How have the activities increased your awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth?
Key Club: As a member and later secretary of Charter Oak Key Club, I have learned numerous invaluable qualities. However, Key Club most significantly brought attention to my attention, my lack of patience as well as my lack of flexibility. There were numerous times in Key Club in which information was not readily available and plans changed at the last second. I am very stubborn and used to having control, so as one can imagine, having an important, yet very minor role in large organization that I cannot control was stressful and at times, frustrating. However, I learned the importance of remaining flexible and patient in times of difficulty. Key Club, however, brought to my attention, my strength of communication. As the person in charge of recording and keeping track of member hours, it was critical I engage and communicate with the members. Throughout my term, although I am imperfect, I was generally able to successfully communicate with members and ensure that they received their hours successfully.
Northwest Neighbors: Volunteering with Northwest Neighbors was an educational experience for me, as I learned the importance of patience and was reminded of the importance of perseverance. As mentioned above, I have often struggle with patience. However, after working with the kids, I realized how important it is to be patient so that the students feel comfortable and calm. My stubbornness was an advantage in this process as I was determined to help the kids improve and persevered even during times I felt discouraged. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to help kids and give back to the community.
Key Club: As a member and later secretary of Charter Oak Key Club, I have learned numerous invaluable qualities. However, Key Club most significantly brought attention to my attention, my lack of patience as well as my lack of flexibility. There were numerous times in Key Club in which information was not readily available and plans changed at the last second. I am very stubborn and used to having control, so as one can imagine, having an important, yet very minor role in large organization that I cannot control was stressful and at times, frustrating. However, I learned the importance of remaining flexible and patient in times of difficulty. Key Club, however, brought to my attention, my strength of communication. As the person in charge of recording and keeping track of member hours, it was critical I engage and communicate with the members. Throughout my term, although I am imperfect, I was generally able to successfully communicate with members and ensure that they received their hours successfully.
Northwest Neighbors: Volunteering with Northwest Neighbors was an educational experience for me, as I learned the importance of patience and was reminded of the importance of perseverance. As mentioned above, I have often struggle with patience. However, after working with the kids, I realized how important it is to be patient so that the students feel comfortable and calm. My stubbornness was an advantage in this process as I was determined to help the kids improve and persevered even during times I felt discouraged. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to help kids and give back to the community.
How did your activities demonstrate that you've taken on new challenges?
Tennis: Learning a sport from scratch was definitely a memorable challenge for me. When I picked up a tennis racket for the first time my sophomore year, I had no idea how hard it would be to learn how to correctly hit a ball over a net. A softball player, I thought that using a racket to hit a small target would definitely be easier than using a bat to do so. However, I severely underestimated the difficulty of tennis. Learning the proper technique of forehands, backhands, volleying, and serving was anything but easy. The beginning was extremely frustrating as I had been used to succeeding and playing well. However, it seemed every forehand went out, and every backhand went into the net. Every serve seemed dangerous as I had absolutely no control over where the ball went. Nevertheless, I was determined to learn the game, and slowly but surely, I was able to learn technique and actually get the ball into the court. Despite great improvement, even through my junior and senior year, I lost many games and that was discouraging. However, I later realized that my success came not from my scores, but from my perseverance and love for the game.
Tennis: Learning a sport from scratch was definitely a memorable challenge for me. When I picked up a tennis racket for the first time my sophomore year, I had no idea how hard it would be to learn how to correctly hit a ball over a net. A softball player, I thought that using a racket to hit a small target would definitely be easier than using a bat to do so. However, I severely underestimated the difficulty of tennis. Learning the proper technique of forehands, backhands, volleying, and serving was anything but easy. The beginning was extremely frustrating as I had been used to succeeding and playing well. However, it seemed every forehand went out, and every backhand went into the net. Every serve seemed dangerous as I had absolutely no control over where the ball went. Nevertheless, I was determined to learn the game, and slowly but surely, I was able to learn technique and actually get the ball into the court. Despite great improvement, even through my junior and senior year, I lost many games and that was discouraging. However, I later realized that my success came not from my scores, but from my perseverance and love for the game.
How were your activities planned and initiated?
Sharing Our Humanity Dinner: From the start, I knew that this activity would require a lot of work and time. Nevertheless, i knew that I wanted to be a part of the process and help raise money to tackle global issues. However, I erroneously believed that planning and carrying out the dinner would be fairly easy. As president, the first step of planning was seeking out a charity to be the focus of our annual dinner. I worked together with the other SOH board members and together, we found and agreed to focus on FundaField - an organization that uses sports as a method of therapeutic healing in areas that have undergone traumatic events. The next step? Planning. The dinner took meticulous planning in terms of decorating, publicizing, preparing, and hosting the dinner. There were definitely stressful nights, but in the end, the careful planning paid off, as the dinner was a great success!
