Prompt 1: Please share a volunteer experience and its impact on your life.

The Ripple Effect

            Before I volunteered at Warren Village, I thought my community service was only important on a college application. In just a few short weeks, however, I realized how I was impacting an entire community. In doing so, I discovered an indomitable love for helping others that will impact the rest of my life. It taught me that one person can make a difference and that there are always ways to take action because there are always people that need a little help.

            Warren Village provides subsidized housing to low-income, single parent families. These families are not economically self-sufficient and cannot support their families without assistance. That is where the many dedicated volunteers step in. I am privileged to consider myself a part of this incredible group of selfless individuals who provide child-care so that the single mothers are able to take classes. These help them finish their education, create plans and priorities for the future, and foster personal growth.

            Every time I volunteer, even for just two hours, I experience these families’ stories and the incredible force of their hope. It is amazing to see such strength in people so young and such optimism in people who have endured so many struggles. They have hope that their life will head in a new direction, and their hope reverberates in every corner of Warren Village, the catalyst for changing their situations.

            While I watch their children, the single mothers take classes so as to re-enter the work force. This reduces dependency on public assistance and helps break the cycle of homelessness for single parent families. In doing so, these women also become valued members of society. By being self-sufficient, they are able to make money and in turn spend that money and pump it back into the economy. They generate their own money and pay for their own necessities, relieving some of the stress of federal funding and allowing more money to go to public works and other services that further benefit the community. They also influence others by giving back and volunteering as well as emphasizing the importance of education. This helps inspire others to improve their lives so maybe Warren Village won’t have to in the future.

            Making this possible is the childcare. The volunteers help thwart the devastating cycle of poverty and lack of education by enabling the mothers to attend classes and still provide a safe environment for their children. After only a few weeks of volunteering here, I realized the scope that two hours can have on an entire community. I realized that my small effort in volunteering can truly help people. I realized that I could be the ripple that a pond needs. Thus my love for helping others was born.

            Influenced by this volunteer experience, I joined Key Club and Spanish National Honors Society at my school. In Key Club, I do various volunteer activities that help local and international communities, especially the less fortunate. We do things from raising money for UNICEF, to help children around the world, to local things like making sandwiches for the homeless every week. Spanish National Honors Society is aimed at promoting cultural knowledge, to decrease prejudice against Hispanic minorities. It also helps Hispanic communities in need, like by raising school supplies for an orphanage in Honduras that was having to reuse coloring books. As a part of this society, I also tutor Spanish every week to middle school students because language is an essential part to culture, and learning at a young age is key. I also started volunteering more at other places like Sports Made Possible (which helps children with various mental and physical challenges play baseball as a team member), and Urban Peak Shelter (which helps get homeless youth off the streets) among others. Because of Warren Village, I was inspired to be more active in my community and in more ways. 

            It has also influenced my career goals for the future. I have always wanted to be a Pediatrician. Before this experience, however, I was perfectly satisfied with working in an office in Colorado for a hearty salary of 130,000 dollars and up. But now, I want to combine that career with my newfound passion for helping others by practicing medicine wherever I can in Asia, and monetary gains are no longer a vital consideration. Asia is very over-populated, with many living in poverty. There is limited access to medical resources and medical personnel and many people are unable to afford treatment. Leprosy, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are all serious problems, especially because of the high population density (and therefore rapid transmission). There is a high infant mortality rate, and a high death rate. 40,000 children go blind because of a lack of Vitamin A in India alone every year. Three children die of diarrhea every minute in Asia. These are serious problems that can be avoided; many of these deaths are attributed to preventable diseases. Especially with the rapid development occurring in Asia, I fear that health will not be a priority unless people like me step in. Because Warren Village fostered in me a profound desire to help others, it has directly influenced my future career path and lifestyle choices. Helping others on a scale impossible in that Colorado office is more than worth 75,000 dollars less a year.

            Warren Village inspired me to believe that one person can make a difference, just like the East Villagers believe that “Anyone can share their life-changing stories and impact people all around the world”. It is the ripple effect. This is why I believe this scholarship is important, why I volunteer in my community and why I want to be a Pediatrician in Asia. Two hours changed a community. One experience changed my perspective on helping others, while simultaneously shaping my future aspirations. Community service went from a credential on a résumé to a passion after volunteering at Warren Village.