Helping others is like an investment. You get as much as you put out. I dedicated my time as a high schooler to both improve the community and improve myself as a result. I ventured out to make a difference at the CCATE summer program. At first, we started a mural project for the Roosevelt School in Norristown, and it took almost the entire summer camp to finish the painting. Working with the kids younger than me made me feel like I was truly doing something important. Sure enough, doing a bit of community service can make you feel proud and more self-confident. This wasn't all either. Filming short films, creating art, and learning Spanish are just some of the many new things I have done since volunteering there. I’ve even gotten better at public speaking too which wouldn’t have been possible without my very own mentors at the summer program. Without a doubt, I have grown since joining CCATE. Getting involved in my community not only helped others but also helped me grow as an individual. The community at CCATE has become one of my greatest support groups for college preparation and beyond. I know how hard it is to get real world experience, but I believe volunteering is one of the best things someone can do to put themselves out there. It gives students who would otherwise be doing nothing a chance to do something. CCATE was for me an opportunity to work towards something bigger and learn more about myself. Exploring Spanish culture and creating art help me step out of my comfort zone and make some friends outside of school. School for me was a place of learning not to hang out with friends. I enrolled in AP classes to get the push I needed to get ahead. CCATE taught me that it’s okay to just have fun sometimes and enjoy yourself. Overall, I committed myself towards helping the community by being there to help out with anything. By being open to do almost anything, I taught myself how to be more flexible. Working as a team with the other volunteers, I really felt like I was contributing to the next generation. Their enthusiasm really shows whenever we get a new project or volunteer for a bit of community service. Everybody, young or old, gets to be a part of something greater and I think that’s what is most important for volunteers when it comes to community service. Reflecting on it, this meant the most to me because as a young adult I hadn't really been a part of something bigger than myself and I feel all the better for it.

I intend to major in biochemistry to save the world. My desire to become a scientist was sparked by the ongoing problems of climate change and global warming. Every time I would hear about its disastrous effects in the news, I'd feel like we should be doing more for future generations. My family and their children's children should be able to live on this Earth long after I'm gone. I want to make a difference by protecting the environment and all of the living things that call it home. The world's researchers need more people committed to slowing the effects of global warming. Earning a degree in college would put me closer to pursuing research that matters. Getting to work alongside others who are as committed to solving this crisis as I am is going to be a fantastic opportunity to make real change. I hope to achieve more as a graduate student by discovering ways to reduce the human impact on the environment. Another huge inspiration for me was the work being done by environmentalists around the world. Leading scientific educators like William Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson gave me the motivation to learn more about the environment and science in general. I wanted to know more about the Earth we live on. My curiosity gave way to new opportunities and encouraged me to educate myself on climate change. This kind of mainstream education is available to everyone. I feel as though anyone, no matter what age they are, can be informed about the environment and learn to change for the better. If I could change the opinion of even a single person with my research, then I know the world can be a better place. Globally, there must be a mutual understanding that we all can be part of the solution. Beginning my career as a climate scientist could help me become a leader for change. The world's governments are implementing green energy plans but frankly, not enough is being done. Whether that's due to those who believe climate change is a hoax or others who think climate change isn't a big issue, spreading awareness will make a huge difference. I believe that I can get more people involved by researching more efficient ways to combat global warming. Making it more accessible and practical for energy companies to adopt cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. It's important to mitigate the effects of carbon emissions if we want the planet's atmosphere to last. Additionally, teaching younger generations how to deal with carbon emissions will help create a sustainable future. Overall, inspiring others will be paramount in the future. The more people dedicated to making a difference, the better. Hopefully, I will be able to work with brilliant engineers who will uncover a way to make the push for renewable energy possible. Not to mention the many other professionals looking to support environmental research. Inevitably, my time on the Earth will pass but I want the researchers in the future to get a head-start on saving the environment. I am going to do as much as possible to lessen the burden. We can do so much more if we all work together on this issue. The time to make changes is now before it is too late.

