As a God-fearing young woman I believe that service and integrity are the strongest attributes a believer of Christ should embody. I’ve always been someone big on service because the feeling of giving back to someone is indescribable. I feel a sense of warmth and a satisfaction beyond imagination when I see that my good deeds have positively impacted someone’s life. Every year since my freshman year of high school I have spent my time volunteering at the St. Catherine of Sienna elementary school. In this school I have been responsible for being patient and assisting students with homework, classwork, and any fun projects. Throughout my time at St. Catherine of Sienna I have fallen in love with assisting children in my community through education. I remember the first time I stepped into the small building, it felt foreign to me and I felt like I didn’t belong. When I was warmly welcomed into the fourth grade classroom something in my heart melted and I realized I was now a part of a community and bigger purpose. The kids I assisted were kids that had trouble learning and were isolated from their classmates. I made it my mission to not only help these kids understand the content at a similar pace to their classmates, but to also feel a part of their fourth grade class. With much persistence, my goal was eventually accomplished and I was able to help these kids feel more comfortable socializing and being a part of their fourth grade class. The classroom’s feel shifted to a more community-like feeling and the kids also became more welcome to one another. Even after I went a month without volunteering at the school, when I came back to the school the impact I had made was still there and the kids formed an even stronger bond. I realized that I had helped form a true community and created a bigger change than I had ever imagined. After that day, I understood the importance of being open-minded and talking to people in your everyday life. Everyone has a story to tell, and there’s nothing more beautiful in this world than hearing it and developing a bond with those around you.