Valentine Scholarship

In my free time, I help give tours to incoming first-year students, run food and blood drives, help raise money for organizations, decorate the school, tutor students, create and donate blankets, and more. By volunteering at the high school and running the peer tutoring program, I have built relationships with teachers and students I did not have class with or learn from. These relationships have provided me with a support network that I can rely on; when I need help or support from someone, I can ask numerous people for help and, in return, get help from others. While living in Pennsylvania, I volunteered at our local library for six hours every weekend. My favorite part of the volunteering was running the STEM activities with the little kids. I remember walking into the library one day, thinking it would be a long day. Don't get me wrong. I was excited to volunteer; I was just tired from not sleeping well. I got there, set up a massive bucket of water, and pulled out aluminum foil, paper, paper clips, hot glue, and scissors for the kids to use. Once it hit lunchtime, the kids started arriving and meeting up. I called all the kids over and gave them their mission. Create a boat that will float in water and hold most paper clips. The winner would get a prize. All the children ran over and started to grab supplies. This little boy was nervous; it was his first time at one of these events, and he did not know anyone well enough to want to ask. I approached him and guided him to join a team of kids. This activity was an individual project, but I wanted them to help still and support each other. The boy tested his boat, and it sank immediately. He tried two more times, but both failed. The next thing I knew, he was crying and upset. He then stood up, got his boat, and returned to work. When it was the end of the activity, everyone tested their boats one last time, and what would you know, his boat held the most paperclips! I love to tell the story of the time I ran this activity. By doing this activity, I saw how perseverance is essential in life; we need to have it, or we will give up and not succeed. I currently take challenging dual credit classes. It's not easy, but I must have faith in myself and push through the boundaries I unknowingly set for myself. While the boy's boat was not the most pretty, it was the most successful. I learned that it is okay to mess up, but how you learn from those failures and grow matters the most. Serving the community can be as small as showing up and being there, donating, volunteering, or running an event. These events include helping at local schools, libraries, and community centers and organizing donation drives, parades, or fairs. By helping to serve the community, you are creating a better environment for you and everyone living there. People will never turn down good help when needed, and everyone can help. Even a small impact can change or improve someone's day. Volunteering has no requirements except for one: a small amount of your time. Communities that have people who volunteer have more events, build closer relationships, help each other more, and build a lasting community that benefits all.

I’ve always had a strong sense of community. I don't exactly know where it stems from. It could possibly have been from my struggles with my family in the past, or perhaps my close friends who have been there for me throughout the years. Though I can't quite pinpoint where my strong sense of community began, I do know that It is a large part of who I am. In my time at Royse City, I have given it my all to help out wherever I can, and I am proud of that fact. In my school, I am in the Teacher Appreciation Committee within TAFE. I do not have the intention of becoming a teacher, but I do understand how vital they are, and how we as a community need to appreciate them. As I’ve been in TAFE, I've worked hard volunteering within TAFE to make the teachers in Royse City feel appreciated. In October this year, TAFE planned and executed a week dedicated to appreciating our teacher- and as a member of the teacher appreciation committee, I had a big part to play. The other member of our committee and I were solely in charge of our bingo and pumpkin decorating events held within the week, as well as assisting with the other events as needed. Through this experience, I was able to show the teachers involved just how appreciated they are, and how vital they are to the community, and I’ll forever be grateful that I got to experience this event. Another volunteering experience I had was at our local library. Reading is a passion of mine, and I love our library and our librarians, so when I was informed of the opportunity, I took it up immediately. While volunteering at the library I had the chance to get to know the librarians, the people in our community (through assisting patrons), and what goes on in our city. I was able to assist in event planning, decorating, and running. I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed my time at the library- even when doing little things like stamping books or cutting out posters. I would not have missed out on this experience for the world. It’s not easy to get into volunteering. I often have a hard time finding opportunities and deciding to help. The best way to help out one's community is to take up any opportunity that is given. Any little thing can help out your community, whether that be running a food stall for a football game, or judging a science fair. Any little thing you can do to help your community will add up. Not all volunteering must be official or documented either; another way to volunteer could be picking up trash, or tutoring a friend. If there is something you can do that can help out your family, friends, or entire city, you should always do so. I love my community, and assisting when I can is incredibly important to who I am. I believe that volunteering and doing community service can benefit one’s life and character exponentially.