My intended major is Political Science. Since childhood, I enjoyed reading newspaper articles and books about American Politics. Eventually I decided to get involved in the political process, so I began volunteering for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. I met a variety of people and learned a lot about grassroots movements. The director, Dionne, took me under her wing and gave me many leadership roles, such as being the script and call sheet manager. It was an enlightening experience because I was able to merge my business acumen with my political knowledge. Following my volunteer experience, I enrolled in a Political Science class at Citrus College. It was a great class to take after volunteering because I shared my experiences …show more content…
Throughout my childhood and young adult life, my grandmother has been my caregiver. She taught me how to be empathetic, interact with others, and be responsible. She would prepare meals for me, take me to doctor 's appointments, teach me manners, and share life stories and wisdom. From her stories and wisdom, I learned the importance of always planning ahead. As I matured, so did my grandmother. By the time I reached college, I was preparing meals for my grandmother, driving her to doctor’s appointments, reminding her to use her “inside voice,” assisting her with her medication, and sharing my experiences with her. Our roles had reversed, and I had become grandmother’s caregiver; I took the initiative to assume that role. I believe a leader is someone who puts others before themselves, and that is exactly what I did. By being her caregiver, I’m planning ahead so that she can live a long, healthy life. I have someone relying on me and every decision I make, small or big, will impact my ability to fulfill this role within my family. It can be a bit stressful caring for someone and attending college, but it’s a rewarding experience; it is a great compromise: I am moving forward with my education, and I am caring for my loved one. My role as a caregiver has positively influenced my grandmother by extending her ability to enjoy her life without any major falls or illnesses. I am very fortunate that I have the luxury to take care of my grandmother, my
I have volunteered at the Salvation Army and have had some wonderful experiences there. For the past years I have been involved in helping children with their homework and I have read books to them. It feels really good when you see the children face expression when they finally get something it is a really good experience. The YMCA is another place I have volunteered, during my volunteering moments at the YMCA I felt like I helped the community so much. During the YMCA we had a chance to volunteer with the children’s hospital to take pictures around the community and write about what it affects us on. This was a great experience because it gave me a chance to speak up not only for me but for other people that probably think the same.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen is an eye opening. This was my first time volunteering, I didn't know what to expect. To be honest, I was kind of nervous. Once I got there I immediately started helping prepare food, there were five of us in total but three of them are usual's. They were all very organized and knew what to do in which order to do it. The kitchen was very clean which I didn't expect. After all the food was prepared, people started to come in to eat. They made a line and we started to serve them. They had option on what they wanted to eat, which I found really nice. We had burgers, spaghetti, chicken sandwich, green beans, Mac&cheese, salad, fruit salad, bread, dessert and of course some drinks. About 70 people showed up to eat.
Upon graduating high school, I plan on attending the great college of Texas A&M University, and major in Political Science to further my knowledge about our political system. I also will minor in International Affairs to further my knowledge about world affairs. While at Texas A&M, I plan to involve myself in programs and clubs where I can grow my network of people. To be better prepared to enter the political arena. Some of these clubs include the Young Republican Club, Ambassador for A&M University, and the world-renowned Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
What connections do you make between your service-learning experiences and some of the themes addressed in class (justice, love, rights, responsibility, relationships, etc.)?
I began by tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and eventually became a teacher at the boys and girls club. The focus of my continued volunteer work was to enrich the children’s after school experience whether they needed help with homework or busy work. During my volunteer work the issue that stuck out in my mid continuously was social class or classism. The BGC emphasizes many different issues and points such as “creating aspirations for the future,” “Helping youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process is the main thrust of these programs and also to develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning, decision-making.” BGC encourages kids to engage in healthy and positive behavior as well as to help the youth build and discover creativity in the arts “Club programs help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills.” (bgca.org)
It was so nice to be back at Discovery, for my third summer volunteering. It hadn’t felt like summer until I walked into the door and saw all the preschoolers. This year it was very different from the past 2 years because there were so many new kids and only about four from the last summer. The kids were all very excited to meet me and were very welcoming. It was nice to see some of the same teachers, but there were new teachers as well. All the kids came up to me to find out my name and to ask if I was a new teacher. I especially loved it when I introduced myself to one of the kids and he responded “Kalala, that’s a silly name”. It was amazing to watch the kids playing and learning and having the chance to watch how they interact with one another. They’re so nice
I started volunteering nine years ago. Once a week for two years, my mother, my sister, and I volunteered at an organization that helps the unprivileged. When I entered high school I started volunteering for credits. But it wasn’t until five months ago that I realized the impact of volunteerism. It took me eight years and seven months.
