My Story |
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| About VolunTEENS | About MSSA |
This page has been created to give you the chance to share your story with us and other VolunTEENS.
Please take a look at what these teens have done. We'd love to hear about your experiences!
Send us your story!
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Omar Abudayyeh I have enjoyed volunteering for the FIRST Lego League team of middle school students who build robots from Lego Mindstorms and program them to perform specific tasks in competitions. I teach these kids the correct way to fit gears and write programs and watch their excitement upon building a sophisticated functioning robot. I enjoy mentoring middle school students and sparking their interest in engineering. After learning about a new local program designed to mentor underprivileged middle school students, I decided that I wanted to play a part. By helping these kids design and construct race cars and robots, many of them found a potential career choice that they might have never considered without this program. My volunteer work in the clean-utilities room at Borgess Medical Center includes stocking new surgery tools, preparing surgery carts, and restocking unused tools. The most exciting part of my job, is delivering the carts to operation rooms while surgeries are underway. This allows me to observe procedures such as C-sections and open heart surgeries through the door window. I am also privileged to be able to converse with many doctors and nurses who answer my questions about surgical devices and demonstrate their use for me. Finally, I think of my service activities at Portage Central and KAMSC. I designed and produced KAMSC's graduation commencement videos for the past two years, volunteered for KAMSC's Summer Sizzling program for area elementary and middle school students for the past three summers and provided assistance to many activities during Portage Central's theatrical season. Volunteering has always been a part of my life. I was fortunate to be in a school that cared about its surrounding community and about instilling the value of citizenship in its students. I grew up fond of helping others. I have always gone home feeling good about myself knowing that I can make a difference in somebody's life.
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Nathan Bauer Volunteering is a tool that should be utilized to reach people in a community who need help, and desperately require assistance. To simply give my time to others is a gift in itself. Helping others can come in many different forms. Volunteer work is fun and there is always a need for new workers. Seeing the reaction from people being helped, and growing close to them is enough reward to meet my personal needs, and I will not be quitting my volunteer work anytime soon. I dedicate a lot of time supporting things I believe in like volunteering at my church's cafe, providing school supplies and toys to children, working at summer church camps and children's ministries, charity auctions, babysitting, car washes, and volunteered at a veterinary clinic. Growing up I was inspired by my parents who taught me that the number one thing in life shouldn't be trying to make gains for oneself, but a life dedicated to serving others and living what you believe. Volunteer work has affected both my short and long term goals and has inspired me to become a nurse, where I can help people every day. There is so much more to life than money, and I am grateful to be able to experience those life changing moments every day that I volunteer.
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Brett Birch Growing up I was privileged to witness my great-grandmother, Mrs. Suzanne Shepherd, use her leadership skills to help others in need. She used her knowledge and strength to coordinate events, such as family gatherings, church socials and charity events. She was a very strong willed individual who seldom gave into anything that she did not agree with. Her mere presence made you feel secure in the knowledge that what needed to be accomplished would certainly find its way to fruition. She was a great mentor and role model to the younger generation with the realization that they are the future. The lessons Gram taught ranged from making sure family Sunday brunch was held most weekends after church, to reading at the local elementary school, to quietly giving money to someone in need, to volunteering on capital campaigns and numerous other leadership roles too great to list. All of these were done with a sense of duty and pride that she readily passed on to the future, her great-grandchildren. I have tried to volunteer as often as my schedule allows, choosing events that would either improve people's lives or perhaps make it a little easier for someone to spend time with their family. But by far my greatest achievement is the education of elementary children on the importance of volunteering through the annual Youth United Way Penny Campaign. We would organize and collect pennies from local elementary schools, and speak to them on the importance of volunteering and about where and how their pennies would be distributed to local charities to show awareness for those in need. The class that collected the most pennies received a pizza party. My work with Katrina Relief had the greatest impact on me. Although it gave me a great sense of accomplishment, there continues to be an enormous amount of work to be done. If everyone volunteered one weekend to the betterment of someone else's life, the possibilities would be endless. That is why I am seriously considering a stint in the Peace Corps after medical school. Volunteering is not simply a way to achieve service hours, but it is a way to honor those around you. When I give of myself, it not only make me feel good about myself but it honors who I am and where I come from, and maybe, just maybe makes someone's day a little brighter.
