As a freshman, walking through the doors of my high school for the first time I was a lost individual. Not sure what path I planned to follow in high school I searched for any clues that may have lead to an answer. It was one day after school that a teacher approached me about participating in an International Service Learning Exchange to England, that I found my answer. When I was warned the activity would require countless hours of service, volunteering and fundraising; I readily accepted the challenge. Looking back now, I am thankful I did not decline the offer because the inspiration the program gave me helped me discover my passion for service to others. Three years later and now a senior in high school I have volunteered numerous hours of my time and in return my heart has been filled with the smiles, laughter, and thanks of the lives I have touched.
Being President of the Interact Club at my school provides me with the opportunity to work with students my age on programs involving others. Recently I have begun working with Special Needs children in local elementary schools. Last year I created a program, Interacts “Day of Caring” that involves over thirty students dressed in Christmas costumes singing, dancing, and reading to these special children. Never, in my life had I witnessed so many students take away so much inspiration from one event. We all knew the lives of these special children had been changed and that ours had as well. The faces of these children were filled with so much love and happiness during the event that anyone who walked in the room would know something special was happening in their lives.
Graduating high school will be a moment of both joy and sadness. I will always remember the times I spent with my friends after school and the fun we had. But, I will never forget the times we spent changing the lives of others. High school has provided me with numerous opportunities to give back to a community that has given so much to me. I hope the legacy I leave is one of compassion, integrity, and service. Although high school is coming to a close for me, it is my hopes that students after me will continue to follow the path I chose. A young girl once said, “I may be only one person, but I can be one person who makes a difference.” I feel the difference I have made is in the lives of others, but the true difference has been made in me.