“Be the Change” Essay Scholarship

Volunteering and participating in community service have continued to open my heart to humanity and the endless possibilities that there are to help in some way. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to remember not to take for granted for one moment that I could be placed in the very situation I am volunteering with and that helps me stay humble. When I think about how volunteering has shaped my perspective, I think of how even some of the best of us may fall upon hard times. And who sharing a little of my time can help lift someone just for the day and hopefully a lifetime. Most people I meet in my volunteering are humble and show a level of gratitude and determination to make changes while on this part of their journey in life. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to work with individuals who are looking for better ways to live life. This helps me to remember that everyone deserves to be respected right where they are and if chances to encourage come then do so to the best of my ability. It is those moments and interactions that I use to search for ways to do more. One opportunity I had to do more was with an organization called Positive Express. We mentored girls ages 8-18 on creating and maintaining healthy self-esteem. This volunteering experience has inspired me to develop a curriculum called Don’t Get Boxed Up, which uses 12 weeks and goes through scenarios on how to make wiser decisions when life comes during adolescent years and even young adulthood. Working with them has allowed me to discuss confidence and the importance of a positive self-image as well as operating with morals and values. I got to show them an example of what respecting yourself looks like and use positive reinforcements when finding ways to encourage them to try new things. I also volunteer at my son’s school. He is in the second grade and with so many changes that are happening in the public school system I do all I can to be available and help where they need me most. My volunteering has shifted my career path from Business Management to Social Work. I have a desire to extend the level of social services that I wish to receive if I were sitting on the other side of my desk. My goal is to create a judgment-free zone when working with my clients. I understand that some clients may be repeating their situation and for some, it may be their first time needing help. Either way, both sets of people should be treated with dignity and respect. There is nothing worse than needing help and the person who is in place to help you treats you with no dignity. So, my goal is to work on changing the narrative of how the support is delivered. I want to open a center or collaborate with a resource center that will allow me to work with the youth to young adult age range that they serve or that may come in seeking services. I will serve as a Service Navigator or Mentor until I complete the education needed to be a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am looking forward to hosting community events that will allow the community neighbors to come in for wellness sessions. I am also looking forward to collaborating and partnering with like-minded organizations that share similar goals. I want to make sure that we cover addressing healthy outlooks and ways to focus on the Mind, Body, Soul, and Community. The sessions will include designated community workout days or even gardening days to help bring awareness to the importance of maintaining a healthy body. There will be summer reading enrichment to help with building and nurturing the mind. We will also have back-to-school anti-bullying events. This will be intended to help continue to keep the youth active and engaged and show them that we do care if they succeed. I also want to include training events that will allow individuals to get additional skills on what can help them be better overall. Having programs in place to stimulate someone's mind or suggest different behaviors can allow them in my opinion to see things differently and make changes where they need to so they can ultimately thrive. My goal is to provide exposure to things they may not have access to on a regular basis so they find a way tp use that as fuel to do something different.