I serve with soft words and a smile. Running amongst those half my height with little hands pulling me along is when I am truly a leader.

I have led multiple clubs, participated in student government, and been co-captain on a varsity team; these are all attributes a leader is expected to possess. When necessary, I can give orders and motivate followers, but my genuine leadership ability shines when I am setting an example for the children I work and volunteer with. To them, I am both a friend and role model, someone they can look up to when their lives are less than ideal. In this mindset, to be a true leader is to be a servant to all.

Through my Community Outreach class, I was able to spend time and volunteer at an inner city school with kids from all different backgrounds. I was assigned to tutor Darin, an energetic first grader who was brilliant at math but far behind in reading. The first month consisted of chasing after him in the library and keeping constant watch so he would not steal anything from the rooms we studied in. The seldom moments I could keep him seated were spent trying to read, but they tended to revolve around the pictures instead of the actual words in our books. Slowly but surely, I gained his trust through persistence and understanding. Instead of bringing attention to when he failed, I pointed out whenever he excelled my expectations on his math homework. And if he became depressed when he noticed other children reading faster than him, I turned the conversation to video games. By the end of my year at the elementary school, not only had his reading skills improved, but his confidence as well. Every time I see the picture he drew me for my last visit to his class, I remember how I played a part in leading Darin to academic and personal success.

At the same elementary school, I had the opportunity to assist in leading a group of kindergarteners in an after school program. Having nineteen kindergartners under the direct control of myself and two fellow classmates was the ultimate test of patience. Transferring between story time, craft time, and snack time, while trying to organize multiple bathroom trips is definitely draining, but Kids Club was one of the highlights of my junior year. Never have my actions been as strictly analyzed as they were by these five year olds. At a stage of life when their opinions and individuality are beginning to blossom, my interactions with my kindergarten group were incredibly important. I was young enough to be a friend and confidant, and yet old enough to be a source of wisdom and insight. I know the conversations and giggles I shared with the individual children assisted in the growth of their characters and personalities.

This newfound love of volunteering motivated me to seek out another place to volunteer after the school year had ended. I had no idea that the Children’s Recovery Center of Northern California would become one of my favorite places to be. The kids are inspirational. Faced with tougher problems than most people experience in their whole lifetime, these children continue to smile, laugh, and keep fighting for their lives. This position provided me with experience in a health care setting as well as a chance to utilize my knowledge of American Sign Language. Basic sign language is taught to some of the children who have a harder time vocalizing. One day I was teaching six-year old Julianna a few simple signs. I taught her the word “friend” and used it in the sentence, “Julianna, you and I are friends”. There is no greater reward than the look I saw in her face when she looked up with a huge smile and tackled me with a hug.

My time at the Children’s Recovery Center has reinforced my desire to become a nurse. The recovery center is run primarily by registered nurses; as a result, I was able to witness first hand what a positive difference a good nurse can make in the lives of patients. The children truly thrive under the nurses’ care; the majority of nurses at the center truly love their job due to the children they work with, not because of a paycheck. No other profession touches the lives of others like nursing does. The true practice of nursing does not rely solely on nursing procedures and skills, but on the love and support displayed to patients.

Without community service, I would have never discovered my passion for becoming a nurse. It has shaped me into the individual I am today and given my life a deeper meaning. Combined with a bad personal experience with apathetic health care providers, it has become clear to me what I have been made to do. If I had been under doctors who expressed true concern in regards to their patients’ wellbeing, my health care experience would have been incredibly different. Because of this, I’m pursuing a career in nursing to ensure that future patients don't feel the misunderstanding and loneliness that I felt in my doctors' offices. As a nurse, I will be in the position to be a patient advocate on both a medical and emotional level. I will be able to live out my love of service every day. Service is no longer an act, but a way of life. Although selfishness still has a hold on me, my time spent with the children I work with constantly reminds me to look beyond myself to notice the needs of others. I am truly at my happiest when I achieve this.

Community service holds incredible importance for me. It has set my life on a path that I would have never imagined for myself. Above all, it has taught me how to be an impactful leader in this world full of violence and hate. Good leaders are distinguished by the command carried in their voices. Great leaders are distinguished by the love and service in their actions. I aspire for greatness.