"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." ~Gandhi. I love this quote because I have put an incredible emphasis on community service during my high school and college career, and I believe it has helped me to discover myself. Community service is rewarding in a way that makes you feel good about yourself while helping others in a multitude of ways. Community service is the way I have made a difference. It is truly one of the easiest and best things to do for many reasons. Community service has given me a new perspective on life and the lives of other people. My favorite service that I have participated in is called Thanksgiving Baskets Downtown. We collect thousands of food items and deliver them to the less fortunate families in the local community. Thanksgiving Baskets Downtown is my favorite community service because of the profound effect it has on families who may otherwise go without. Knowing that 1,200 families can have an enjoyable Thanksgiving makes me feel deeply fulfilled. Not to mention, it makes me count my lucky stars. My second favorite activity is called Teen Court. Teen Court is a program that takes place in Stark County Family Court, in a real courtroom, with actual defendants who have been arrested with misdemeanor charges. As Teen Court representatives, we take on the role of the jury, prosecutor, attorney, and bailiff. The goal of Teen Court is to reform troubled teens and gives them a second chance. In Teen Court, the defendant's charges will be erased from their criminal record as long as they complete the disposition the jury of teens has given to them. This program has the most significant impact on the defendants, of course, but also on the community, making it a safer place to live and work. We strive to make an impact on the defendant by encouraging them to improve the way they are currently living their lives and educating them about ways to do so. Being inside a courtroom before the age of 18 exponentially increases a youth's chances of returning to court due to further arrests, when tried in traditional court. But you cannot argue with facts: Teen Court only has a 10% recidivism rate, compared to a 60% national average of adult defendants. The last community service project that I want to discuss is HOT Lunch. HOT (Harvest Outreach Table.) Once monthly, we make home-cooked meals for the homeless in the local area. We serve the food on glass plates and use real silverware, which for many, is the only meal of the month they will have that has not been served with disposable tableware. The volunteers sit with the people to partake in the meal and engage them in conversation. Homeless people are often cast in a terrible light when, in reality, they are just human beings with very unfortunate circumstances. While some of the people we serve are struggling with addiction, many suffer from severe mental illness, making it impossible for them to "fit in" with society. This community service project, more than any of the others, has taught me to be much more open-minded to things that are not "familiar" to or "like" me. The quote, "don't judge a book by its cover," should not be overlooked in any circumstances. Community service is something everyone truly should do. When I think about what it means to me, it all boils down to one thing: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

The date was February 21, 2013. As I got off the school bus on this cold winter day, I began to walk toward my house, noticing an unusual amount of cars in my driveway. Little did I know the worst news I would ever receive awaited me. My mother, along with both of my grandmothers, were sitting in the living room, and everyone was visibly upset. I learned that day that my father had an addiction to opioids and was arrested for addiction-related crimes. I sat in silence with so many confusing thoughts going through my mind. My family was trying their best to help me to understand; however, this news took us all by surprise. Honestly, I don’t believe they even really understood. As an eleven-year-old, this caused me to question so many things. How did this happen? What will happen now? How could my dad do this? Am I ever going to see him again? How is this going to affect my life? Is he safe? I remember this like it was yesterday, total numbness through my entire body, with feelings of disbelief and betrayal. No child expects something like this to happen, especially when your parents are the rock stars of your childhood. I had no idea about any of this and certainly did not see it coming. My father was facing three years in prison, but due to no prior record, he was incarcerated for a twelve-week period. Undoubtedly, this was the hardest time of my life, which really tested my mental ability to remain focused and keep up my good grades. I always worried about him, so focusing on school for seven-hour days became extremely difficult, as it felt like a giant weight on my shoulders. As a child, I thought that there was nothing worse than my dad going to jail. However, with an immense amount of support, the weeks passed, and I was determined not to let it define me or my academics. I leaned on friends and family, and of course, my mother, during that time. Although I didn’t tell many people, support from others was crucial for me to be successful. This experience matured me and taught me about my character. Likewise, I became more independent and learned not to be so quick to judge others. I know my father is a good person at heart, who got caught up in opioid abuse. I had faith and hope for his recovery and chose to be a support to him. Now, I understand that everyone experiences trials and battles, but the essential part is how we bounce back, persevere, and gain resilience as a result of hardships. My father has been clean for several years now, and over time, we learned to find a new normal. If nothing else, experiencing adversity taught me to be proud of who I am and my accomplishments, and not let anything get in the way of my dreams. Having these challenges taught me to be a steadfast worker, which I still value today. I believe I have higher aspirations due to the challenges I have faced. Even though it will be hard, I know that I can do just about anything. I have to be determined and tirelessly work to achieve it. Having experienced adversity, I value hard work more than ever. I know what it has taken for me to be successful in high school, which will allow me to continue this success in college and my future career. Although we endure difficult times, we can come together to achieve growth from our painful pasts.

