To make my community a better place, I have started doing volunteer work at many facilities. I also joined a local foster care organization’s Leadership Council, called Bloom Our Youth. These organizations have actually helped me improve, while improving life for future generations. As a former foster kid myself, having aged out of the foster care system a few months ago when I turned 18, I have a soft spot for foster kids. As a member of the Leadership Council, I brainstorm ideas with 6-7 other council members, all former foster kids like myself. We work on several projects each month, in order to improve the lives of current foster kids. For example, we recently did a project to decide which items are most needed by donors to the Bloom foster care organization, to benefit teenagers about to age out of their foster homes. We made a list of specific items needed such as personal hygiene items and school supplies. Also, we also made a list of support needs for foster youth. For instance, we brought up the importance of foster youth - who often don’t have much of a support system - being paired with mentors to work through the application process for college or trade school. Much of my volunteer work has helped people with animals. I have always hated the fact that shelters kill dogs just to make room for new dogs that are coming in. When I learned about Mostly Mutts, a no-kill shelter, I immediately applied to be a volunteer there. When on a volunteering shift, I feed, walk, socialize, and clean up after the dogs. The mission of this shelter is to make sure that the dogs are well acquainted with people so that they can be adopted as quickly as possible into safe homes. I also volunteer at my local library with my certified reading therapy dog, Koda. On our hour-long visits, we help children who are struggling with reading become more confident in their reading skills. Typically, four kids will come to read to Koda during our sessions. Only one kid can read to Koda at a time, so that they do not feel judged by their peers. My job as Koda’s reading handler includes helping the kids with any words they do not know, and Koda’s job is to be the emotional support for the children. The children can choose between a sticker and a bookmark at the end of their session, or if they fill up their holepunch card, they can get a free book that has been “pawtographed” by Koda. Additionally, I volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium. There, I am a hospitality host to make sure that the public enjoys their time there. I also answer any questions the public may have about the fish or where to locate certain areas. During my shifts, I often work with the sting rays and make sure that the public is treating them well. After college, I am going to go to vet school to get my veterinary medicine license. I am going to be a practicing vet in rural areas, to help people with financial need to better take care of their animals. As a vet, I will also provide support for families who are struggling with the loss of a pet or who are struggling to pay their animal's medical bills. I will team up with animal shelters to find homes for their homeless dogs and cats, do spay and neuter to lower the per overpopulation, and provide medical treatment when necessary.