Looking back over the past four years, I recognize a distinct shift in my personal goals. In middle school I thought I was a good student because I was quiet and studious— I got good grades, didn’t get into trouble, and kept to myself. Over the past for years, I’ve learned that my personal value is not dependent on what I do for myself, but what I do for others. Freshmen year, I accidently stumbled my way into my first leadership position, freshmen class vice president. What followed was an intense sense of gratification for doing something for the benefit of others. From there, I dove into as many community service opportunities as possible, including sports, school clubs, and mentorship programs.
While my responsibilities as freshmen class vice president were small in the grand sceme, my experience on the student council were perhaps the most enlightening. Primarily, I learned the importance of teamwork and inclusion because I had to work with other class officers to organize events, including spirit hall decorations and my high school’s annual air guitar
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While local bake sales and 5k runs were planned in an abundance, the most impactful experiences were ones that pushed me out of my comfort zone. These include serving food at one of the biggest service projects for the homeless community at midnight and heading a committee for collection of clothes, toys, and food for the Fiji Experience. Both projects taught me that we, as humans not only have a responsibility to our schools and our towns, but to all humans— including the homeless population in metropolitan cities and children in Fijian orphanages. I learned my impact was not a singularity. If paired with the impacts of other like-minded people, we could impact people around the