The date was February 21, 2013. As I got off the school bus on this cold winter day, I began to walk toward my house, noticing an unusual amount of cars in my driveway. Little did I know the worst news I would ever receive awaited me. My mother, along with both of my grandmothers, were sitting in the living room, and everyone was visibly upset. I learned that day that my father had an addiction to opioids and was arrested for addiction-related crimes. I sat in silence with so many confusing thoughts going through my mind. My family was trying their best to help me to understand; however, this news took us all by surprise. Honestly, I don’t believe they even really understood. As an eleven-year-old, this caused me to question so many things. How did this happen? What will happen now? How could my dad do this? Am I ever going to see him again? How is this going to affect my life? Is he safe? I remember this like it was yesterday, total numbness through my body, with feelings of disbelief and betrayal. No child expects something like this to happen, especially when your parents are the rock stars of your childhood. My father was facing three years in prison. Undoubtedly, this was the hardest time of my life, which really tested my mental ability to remain focused and keep up my good grades. I worried about him, so focusing on school for seven-hour days became extremely difficult. As a child, I thought there was nothing worse than my dad going to jail. With an immense amount of support, the weeks passed, and I was determined not to let it define me or my academics. I leaned on friends and family, and of course, my mother, during that time. Support from others was crucial. This experience matured me and taught me about my character. I became more independent and learned not to be quick to judge others. I know my father is a good person at heart, who got caught up in opioid abuse. I had faith and hope for his recovery and chose to be a support to him. Now, I understand that everyone experiences trials and battles, but the essential part is how we bounce back, persevere, and gain resilience as a result of hardships. If nothing else, experiencing adversity taught me to be proud of who I am and my accomplishments, and not let anything get in the way of my dreams. Having these challenges taught me to be a steadfast worker, which I still value today. I believe I have higher aspirations due to the challenges I have faced. Having experienced adversity, I value hard work more than ever. I know what it has taken for me to be successful in high school and college, which will allow me to continue this success in my future career. Although we endure difficult times, we can come together to achieve growth from our painful pasts.

The date was February 21, 2013. As I got off the school bus on this cold winter day, I began to walk toward my house, noticing an unusual amount of cars in my driveway. Little did I know the worst news I would ever receive awaited me. My mother, along with both of my grandmothers, were sitting in the living room, and everyone was visibly upset. I learned that day that my father had an addiction to opioids and was arrested for addiction-related crimes. I sat in silence with so many confusing thoughts going through my mind. My family was trying their best to help me to understand; however, this news took us all by surprise. Honestly, I don’t believe they even really understood. As an eleven-year-old, this caused me to question so many things. How did this happen? What will happen now? How could my dad do this? Am I ever going to see him again? How is this going to affect my life? Is he safe? I remember this like it was yesterday, total numbness through my entire body, with feelings of disbelief and betrayal. No child expects something like this to happen, especially when your parents are the rock stars of your childhood. I had no idea about any of this and certainly did not see it coming. My father was facing three years in prison, but due to no prior record, he was incarcerated for under one year. Undoubtedly, this was the hardest time of my life, which tested my mental ability to remain focused and keep up my good grades. I always worried about him, so focusing on school for seven-hour days became extremely difficult, as it felt like a giant weight on my shoulders. As a child, I thought that there was nothing worse than my dad going to jail. However, with an immense amount of support, the weeks passed, and I was determined not to let it define me or my academics. I leaned on friends and family, and of course, my mother, during that time. Although I didn’t tell many people, support from others was crucial for me to be successful. This experience matured me and taught me about my character. Likewise, I became more independent and learned not to be quick to judge others. I know my father is a good person at heart, who got caught up in opioid abuse. I had faith and hope for his recovery and chose to be a support to him. Now, I understand that everyone experiences trials and battles, but the essential part is how we bounce back, persevere, and gain resilience as a result of hardships. My father has been clean for several years now, and over time, we learned to find a new normal. If nothing else, experiencing adversity taught me to be proud of who I am and my accomplishments, and not let anything get in the way of my dreams. Having these challenges taught me to be a steadfast worker, which I still value today. I believe I have higher aspirations due to the challenges I have faced. Even though it will be hard, I know that I can do just about anything. I have to be determined and tirelessly work to achieve it. Having experienced adversity, I value hard work more than ever. I know what it has taken for me to be successful in high school and college, which will allow me to continue this success throughout college and my future career. Although we endure difficult times, we can come together to achieve growth from our painful pasts.

Me <rachlval@gmail.com> Thu, Mar 30, 8:59 PM (11 hours ago) to me “Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the world that has never been.” ~Theodore Von Karmon. When I first began thinking about my future, I had my heart set on being an architect. I loved the design of unique buildings and trying to guess the era from which the design was conceptualized. I learned at a young age that I am very much a hands-on worker, and I work well independently, and as a team. As I grew older, I realized it is really engineers who design the environments we interact with and the way we relate to the world. As I started thinking about engineering as a career, I enrolled in the Engineering Career Tech program at my high school. While building a trebuchet in my Engineering Career Tech class for a pumpkin launching competition, it began to really solidify my desire to be an engineer. Engineering Career Tech class was my favorite part of my school day, as I find myself looking for discoveries and thinking about solving real-world problems. To be an engineer you need to have a unique personality that you won't find in most people. You need to be creative like an artist, and detailed like an accountant. You need to be independent and confident. Not only am I passionate about “how things work,” my curiosity is about how to “make things work” even better. I love to discover creative ways to solve a problem, from finding solutions to simple inconveniences to one day creating cutting-edge technology. After completing a summer internship developing fluid systems, and a semester of studying abroad in Ireland at Maynooth University, I feel even stronger that Mechanical Engineering is the right field for me. Being a part of turning ordinary everyday materials into highly unique, creative, problem-solving processes makes me want to dig deeper into the field of designing better solutions and creating new ones. I want a career that will offer not only new challenges, but also opportunities to make a difference in my local and global community, and I hope to be able to create systems that will improve our society. Because I am strong in math, chemistry, and physics, and am an innovative thinker, I know engineering is a natural match for me. I believe that going to work each day will not feel like a job to me, it will feel like a reward.