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Madison White "I am looking forward to see all that I can accomplish and how much I can grow from all my volunteer work." It has become one of my greatest passions in my high school career to volunteer. I feel my greatest accomplishment in life thus far has been learning to see my struggles and pain not as a curse or punishment, but as a blessing that has taught me to show true compassion and love to every human being. It is this which has motivated me to volunteer in my community and help in any way I can. My understanding of the human desire to feel loved has driven me to focus the majority of my volunteer work on working with people. I have not limited my experiences or populations I work with. I have worked with new moms in the mother-baby unit at Bronson, children at carnivals and mentally handicapped adults at a Ministry with Community retreat. I strive to help with the issues relating to the care of people. By offering just a few hours a week to somebody, I believe you can change the world. The impact may not be obvious or immediate but it takes patience to make a change. I believe through my service I have shown the community the importance of caring for those around you. By my volunteering, I have learned so much more about life and grown in spirit. It is my intent while attending Hope College to continue my involvement with community service. I hope to find service groups and organizations within the community so I can become as involved as possible. It is very important to me, wherever I may be, to give my service and time within my community. I also would like to expand my service across the world. After completing my nursing degree at Hope I plan to join the Peace Corps. I am looking forward to see all that I can accomplish and how much I can grow from all my volunteer work.
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Meghan Gajare Since I was a child, I have always considered the thought of becoming a physician. Therefore, I decided to volunteer at Borgess hospital in order to gain more insight in that field and to experience the surroundings of a hospital. I decided to volunteer in the inpatient surgery. I began by restocking the shelves with the surgical supplies that were needed to perform the surgeries. However, I soon began to also prepare the surgical trays for the physicians. By doing this I learned the different sizes of catheters, needles and other equipment needed to perform different types of surgeries. In between restocking shelves and preparing trays I was able to watch different surgeries from outside the window. After a time I switched departments and started volunteering in the Stent Lab. I would help prep patients for surgery, run supplies to the nurses, and take patients to their recovery rooms. By doing this I was able to converse with the patients and their relatives which improved my conversation skills and opened me up to different types of people. Other service I participated in was included Habitat for Humanity, Rotary, my temple youth group, and National Honor Society. While building and renovating homes with Habitat, I helped by installing insulation, leveling basements, painting walls, building door panels and more. I was able to meet and converse with the people who would benefit from these homes, and to see how building these homes affects the community and helps with the societal problems that are present throughout the community. I tutored at PCEC and learned to use my knowledge to teach children. I told them the importance of learning math skills or basic reading in order to succeed in life. I attended the local chapter of the Youth United Way regularly and also volunteered at the KAMSC Sizzling Summer program. This is a program that teaches children between the ages of 3 to 12 science, math and computers. Volunteering throughout high school has helped me to open up my mind to new thoughts and experiences. I plan on continuing to contribute my time and effort to the community whenever I have a chance in order to help our society and teach other volunteers what I have learned along the way.
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Emilee Gibson-Howe Throughout my high school career I was able to accomplish a number of different volunteer activities. These experiences include service within and outside of my community. I came to love and enjoy working with people from all walks of life. I also came to find out what hard work can accomplish! My volunteer service included cleaning in my church parish, and volunteering at a Muscular Dystrophy Association camp. I have traveled to Tijuana, Mexico and participated in the alternative spring break trip to St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans. Muscular Dystrophy is a debilitating disease that inhibits many people from walking and doing everyday activities. Most people with this disease do not live past the age of 30. I am encouraging my friends to join me in doing this work. To see the joy this camp brings to the children makes it worthwhile to work so hard. My experience at the muscular dystrophy camp in particular has impacted my long-term goals. I have decided to pursue a degree in Special Education as my college major. I have learned so much about people with physical and mental disabilities and want to work in that field. I have been motivated to volunteer by classmates that were involved with mission trips. Hearing about the available opportunities inspired me to get involved. After each experience I was ready for the next project. Seeing how grateful people were when we assisted them is another huge reason why I continue to do these projects.I believe my impact on the community has been a positive one. My service has had an impact on those I have helped, and influenced others to volunteer as well. I learned a great deal through my experiences about people. For all the small things we take for granted each day, we should in return, help others.I definitely intend to carry on with my volunteer work for as long as I am able. Knowing what we can do has inspired me to get others involved in these efforts that make such a difference in people's lives. I am passionate about my mission work and it is my intention to continue the path of community service throughout my lifetime.
