Senior 01

Due to the career, academic, and life goals I have set, finding a way to improve my leadership skills has been very important to me. I’ve learned that being a strong, fair, and effective leader can help me in many ways. Since starting high school, I’ve made it my mission to grow as a team member and a leader.
I’ve demonstrated leadership abilities by joining clubs, programs, and classes that are heavily influenced by it. I’m a part of FCCLA, where we do volunteer work to just help our community. As vice president of community service, I’ve organized a school-wide drive for socks and coats, as they are the most needed clothing items in homeless shelters during winter time. Being the vice president has taught me to think critically about what people need and how to help those in need. FCCLA helps develop the skills students will need to lead in their families, communities, and careers. We solve problems, make tough decisions, set goals, and practice effective communication.
Since giving back is one of my school’s priorities, we have held food distribution events through Harvesters every week. We also hold other food and clothing drives to ensure our community has access to necessities. One of the most impactful drives for me was the service week in which we hosted “Trick or Treat So Tots Can Eat”, a food drive focused on feeding low-income children. This has taught me that it’s important to give back to your community and to help out those in need. You can have a huge effect on someone’s life just by doing little things.
In my leadership class, we organize school fundraisers, spirit weeks, and other activities. I also share students’ ideas with school and district administration and function as an information group that provides resources to students and staff who want to be involved in community work.
Outside of donation work, I also volunteered at an elementary school helped tutor kids, and assisted LINC teachers. I eventually started working there and now, I mentor the kids and teach them about the importance of education, as well as give them life advice. In addition to this, I often assist my mom with her caretaking job. I enjoy community service because I like knowing that I can give back to my community and help those in need.
When I serve my community, it shows me just how much of an influence I’ve had on people’s lives. One of my goals for when I graduate college is to provide real help to my community. There is a lot of substance abuse and I know the reason they may be using drugs and alcohol is because deep down, they’re hurting mentally or physically. There is also a serious homelessness issue. Whenever I think about my community, I get very emotional. It has taught me many things about life, both positive and negative, and I cherish and appreciate every lesson I’ve learned from it. So, to help the community that raised and prepared me for the world, I plan on creating a rehab center that not only focuses on rehabilitation but also on getting people’s lives back on track. The company will provide therapy, and healthcare and will assist them in finding jobs and getting them enrolled in school to pursue their academic dreams. In addition to the rehab center, I plan to open a shelter that will provide temporary housing, food, and clothes. I believe this will help a lot of people in my community, which will lead to its growth and improvement.