Bold Selfless Acts Scholarship

I make sure to live my life through selflessness. I believe that in order to achieve a greater community, there needs to be acts of selflessness. In my own community, I embody selflessness by volunteering my time with acts of service and donating goods to organizations that work with those in need of assistance around my community. I pride myself as an advocate for underrepresented individuals in my community, namely the geriatrics community and those with special needs. My passion is to allow these people to live their lives with dignity by giving them a voice. Working with many different organizations that serve people with diverse backgrounds allows me to see life in a different perspective by seeing all walks of life. One of my favorite ways to help my community is by participating in Best Buddies. Best Buddies has helped me find my passion for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and I will continue to advocate for inclusion for all abilities. Additionally, I am actively engaged with working in assisted living facilities. I am always so excited to go in and talk to all of the residents. I love all of the stories they tell me, and the advice they give as well. My favorite part is serving in the personal care where residents who have had strokes, have dementia or Alzheimer's, or those who are blind or deaf reside. There is a large stigma around the mental capabilities for those who are in the geriatrics community. My greatest joy is knowing that I can give them a voice to share their stories once again and to make sure that they are treated with the respect they deserve.

Selflessness is defined as being concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's self. It is a fact that people are always in constant need of help and helping those in need should always be our duty. With a lifelong commitment to being selfless, we can change the world for the better. Similar to many others, there have been times in my life where I did not always have the proper number of things that I needed. My parents worked hard to provide me with what I needed, but oftentimes at the cost of their own free time. Despite their busy work schedules, and low income, they always thought about the well-being of others. My parents took the little that they had and blessed other people in our community. This introduced and taught me the value of being selfless. Watching my parents joyfully give their last to make sure others could eat showed me the positive effect of helping those in need. Along those lines, I too became an adamant giver and always find ways to give back to my community. The example my parents set out in my youth taught me that no matter what you should always be selfless. This mindset of being selfless has garnered me many opportunities to serve my community through volunteering and social work. I have volunteered in countless local food banks, and I am a regular donator to the children's shelter and Salvation Army. While my parents may have struggled at the time, they knew that God blesses those that give. He honors the people who share their last with others, just as God has given us his all. My parents stayed steadfast that being selfless is the way to go, and I encourage all to do the same!