I've always enjoyed being apart of a community, and working to advance my community in any way I can. Since middle school, I have taken part in multiple community service opportunities ranging from planting flowers, to hosting a christmas party for kids in shelters escaping abuse. Each time I find that not only do I enjoy community service, but especially when it involves making other people happy, I love it more. As a freshmen I've only recently taken part in two community service opportunities at Penn State, and I hope to take on a lot more. The first was the Martin Luther King Day of service where we counted out stamps and sent boxes to stamp collectors. Again I felt good in being able to make someone happy, but my latest community service act seemed to change my outlook on service. I always felt like I was making someone else feel better in my community, but this time I realized it was so much more.
This wednesday for the first time, I went to help out at St. Paul's church for their bread basket. When I first went to the church, even though I was there to help out, because it was early, they made sure to feed me and show me around the kitchen. My job for the day was really simple, just to fill the water pitcher and carry the used dishes to the kitchen. While I ate, I sat with other students, some were foreign penn students, and others graduate students (so I haven't ever met them before). I also socialized with the other elderly people who came in. The man who was showing me around the kitchen stressed how much more my part in community service was effective in socializing rather than working. And after talking to other students about their majors and where they were from, I learned that he was completely right.
One graduate student who I found out was also a psychology major like me, told me about the importance of starting lab research early on. He didn't start until his graduate schooling, and thought that I should take his mistakes and start early on in my schooling with labs, and told me about the vast amount of undergraduate lab opportunities and students needed for them. Being from Mexico, he also asked me about New York City, and I learned how mind bottling the city appeared to other people. Most of all, this was the first community service opportunity where I learned that I could take away and learn so much more in my experiences and that it was not just about helping others feel happy.
I haven't really been involved too much here at Penn State except for some projects here and there sponsored by the honors college. However, having grown up in Europe where in some places three meals a day is a blessing, I can relate to that feeling of pride in helping others. A lot of times we don't realize how fortunate we are. That time in which we have the oportunity to give to others can really affect one's outlook on life. I know all the service projects I did helped me appreciate all that I have.
ReplyDeleteI have realized how much helping others helps myself. If I never joined girl scouts, I would never have met all the amazing people who taught me everything about it. I may not have ever met my best friend. If I had not volunteered with my church, I would not have aquainted myself with all the elderly parisheners. People who just seemed old were actually wise and full of advice. Not to mention the fact that they have connections that may or may not have helped me to get jobs and other things. But besides those kind of tangible advantages, helping these people and talking to all of them really left me with so much happiness. And the memories are some of the best that I've ever had.
ReplyDelete