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Allison Kruger At the time of my graduation, I was able to complete more than 400 hours of community service since entering high school. A significant portion of my volunteer time has been spent in nursing homes, leading activities like bingo with the seniors, or sometimes just talking. Through these and other volunteer projects, I have learned that I enjoy working closely with others; a requirement in the healthcare field. My volunteer work with various and diverse organizations has also taught me that I communicate well with others on a personal and professional level. On church mission trips, I had the opportunity to reach out to people who feel forgotten and ignored. By listening to their stories, I am able to provide reassurance that there is someone genuinely interested in their lives. My communication skills, my leadership abilities, and my positive attitude will undoubtedly be useful as a nurse, as I will be able to build strong relationships with patients. Moreover, my compassion for others has led me to the realization that I need to be helping people, and nursing would give me the opportunity to save and improve the lives of patients every day. My involvement in political and language clubs, athletics, band, and volunteering has taught me a lot about myself and has given me the opportunity to connect with a broad spectrum of people. My responsibilities as co-captain of the Varsity tennis team included facilitating various components of practices, outlining tournament travel details, and organizing parent and player responsibilities during matches. I know that my involvement in the school and my community will not stop at Vicksburg High School. In addition, I have the ability to get others involved in school or community activities. For the past several years I have been participating in an annual event called Walk for the Homeless, which raises money to help fund shelters and housing in Kalamazoo County. I encouraged many of my friends to collect donations and walk with me, and most of them now plan on participating every year. I am now looking forward to attending the University of Michigan where I will pursue a career in nursing. My volunteer experience has taught me how to relate to many different types of people and I genuinely look forward to immersing myself in the University of Michigan campus community.
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Rupal Patel I genuinely care about others, and I strive to have a positive impact upon those around me. My first volunteer experience was at the Curious Kids Daycare Center where I helped supervise toddlers as they played outside, attempted learning activities, and ate. Over the next five years, I volunteered at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum as a "Hands-On Program Assistant" where I helped visiting children complete a specific activity. I spent a large amount of my volunteering time with children because I believe that children are the future. I hope that by showing children that the community cares about them, they will make good choices in their life. As a volunteer at Borgess Hospital I was an escort/greeter for one year and an operating room aide for two years. I hope to become a doctor in the future and this experience opened my eyes to the hospital environment. Volunteering taught me a lot about social issues in our communities. At Habitat for Humanity, I learned about and helped to address homelessness, and as a Portage Central High School student, I served as an officer of the National Honor Society (NHS) and a member of the Rotary Club. In this role, I organized volunteering events for NHS members so that others could give back to the community. As a member of the Greater Kalamazoo Youth United Way, I helped allocate grant money to deserving area organizations. I became involved in Prevention Works Inc.'s, Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and I volunteered at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, Bronson's Children's Hospital, and several retirement homes. I presented to teachers and school board members from nearby school districts about the importance of diversity, and gave numerous presentations to area youth and adults on topics ranging from the importance of diversity to the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol. I believe that my volunteer efforts have been worthwhile and I also believe that my service made a positive impact on the Kalamazoo community. I am now looking forward to college and medical school where I'll pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. Someday, I hope to travel to Africa and India where I will spend time aiding the people there. I definitely plan to continue my volunteer work in college and throughout my life.
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Keith Reisinger, III Throughout high school I was actively involved in several different programs where I volunteered my time to serve the community. I was a volunteer in the Borgess Medical Center Emergency Room, where I provided help to patients and visitors who needed directions to other units in the hospital, as well as assisting the nursing staff with a variety of tasks. I often transported patients in wheelchairs to have CT scans and x-rays. I also volunteered at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre as an usher. There I helped patrons to their seats and gave directions to help visitors find their way. I also volunteered to work the phone bank at the Kalamazoo Democratic Party offices during election times. I called registered voters in the Kalamazoo area and encouraged them to vote for their party of choice, and offered a ride share service to those who were unable to get to the polls on their own. I learned many things from these experiences, but the most important thing was what I learned at the hospital. As I watched several families and comforted them after they had just learned that their loved one had died, I learned about the value of a life. It is hard to understand how sacred life is until you see someone else lose their own. All of my experiences have greatly affected my long term goals. As a result of my experiences in the ER, I hope to become a doctor some day where my work will touch people's lives on a daily basis. I would like to participate in a Peace Corps program after college and work with people from other nations, who have severe healthcare crises. From volunteering at the Civic Theatre, my passion for the arts has grown immensely, and I hope to continue my involvement with the arts throughout my life. Finally, my experience with politics has encouraged me to remain active and to fight for what I believe in. I want to educate people about what's occurring throughout the nation, and encourage them to stand out against injustice. Through all of my experiences, I have learned not only a lot about others, but I have learned a lot about myself, and am extremely thankful for the opportunities that volunteering gave me.
