Preparing for the Future
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Providing comfort and helping others is a significant part of my life. This is one of the reasons why I love to volunteer. I have been a part of the Mon Valley YMCA Teen Leaders Club for the past seven years, serving as both the president and secretary of this organization. We volunteer at many different places throughout the community, including; senior care homes, animal shelters, events at the YMCA and my favorite event, Relay for Life. I truly enjoy working with the Teen Leaders Club because it allows me to contribute to some of the causes I care about.
Participating in Relay for Life is something I cherish immensely. Relay for Life is something I look forward to every year because it reminds me of my Aunt, and we are able to raise money so others won’t have to suffer. I hope to one day be able to participate in helping to find a cure for the millions of people suffering from this terrible disease. Volunteering with this group has taught me a great deal about myself and the person I would like to become. By multitasking and working with the other members and participants at our events, I have gained numerous problem-solving and leadership skills. I have been able to work on my public speaking at some of the events we host, such as talent shows where I served as the announcer.
Since this club volunteers at a variety of places around the community, I have built connections with many professionals from a variety of career paths. This organization has helped to shape me into the person I am today and to prepare me for my future. Being a part of the Mon Valley YMCA Teen Leaders has given me the confidence to not only volunteer within my community, but also contribute in my school. Using the leadership skills that I have obtained, I have given back to my school by participating in a variety of organizations. Joining class council was something that I had always wanted to do in middle school, so freshman year I decided to run for class treasurer. I have been the class of 2020’s treasurer all four years of my high school experience. Since then I have also joined over ten different clubs and activities. During sophomore year, I decided to get outside my comfort zone and try out for the majorette squad. This year, I was named the stage manager for my school’s upcoming musical. If I had never joined the Teen Leaders Club, I would have never had the confidence in myself to be a leader within my school and community.
The Mon Valley YMCA Teen Leaders Club has also aided me in determining what career path I want to take. This organization showed me that my calling is to work in the medical field as a nurse. After becoming a nurse, my future goals are to continue my education and become a pediatric acute care nurse practitioner. As I prepare myself for my future, I will remember and rely on the skills that I have learned from these experiences to better prepare myself for wherever life takes me. Having these skills will make me a better student and one day a nurse practitioner. These leadership and communication skills will help me form better relationships with my peers, professors, co-workers, and patients.
I am grateful for all of the memories, friendships, and experiences that I have gained by being a part of the Mon Valley YMCA Teen Leaders. I will forever remember my time spent volunteering with this wonderful organization.