Sharing Our Humanity Dinner: From the start, I knew that this activity would require a lot of work and time. Nevertheless, i knew that I wanted to be a part of the process and help raise money to tackle global issues. However, I erroneously believed that planning and carrying out the dinner would be fairly easy. As president, the first step of planning was seeking out a charity to be the focus of our annual dinner. I worked together with the other SOH board members and together, we found and agreed to focus on FundaField - an organization that uses sports as a method of therapeutic healing in areas that have undergone traumatic events. The next step? Planning. The dinner took meticulous planning in terms of decorating, publicizing, preparing, and hosting the dinner. There were definitely stressful nights, but in the end, the careful planning paid off, as the dinner was a great success!
In what ways did you work collaboratively with others?
WASC: Participating in the school's accreditation process was educational and informative as I learned more about the school administration and the interwoven relationships between teachers, administrators, students, and parents that make up a school. As part of the curriculum focused group, student representatives, parent representatives, administrators, and teachers worked together discussing strengths and weaknesses of the school's curriculum. The different perspectives allowed for a deeper and more thorough evaluation of the schools curriculum. Together, members of the curriculum compiled a list of successes of Charter Oak's curriculum as well as a list of areas that need improvement. We set out goals for the school, and planned a method of achievement that would be realistic for both students and teachers. Overall, I learned the importance of collaboration between teachers, students, administration, and parents in running a successful educational institution.
WASC: Participating in the school's accreditation process was educational and informative as I learned more about the school administration and the interwoven relationships between teachers, administrators, students, and parents that make up a school. As part of the curriculum focused group, student representatives, parent representatives, administrators, and teachers worked together discussing strengths and weaknesses of the school's curriculum. The different perspectives allowed for a deeper and more thorough evaluation of the schools curriculum. Together, members of the curriculum compiled a list of successes of Charter Oak's curriculum as well as a list of areas that need improvement. We set out goals for the school, and planned a method of achievement that would be realistic for both students and teachers. Overall, I learned the importance of collaboration between teachers, students, administration, and parents in running a successful educational institution.
How do your activities demonstrate perseverance and commitment on your part?
Key Club: The secretarial responsibilities of Key Club required diligence, commitment, and hard work. As secretary, I was responsible for keeping track of member hours and writing monthly report forms to communicate Charter Oak's activities each month. Consequently, I was required to attend almost every event as I had to sign-in members and keep track of how long they were there. I spent numerous weekends at Key Club events and numerous weekdays attending Key Club meetings and logging member hours. I was forced to maintain organization and commit to my duties as my failure would have let down the entire club. Despite long hours and frustrating challenges, I forced myself to keep up with duties as I was determined to serve my club and maintain my promise to them as their entrusted secretary. Working as a Key Club board member taught me the importance of persevering and I am proud of the role I played as secretary of Charter Oak Key Club.
Key Club: The secretarial responsibilities of Key Club required diligence, commitment, and hard work. As secretary, I was responsible for keeping track of member hours and writing monthly report forms to communicate Charter Oak's activities each month. Consequently, I was required to attend almost every event as I had to sign-in members and keep track of how long they were there. I spent numerous weekends at Key Club events and numerous weekdays attending Key Club meetings and logging member hours. I was forced to maintain organization and commit to my duties as my failure would have let down the entire club. Despite long hours and frustrating challenges, I forced myself to keep up with duties as I was determined to serve my club and maintain my promise to them as their entrusted secretary. Working as a Key Club board member taught me the importance of persevering and I am proud of the role I played as secretary of Charter Oak Key Club.
How were you engaged with issues of global importance?
Sharing Our Humanity: Personally, one of the largest appeals of Sharing Our Humanity is its focus on global issues and making a difference beyond the borders of the United States. It is easy to get caught up in the affairs that affect us directly and forget about the challenges faced by the rest of the world. However, I believe that it is is important to remind ourselves that we are only a small part of a very large world. It is humbling to temporarily forget about our own troubles and instead think about the obstacles that rest of world faces. This year, our charity focus was FundaField, an organization that uses sports as a therapeutic method healing in areas that have undergone trauma. In American sports have become a large franchise that involves mass public events, materialism, bets, commercials, TV broadcasting, etc. However, in other countries, sports are simply a fun pastime that unites the community. Unfortunately, there are many areas that cannot afford sports equipment. People have to use clothing, rocks, and ties to make a soccer ball. The thought of being able to donate equipment to third world countries motivated me to work hard and commit to fundraising on their behalf. Participating in Sharing Our Humanity reminded me of the importance of being grateful for what I have and of looking beyond my problems to bigger issues.
Sharing Our Humanity: Personally, one of the largest appeals of Sharing Our Humanity is its focus on global issues and making a difference beyond the borders of the United States. It is easy to get caught up in the affairs that affect us directly and forget about the challenges faced by the rest of the world. However, I believe that it is is important to remind ourselves that we are only a small part of a very large world. It is humbling to temporarily forget about our own troubles and instead think about the obstacles that rest of world faces. This year, our charity focus was FundaField, an organization that uses sports as a therapeutic method healing in areas that have undergone trauma. In American sports have become a large franchise that involves mass public events, materialism, bets, commercials, TV broadcasting, etc. However, in other countries, sports are simply a fun pastime that unites the community. Unfortunately, there are many areas that cannot afford sports equipment. People have to use clothing, rocks, and ties to make a soccer ball. The thought of being able to donate equipment to third world countries motivated me to work hard and commit to fundraising on their behalf. Participating in Sharing Our Humanity reminded me of the importance of being grateful for what I have and of looking beyond my problems to bigger issues.
