for the Ronald House. As a member, I was able to personally connect with the visiting families. My interactions grew into deep connections where I now consider them as

I believe that serving others is increasingly important in an age where people seem to value putting themselves before others. Through my early involvement in the Girl Scouts of America, service and volunteering has always been a very prominent and important part of my life. Being a girl scout requires you to take on and participate in many different community service projects. These activities included providing support at the Ronald McDonald House, raising money for children with cancer and collecting donations for food banks and animal shelters. As a member of the Girl Scouts, I earned the Bronze, Silver, Silver Trefoil, and Gold Awards. These awards were all earned by participating in service projects and volunteering.

The Boy Scouts of America and the Girls Scouts of the USA are both nonprofit organizations that can be the most wonderful experiences in one’s life. Being a Boy Scout or Girl Scout can help the youth develop maturity and character, as they grow with age and enter adulthood. Through the process of volunteering and showing leadership skills, Boy Scouts of America and Girls Scouts of the USA are both life-changing organizations. One involved in any of the two organizations will create unity throughout their community and uphold a legacy. While the youth involved in one of the two organizations earn achievements and countless awards, scouting can be utilized to create an exceptional college admission resume. Although the Girls Scouts of the

Heading into my junior year, we realized that things were not going as hoped – several of the fundraisers had been cancelled, and others fell short of the budget. As class vice president, I could not accept the possibility of not meeting our goals. So I stepped up; our past failures lit in me a fire of determination, ultimately carrying me to success.