Given that I have already volunteered more than 25 hours of community service, I have a lot of experience working within the community. I have completed over 200 hours of community service in the non-profit organization known as CCATE. My involvement with this program has been less volunteer work and more of an enriching learning experience. I have made many realizations about myself in the time I've been involved. These experiences have shaped me into the person I always wanted to be. Courageous, outgoing, and most of all, determined. Helping others is like an investment. You get as much as you put out. I dedicated my time as a high- schooler to both improve the community and improve myself as a result. I volunteered to help out at the summer program for CCATE. We started a mural project for Roosevelt School in Norristown and it took almost the entire summer camp to finish the painting. Working with the kids made me feel like I was truly doing something important. Sure enough, doing a bit of community service can make you feel proud and more self-confident. This wasn't all either. I've even gotten better at public speaking too which wouldn’t have been possible without my very own mentors at the after-school program. Getting involved in my community not only helped others but also helped me grow as an individual. The community at CCATE have become one of my greatest support groups for college preparation and beyond. I know how hard it is to get real world experience but I believe volunteering is one of the best things someone can do to put themselves out there. It gives students who would otherwise be doing nothing a chance to do something. CCATE was for me an opportunity to work towards something bigger and learn more about myself. Exploring Spanish culture and creating art help me step out of my comfort zone and make some friends outside of school. Overall, I would commit myself towards helping the community by being there to help out with anything. By being open to do almost anything, I can be more flexible. For instance, this flexibility helps when tutoring younger kids and then transitioning to work on a community mural. I was beginning to find myself spending more and more time at CCATE. Working as a team with the other volunteers, I really felt like I was contributing to the next generation. I’m grateful the Film Class there has been preserving the importance of helping others through tough times. Their enthusiasm really shows whenever we get a new project. Every member either during filming or post-production gets to be a part of something greater and I think that’s what is most important for youth when it comes to community service. Reflecting on it, this meant the most to me because as a young adult I hadn't really been a part of something bigger than myself. Optimism is at the heart of most risky endeavors. I believe it is the most necessary trait for a first-year college student. My time spent in high school has taught me to look positively towards the future. I intend to major in biology in order to save the world. My desire to become a scientist was sparked by the ongoing problems of climate change and global warming. Every time I would hear about its disastrous effects in the news, I'd feel like we should be doing more for future generations. My family and their children's children should be able to live on this Earth long after I'm gone. I want to make a difference by protecting the environment and all of the living things that call it home. The world's researchers need more people committed to slowing the effects of global warming. Earning a degree in college would put me closer to pursuing research that matters. I’m going to be able to work alongside others side-by-side to solve this crisis. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to make real change.

Leading scientific educators like William Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson gave the motivation to learn more about the environment and science in general. I wanted to know more about the Earth we live on. My curiosity gave way to new opportunities and encouraged me to educate myself on climate change. This kind of mainstream education is available for everyone so I feel as though anyone, no matter what age they are, can be informed about the environment and learn to change for the better.

I intend to major in biology in order to save the world. My desire to become a scientist was sparked by the ongoing problems of climate change and global warming. Every time I would hear about its disastrous effects in the news, I'd feel like we should be doing more for future generations. My family and their children's children should be able to live on this Earth long after I'm gone. I want to make a difference by protecting the environment and all of living things that call it home. The world's researchers need more people committed to slowing the effects of global warming. Earning a degree in college would put me closer to pursuing research that matters. Getting to work alongside others who are as committed to solving this crisis as I am is going to be a fantastic opportunity to make real change. I want to further my education and achieve more as a graduate student by discovering new ways to reduce the human impact on the environment. Beginning my career as a climate scientist could help me become a leader for change. The world's governments are implementing green energy plans but frankly, not enough is being done. Whether that's due to those who believe climate change is a hoax or others who think climate change isn't a big issue, spreading awareness will make a huge difference. I believe that I can get more people involved by researching more efficient ways to combat global warming. Making it more accessible and practical for energy companies to adopt cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. It's important to mitigate the effects of carbon emissions if we want the planet's atmosphere to last. Additionally, teaching younger generations how to deal with carbon emissions will help create a sustainable future. I enrolled in AP classes to get the push I needed to get ahead. Joining AP Euro was my first real taste of college work. Homework was filled with note-taking and stress-induced tears. I quickly had to adapt if I wanted to survive. It helped that I had a great teacher, too. I finished strong and joined AP US history next. The work was still rigorous but it went mildly better. It taught me how to work through tough projects on my own and not be afraid of challenges something I am thankful for to this day. Overall, inspiring others will be paramount in the future. The more people dedicated towards making a difference, the better. Hopefully, I will be able to work with the brilliant engineers who will uncover a way to make the push to renewable energy possible. Not to mention the many other professionals looking to support environmental research. Inevitably, my time on the Earth will pass but I want the researchers in the future to get a head-start on saving the environment. I am going to do as much as possible to lessen the burden. We can do so much more if we all work together on this issue. The time to make changes is now before it is too late.