In what ways did you consider the ethical implications of your activities?
Key Club: Key Club immediately came to my mind when considering the ethical implications of my activities, because for me, Key Club was much more than a service club. In alignment with the Key Club pledge, as a member, my goal was to help build my home, school, and community, and to serve my nation and God. I sought to apply Key Club's core values - leadership, character-building, caring and inclusiveness - to my service activities and ultimately, to my life. As secretary of Key Club, I was not a person of power, but a servant of my club and the members who were truly the heart of Key Club. I found that in order to be a leader, one must be a person of integrity and gain the respect of the community. Furthermore, I believe service should be seen as a privilege instead of an obligation as it gives us an opportunity to make an impact for good. I am grateful for my experiences in Key Club as it has molded me into a better citizen and heightened my awareness of the ethical implications of my activities.
Field of Valor: Additionally, working at the Field of Valor event was a humbling experience that I am proud to have been a part of. I am so blessed to live in such an incredible country where people have sacrificed their own safety to serve and protect our nation. The sight of hundred of flags truly touched my heart and reminded me of what it means to be an American. Although the event was physically tiring only to be taken down a few days later, I truly believe that the event makes a difference. It honors the those brave, selfless souls who have dedicated themselves to the service of our country. It inspires the youth to aspire to be courageous, honest, committed, selfless, honorable citizens of the world. Thus, I believe that this single event, however small, has huge ethical implications, representing honor and integrity.
Key Club: Key Club immediately came to my mind when considering the ethical implications of my activities, because for me, Key Club was much more than a service club. In alignment with the Key Club pledge, as a member, my goal was to help build my home, school, and community, and to serve my nation and God. I sought to apply Key Club's core values - leadership, character-building, caring and inclusiveness - to my service activities and ultimately, to my life. As secretary of Key Club, I was not a person of power, but a servant of my club and the members who were truly the heart of Key Club. I found that in order to be a leader, one must be a person of integrity and gain the respect of the community. Furthermore, I believe service should be seen as a privilege instead of an obligation as it gives us an opportunity to make an impact for good. I am grateful for my experiences in Key Club as it has molded me into a better citizen and heightened my awareness of the ethical implications of my activities.
Field of Valor: Additionally, working at the Field of Valor event was a humbling experience that I am proud to have been a part of. I am so blessed to live in such an incredible country where people have sacrificed their own safety to serve and protect our nation. The sight of hundred of flags truly touched my heart and reminded me of what it means to be an American. Although the event was physically tiring only to be taken down a few days later, I truly believe that the event makes a difference. It honors the those brave, selfless souls who have dedicated themselves to the service of our country. It inspires the youth to aspire to be courageous, honest, committed, selfless, honorable citizens of the world. Thus, I believe that this single event, however small, has huge ethical implications, representing honor and integrity.
What new skills did you develop through your activities?
Isaiah's Rock: My CAS experiences have been invaluable as they have taught me numerous lessons about service, and about life. From Isaiah's Rock, I learned how to engage in the community and to connect with others who come from a different background. I remember listening to the story of one the families we helped and suddenly realizing that one's value comes from his or her unique story that has molded them into the person he or she has become. Everyone has a different background, but we are all humans and contribute something unique and valuable to society.
Tennis: From Tennis, I learned the importance of having positive perspective, of approaching the world with optimism and hope, and of focusing on the beauty in life and personal victories. Initially, I struggled greatly with tennis as I viewed each defeat as an indicator of my worth as player and thus, I slowly began to hate the game. However, encouragement from teammates and their unconditional support made me realize that tennis was not about a score, but about determination, persevering, and learning. From tennis, I not only gained lifelong friends, but a new perspective of failure as the stepping stones to success. As the saying goes, falling down is a part of life. Getting back up is living.
Isaiah's Rock: My CAS experiences have been invaluable as they have taught me numerous lessons about service, and about life. From Isaiah's Rock, I learned how to engage in the community and to connect with others who come from a different background. I remember listening to the story of one the families we helped and suddenly realizing that one's value comes from his or her unique story that has molded them into the person he or she has become. Everyone has a different background, but we are all humans and contribute something unique and valuable to society.
Tennis: From Tennis, I learned the importance of having positive perspective, of approaching the world with optimism and hope, and of focusing on the beauty in life and personal victories. Initially, I struggled greatly with tennis as I viewed each defeat as an indicator of my worth as player and thus, I slowly began to hate the game. However, encouragement from teammates and their unconditional support made me realize that tennis was not about a score, but about determination, persevering, and learning. From tennis, I not only gained lifelong friends, but a new perspective of failure as the stepping stones to success. As the saying goes, falling down is a part of life. Getting back up is living.