Personal Statement

Since before I can remember, I've had a heart for helping others. Whether it be putting a band aid on a friend who got a hurt on the play ground as a child, or helping my mom around the house. My passion for community service or volunteering was ignited the summer before going into 7th grade when I participated in my first mission trip with my church's youth group. I was able to see how much of an impact I could make in a community, and how appreciative people were of even the smallest acts of community service. Ever since then, I made it a point to take advantage of every opportunity to serve. Through high school I continued pursuing my passion for service participating in several other mission trips with my youth group, volunteering at the local hospital, and being an active member of community service oriented clubs at my school. When I got to college I was determined not to let my passion for community service die in the midst of all the stresses of transitioning to college. I sought out volunteering/ community service opportunities and become involved as an America Reads mentor at a local after school program, and later became a community outreach team leader. I also joined several community service clubs at my college. My mindset is as follows: if my environment can impact me, then I can impact my environment. Therefore, wherever I go, I put forth my best effort to be an agent of change in the community around me, and encourage others to do the same.