Optimism is at the heart of most risky endeavors. I believe it is the most necessary trait for a first-year college student. My time spent in high school has taught me to look positively towards the future. Lazing around during the summer was normal to me since I felt like I couldn’t accomplish anything without school structuring my life. Then, I joined the summer program at CCATE and discovered what it means to be truly enthusiastic about something. Painting murals have taught me how fun long, open-ended projects can be. However, the mural was difficult since we could only work on it for a short time with the kids and we were essentially working with everyday art supplies. We were proudly able to finish our work on the mural on time. This experience taught me that despite the odds, you can accomplish almost anything you set your mind to. First of all, I was never much of an outgoing person. School for me was a place of learning not to hang out with friends. I enrolled in AP classes to get the push I needed to get ahead. Joining AP Euro was my first real taste of college work. Homework was filled with note-taking and stress-induced tears. I quickly had to adapt if I wanted to survive. It helped that I had a great teacher, too. I finished strong and joined AP US history next. The work was still rigorous but it went mildly better. It taught me how to work through tough projects on my own and not be afraid of challenges something I am thankful for to this day. My involvement with CCATE has been less volunteer work and more of an enriching learning experience. I have made many realizations about myself in the time I’ve been involved. These experiences have shaped me into the person I always wanted to be. Courageous, outgoing, and most of all, determined. I now feel I have what it takes to become a full-fledged college student. Whether that’s to help others achieve their dreams or fulfill my own, I know I am now better prepared for my future as an adult.

I intend to major in biology in order to save the world. My desire to become a scientist was sparked by the ongoing problems of climate change and global warming. Every time I would hear about its disastrous effects in the news, I'd feel like we should be doing more for future generations. My family and their children's children should be able to live on this Earth long after I'm gone. I want to make a difference by protecting the environment and all of living things that call it home. The world's researchers need more people committed to slowing the effects of global warming. Earning a degree in college would put me closer to pursuing research that matters. Getting to work alongside others who are as committed to solving this crisis as I am is going to be a fantastic opportunity to make real change. Overall, inspiring others will be paramount in the future. The more people dedicated towards making a difference, the better. Hopefully, I will be able to work with the brilliant engineers who will uncover a way to make the push to renewable energy possible. Not to mention the many other professionals looking to support environmental research. I am going to do as much as possible to lessen the burden. We can do so much more if we all work together on this issue. The time to make changes is now before it is too late.

I'm having trouble choosing to major in Biology or Film Production. While I feel like scientific research would be a great fit for me, I find cinematography more enjoyable. I discovered my passion for filmmaking at an after-school program. The short films I worked on with my friends have been some of the most fun I ever had. I had the opportunity to work with actual movie equipment like lighting fixtures, a professional camera, and editing software. Creating short films has been a great way to express my creativity especially since I love everything about movies. Though I'm not an actor, I admire the dedication they have in staying true to character and the work that goes on behind the scenes is amazing to me. Making a film requires a lot of committment and everything I've learned so far has taught me how to make that process fun.

The problem that interests me the most about climate change has to be education. Spreading awareness about climate change, in general, will help move towards a sustainable future. If everyone was aware of how they, an individual, can help save the environment, then the push to solve this problem will be much easier. Think about how much more we can do together if everyone were involved not just "the smartest people in the world". A huge inspiration for me was the work being done to make science easy to understand. Leading scientific educators like William Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson gave me the motivation to learn more about environmental science. I wanted to know more about the Earth we live on. This kind of mainstream education is available for everyone. Anyone, no matter what age they are, can be informed about the environment and learn to change for the better. If I could change the opinion of even a single person with my research, then I know the world can be a better place. Globally, there must be a mutual understanding that we all can be part of the solution. The question is though: What if not everyone is willing to help? Or even able to? That's where the innovation comes in. Making renewable energy sources like solar panels already apart of new home installations can be a small step but a necessary one. However, the real first step would be to educate and possibly convince those who believe climate change isn't important. I plan on becoming a force for change by teaching future generations how they can help the environment. Another potential solution to climate change would be focusing on the energy crisis. Conserving energy by finding more efficient ways to generate electricity will make a difference in the long run. In fact, leading researchers in Britain are developing an isotope battery. Not only is it a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels, but it is also relatively cheap to produce since cobalt-60 is in high amounts as a nuclear waste product. The UK government is looking to implement these isotope batteries but more research is needed to be done. What makes this so exciting is that nuclear waste is being recycled to produce more energy creating essentially a "net-zero" energy source. Fuel rods left over from power plants were always a problem for the environment. Now, Britain is hopefully on the verge of turning that waste into a workable energy solution.

#quarantine #4everalone #2020 zwedderburn_13

Growing up in Philadelphia, life was pretty okay. Our family wasn't necessarily struggling to get by but we had to rely on food stamps from time to time. I've been volunteering at a local Latinx organization known as CCATE (Center for Culture, Art, Technology, and Education) for over 2 years now. Usually, my free time was spent studying for my classes. Getting involved in my community has transformed my way of thinking and has given me new experiences. Creating short films, painting murals, and speaking Spanish are just some of the things I learned how to do since volunteering there. I have even gotten better at public speaking which wouldn’t have been possible without the after-school program. I enrolled in AP classes to get the push I needed to get ahead. Joining AP Euro was my first real taste of college work. Homework was filled with note-taking and stress-induced tears. I quickly had to adapt if I wanted to survive. It helped that I had a great teacher, too. I finished strong and joined AP US history next. The work was still rigorous but it went mildly better. It taught me how to work through tough projects on my own and not be afraid of challenges something I am thankful for to this day. I'm having a bit of trouble choosing to major in either Biology or Film Production. While science is my favorite academic subject, I feel more inclined to go out with my camera than with my notebook. My passion for film-making would have never awakened had I not been aware of the programs at CCATE. The short films I have produced alongside my peers have been some of the most inspiring experiences I ever had. I've had the opportunity to work with actual movie equipment like lighting fixtures, a professional camera, and editing software. I remember when I edited my very first short films to enter into the Bucks County Film Festival. The kids I work with have always been very passionate about the projects we work on and growing alongside them has made me discover something more about myself. I enjoy not only the destination but also overcoming the obstacles required to reach it. Film-making is a long-enduring process and CCATE has taught me how to make that process fun. Optimism is at the heart of most risky endeavors. I believe it is the most necessary trait for a first-year college student. My time spent in high school has taught me to look positively towards the future. Generally, the summer is a time where I pursued interests halfheartedly. I felt like I couldn’t accomplish anything without school being around to structure my life. Then, I joined the summer program at CCATE and discovered what it means to be truly enthusiastic about something. Painting murals have taught me how fun long, open-ended projects can be. However, the mural was difficult since we could only work on it for a short time with the kids and we were essentially working with everyday art supplies. We were proudly able to finish our work on the mural on time. This experience taught me that despite the odds, you can accomplish almost anything you set your mind to. My involvement with CCATE has been less volunteer work and more of an enriching learning experience. I have made many realizations about myself in the time I’ve been involved. These experiences have shaped me into the person I always wanted to be. Courageous, outgoing, and most of all, determined. I now feel I have what it takes to become a full-fledged college student. Whether that’s to help others achieve their dreams or fulfill my own, I know I am now better prepared for my future as an adult.

From creating Lego movies to documenting interviews, I was beginning to find myself spending more and more time at CCATE, a Latinx community center in Norristown. Working as a team with the other volunteers, I really felt like I was contributing to the next generation. I’m grateful the Film Class has been preserving the tradition of connecting with the environment since I believe that is the most important issue in today's world. Every member either during filming or post-production gets to be a part of team and I think that’s what is best for youth when it comes to expressing their passion. Reflecting on it, this meant the most to me because as a young adult I hadn't really been a part of something bigger than myself. Some of our films have even entered the Bucks County Film Fest and succeeded. I remember when we made the recycling film and I didn't think it would get any praise since it was made using trash. We intentionally created it with characters made of recycled material and it was I was moved when "Not Your Average Recycling Film" actually won! The kids I work with have always been very passionate about the projects we work on and I'm getting to know how they express their creativity. Film-making is a long-enduring process and CCATE has taught me how to make that process fun .