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Neil Gajare During high school, my high school volunteer activities gave me many opportunities to use my leadership skills to help others. Working as a tutor to help students who were struggling with their schoolwork, I would help them gain skills to succeed outside of our sessions by doing parts of their work or problem sets in their presence. I constantly reminded students of the importance of learning the basics in middle school so that high school would not seem impossible. Through National Honor Society, I had an opportunity to help arrange a community service project for other students to participate in. I arranged several activities at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission because their programs provide many reduced-price goods for the less fortunate in the community. I have participated in Youth United Way, a philanthropic organization specially designed to empower youth. At YUW I was able to work on projects that included disbursement of funds to programs that enrich the youth of Kalamazoo. I helped review a large number of grants written by people in the community seeking funds to support many causes and was able to work on issues that addressed teen drug abuse, stereotyping, and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. I also volunteered at a special Christmas party for the poor Hispanic and helped with food/gift drives. I've always had an interest in health care and volunteered at Borgess Medical Center and the Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric Hospital. Both institutions, while different in service, offered the opportunity to interact with patients and provide supportive assistance to the staff. At the state hospital I used my typing skills to expedite assignments given to Clinical Affairs and helped prepare reports for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This organization's accreditation is vital to the operation of the hospital and my work, albeit slightly, helped assure continued care for their patients. I regularly volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and found a lot of satisfaction helping to repair or build houses for the less fortunate. I enjoyed interacting with the people purchasing the homes and the experience opened my eyes to the societal problems exemplified by the shortage of affordable housing. I felt much personal gratification helping support a worthy cause built upon the toil of volunteers.
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Alicia Pomeroy Throughout high school I have been actively involved in several different groups where I volunteered my time to serve the community. While most kids spent their summers trying to get jobs to earn money I spend mine working at Curious Kids in the infant room helping to take care of young children. I have been volunteering since I was in the eighth grade. I volunteering at Fountain View Retirement Village attending to the elderly by helping them get to and from their rooms when they wanted to play bingo or go outside. I volunteered at the Curious Kids Child Care Center and spent three hours each day taking care of infants. My freshman year I was a member of the pro-life group at my school, but later that same year I realized that I was pro-choice and not pro-life. My sophomore year I joined the Rotary group at my school and raked leaves for the elderly, and bowled for the Big-Brothers Big-Sisters Bowl-a-thon, which raised money to help children. I painted sets for the holiday party where young children ages 2 mo. - 5 years sat on Santa's lap, got their pictures taken and received toys. Last summer I volunteered at the Bronson Children's Hospital, where I talked with patients, or took them to the play room. I saw children of many ages and I felt great knowing that every Thursday some child would know that people cared about them. I learned that every child needs someone to let them know that they are loved. Someone to cheer them up even when they are so far down that they think their world could end. When they want to cry, they see the caring look upon your face and they smile instead. This experience was the best moment ever in my life. That was the day that I realized that I wanted to be a Pediatric Nurse, so that my face would be the one they see when they wake up. In 2004 I received the Volunteen of the Year award. That experience has shown me that you can do a lot for a little, or just for the satisfaction of being a helper. I learned many things from these experiences, but the most important thing was what I learned at the hospital. As I watched families come in and sit next to their child not knowing how long it would be before they would get better, I realized that it is hard to understand how sacred life is until you see someone else come in who came so close to losing their own. All of my experiences have greatly affected my long term goals. As a result of my experiences in the Pediatric Unit, I hope to become a pediatrician some day where I know my work will touch the lives of people on a daily basis. I would like to participate in the Doctors without Borders program after college and work with people from other nations, who have given their time to help those who can't help themselves. Through all of my experiences, I have learned a lot about others and about myself, and I'm thankful for the opportunities that volunteering has given me. Volunteering can help you realize that life is not just about you and that there are people that need your help. So to those of you who already volunteer, keep on going you're doing great! |
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