In Canada, there are approximately 120,000 people that have been diagnosed with dementia or a related condition. Dementia is a condition that is a progressive mental disorder and is characterized as deterioration of intelligence and personality (Myers, 2009). By 2031 this number will drastically increase to 750,000 due to the baby boomers aging (Statistics Canada, 2013; Black, et al., 2010). A caregiver is a person who contributes to another person's social, medical, environmental and economic resources (Myers, 2009). Family members taking on the role of the caregiver can experience a sense of gratification, great meaning and benefit in providing care (Kramer, 2000). This will lead to a major impact on the labor force, health insurance,
After I graduate in June of next year I will be taking a gap year and returning to school to pursue a JD/PhD program with in an emphasis in either Political Methodology or Women, Gender and Sexuality. I have taken classes with the following topics: the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment, queer and disability studies, feminist legal theory, reproductive politics, the social construction of "whiteness", free speech, mock trial, restorative justice, constitutional theory, business legal theory, and more. My senior project, which I will be completing by the next year, involves how vegan/vegetarianism and the animal rights movement impacts indigenous/non western cultures. I have spent the last two years on the Cal Poly Debate Team as a judge and have traveled to over eight different universities in the state of California to participate in intercollegiate competitions.
My first thought when starting the volunteer work at Welcome home, was concerns, that I would not be able to play a role in working there. My reasons for this, was due to my first day being cut short. I was not sure what to expect when I first got there, but I was hopeful in helping. As I continue going I’d stated to notice that I was able to do more and more each time I would go. Therefore, I was better able to help with organizing donations and helping resident when needed.
Volunteering enables an individual to make a positive impact on his or her community, while empowering the individual to better his or her life. This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at many diverse locations. From the hospital to the local library, I truly value my experience and treasure everything it has thought me. Volunteering lets us experience and learn things that we otherwise would not have learned; volunteering opens doors for us that we may not have been able to open before. Volunteering provides us with guidance and tolerance which we may use in the future to aid us in our decisions. At first glance, volunteering may seem to only benefit those who are helped, but on a deeper level, one can realize that volunteering benefits the volunteer as much as, if not more than, those who are helped. Not only does volunteering make a difference in one’s community, but it also helps the volunteer become a smarter, happier, friendlier and more caring individual.
A common misconception about volunteering is that it only helps the cause. Often times that aspect is the only part that is highlighted when the topic of donating time comes up. There is a different side of volunteering though. Many volunteers donate their time to help better the community they live in and the people that live in it. When they choose to do this they not only help others but they are also helping better themselves. Volunteering benefits a person by building connections with peers, improving family life, expanding career skills, overcoming self doubt, having lasting life impressions, and creating new opportunities.
A reflection of my volunteering experience can be summarized in two words: Life-changing. It is hard to explain the feelings that occur when you involve yourself in selfless acts for your community, such as volunteering. There is a feeling in your heart that you cannot ignore, maybe it is the happiness you feel or the overflow of emotions in helping others. In other words, it is a feeling in which you want to share with others. Maybe with a friend, maybe a classmate, maybe a family member, or maybe even a stranger. Either way, spreading how life-changing volunteering can be is a great start to making a positive change in your community by simply by involving others.
Among social psychologists, there is anelongatedsaga of interest in why and when people help others(Schroeder, Penner, Dovidio, & Piliavin, 1995).Up untilquitein recent times, inquiry on helping behavior focused mainly on a very specific kind of prosocial action—bystanders intervening to provide immediate and short-term help to a physically distressed stranger. In the last few years, however, more attention has been given to prosocial behaviors that continue for an extended time—sustained prosocial actions. There are a number of different kinds of behaviors that might be classified as sustained prosocial actions (e.g., caring for the elderly in a nursing home, the donation of blood at a blood center), but this study is primarily concerned with volunteerism.
"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver."