Peter and Nan Liubenov Student Scholarship

From volunteering in a hospital to working as a restaurant host, I’ve learned that making a difference in society isn’t just about extraordinary acts but is also in the little interactions we have every day. Whether assisting nurses at work, advocating for patients, or welcoming diners, I believe that kindness and service are what build the foundation of meaningful change. However, my commitment to service is also shaped by society’s evolving expectations of civic responsibility and collective action. Today's society emphasizes the role and initiative we should take in bettering our communities, whether through leadership, professional work, or volunteering. For example, with the growing recognition of healthcare disparities, there is a societal expectation for healthcare workers to not only provide adequate care but to advocate for systemic improvements as well. This belief has driven my dedication to service: at my local hospital, I assist patients and visitors, ensuring they feel supported during stressful times. I help transport individuals to their destinations, advocate for their needs, and provide comfort in an overwhelming environment. Beyond my volunteering experience, I have also taken on leadership roles in student organizations that focus on promoting inclusivity and civic engagement, principles that have become significantly emphasized in society in recent years. As president of the multicultural club, I create spaces where diverse voices are heard and establish an environment of cultural appreciation within our school. In student government, I help organize initiatives connecting students to service opportunities, to reinforce the idea of collective action within my community and encourage lifetime involvement. In the future, I plan to continue being a positive force by pursuing a career in nursing and health policy advocacy. Social expectations will continue to evolve, but the demand for accessible and equitable healthcare will remain the same. My career goal is to combine patient care with broader efforts to improve healthcare accessibility across large contexts, particularly in underserved communities. By working directly with patients while also advocating for systemic change, I hope to ensure that every individual receives the support and resources they deserve. I’ve learned that service is not defined by a specific title or setting; instead, it is a mindset and a commitment to others, no matter what role I take on. Through my work, both now and in the future, I will continue my commitment to making positive change and ensure that compassion is the heart of everything I do.

As a child, Jack and the Beanstalk was my favorite book. It envisioned a guy who had magical seeds, and when planted, it sprouted beyond what the human eye could ever imagine. Though a classic fairytale, this story teaches a valuable lesson: that planting a seed in your community can bring wonders unlike any other. Within my community (Rutherford), I strive to be like Jack. For starters, I’m quite active within and outside my church walls. As I serve as a vital, media team member who displays scriptures, creates visuals, and regulates the sounds systems, I’m providing a skillset for the betterment of service, as well as delegation to assist my pastor. But beyond these walls, we as a church supply core goods and the gospel though our outreach ministries. And we do it locally, around the spring valley region. In a recent outreach, I came across a woman needing a mattress. Her previous one had broken, and we wanted to go above and beyond, eventually gifting her a bed larger than her request. It meant the ‘absolute world’ to her. Because of experiences like these, I’ve grown to appreciate the little things more. As I've developed a more nuanced understanding of the Rutherford community, time after time, I'm left with enriched feelings beyond words. Since this pivotal moment, I've started to serve other communities within school-related organizations. For two years through JROTC, I have presented the colors at the American Legion World Series to a multitude of veterans and patriots. From this opportunity, I, and a couple of my buddies, were recognized by a WWII veteran for our act. On our trip, we polished fighter jets, and before this trip, cleaned headstones at the Stones River National Cemetery. What I thought to simply be another act of kindness was much more to others. The smiling faces, appreciativeness, and completed work has all kindled a fire in me to never stop giving. Moreover, to give abundantly. In my senior year, as I’ve enrolled in Youth Leadership Rutherford (YLR), EPIC (a freshman mentoring club), and National Honor Society, the doors to serve Rutherford have been plentiful. As I’m off to college, even though I’d be hours away, I still hope to benefit every community I cross paths with, just like the one of Jack. In these four forthcoming years, I plan on pursuing a B.S in Finance. With a thought-out plan of joining four revolutionary clubs, that serves as a catalyst toward my career development, I'll pursue leadership positions that pour into the UTK, financial community. I hope to inspire this generation’s next emerging leaders through my diligent efforts of mentorship and sacrifice.

When I was in the fifth grade, my best friend came out to me as bisexual. She’d expected rejection, but all she got was confusion—I had no idea what “bisexual” was. She explained to me that not all girls marry guys: some marry those of other gender identities. And that’s when I realized that I'm bisexual. But living with this truth was nowhere as easy as realizing it was for me. In the fifth grade especially, most people had never even thought about the possibility of sexually-diverse relationships. All we’d ever seen on TV were boys with girls, so realizing I was bisexual was an incredibly isolating experience. Even as we grew older and started getting exposed to the idea of homosexuality, bisexuality was still this unknown, mysterious thing that people didn’t understand. At first, I was defensive. If anyone made assumptions or even asked me questions about my sexuality, I immediately assumed they were trying to belittle or demean me, and I shut them down. I never gave people a chance to learn what I wished they just knew. Then, in the eighth grade, that same friend came out to me again. This time as genderqueer. And again, she was met with confusion. So far, I’d learned about different sexualities and the generally-known concept of being transgender (a person who was born physically as one gender but identifies as another), but I didn’t know that people could identify as neither, or both. Yet again, she explained it to me, and I realized that I too was genderqueer. Furthermore, what I realized was that my lack of knowledge was not purposeful, and I had no intention of offending her when I asked about her gender—so why was I so defensive of it myself? Why didn’t I help others understand too? When this friend of mine had helped learn so much about myself twice just by explaining her own experiences to me, how many could I have helped, just by answering a question or being more open? From then on, I tried to follow my friend’s example, and tried my best to educate myself and others. I found myself becoming someone people felt like they could talk to and confide in. To some people who I once wrote off as homophobic, I became the first person they came out to. People who once threw around the word “gay” as an insult or joke began to tell others off for doing so after I explained to them that I found it hurtful. Eventually, after entering the 9th grade and joining my high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, I restarted an old tradition they had of doing “GSA PSAs” (Gay Straight Alliance’s Public Service Announcements) over the loud speaker once a week, sharing information and current events to help increase school-wide awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and introducing words that were once shied away from, like “gay”, into the school atmosphere. Eventually, in my junior year, I became the president of the club, after having been vice president the previous year. Every year, I’d help organize campaigns such as one for National Coming Out Day and National Day of Silence. I also create posts for and run our Instagram account. I’ve learned from that friend that instead of getting offended by ignorance, we should take it as an opportunity to educate others, because as long as we’re all open to learn, we should all be open to teach.