“Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la,” I, along with my parents and other members of my church, serenaded a surprised but joyful lady. Every year, our pastor asks his congregation for volunteers to sing carols at retirement homes, and every year, my parents make it a point to be there. To them, volunteering is a small price to pay for the huge impact it has on the world. Growing up with that mentality really influenced my future actions.

One day, my friend asked me if I would like to buy a ticket for a benefit concert held by an organization called Melodies in Action. She told me that Melodies in Action consisted of local middle-school and high-school students that played music at hospitals and retirement homes. Curious, I obliged.

As I sat in the audience, what captivated me the most was not the performers and the music they were playing. It was the other members of the audience, the thirty or so senior citizens that took time out of their day to listen to the concert. I could see the gratitude, the admiration, the joy on their faces. And at that moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of it all. Right after the concert, I walked up to the president of Melodies in Action and asked her if I could join. Three weeks later, I was playing “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls” with three other musicians at the Methodist Hospital. Melodies in Action reinforced the pleasure that can be derived from volunteering.  The world I come from is one in which volunteerism is indelibly interwoven with the fabric of my being and the moral fabric of those around me. I pursue volunteer opportunity wherever I can find them.

Another moment that signifies the importance of community service in my life was at the City of Hope in Duarte.

As I walked into 4 West: Surgical Oncology, I stared hard and long at those words that were etched onto the large wooden door. A shiver ran down my spine.

I surveyed the surrounding scene. A doctor with a drawn face flew down the corridor. Telemetry stations were beeping; phones were ringing. I saw puddles of vomit just ten feet from me.  And they called this place the City of Hope?

I had never seen a place of such despair. As I was surveying the chaos, a hand grasped my arm. Shocked, I flinched and shook off the cold grip of an elderly patient. I dashed to the bathroom, dispensed a copious amount of soap, and scrubbed viciously.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. “This is crazy”, I thought. I can’t catch that patient’s cancer just because he touched me. I took a deep breath and returned to the nurses’ station.

The charge nurse, who apologized for the bad timing, requested that I pass out water to the patients. As I did so, I met the patient who had so upset me earlier. Rather than run, I was determined to connect with him. His name was Mr. Murphy. What I soon realized was that he was not only just a cancer patient; he was a human being.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I would see him there every Monday when I volunteered. We became good friends; he confided in me and I confided in him.

On a fateful Monday, when I went to volunteer, I proceeded straight to Mr. Murphy’s room. Alas, I was shocked to find the room empty. The old man had lost his brave battle against a deadly foe.

That was my introduction to the City of Hope, one of the leading cancer research facilities in the nation. For the past three years, I have spent many hours helping patients, like Mr. Murphy, deal with real life and death battles. I am proud to say that I have helped heal the spirits of countless patients, which has brought me a great deal of personal satisfaction. Yet I know that I can do so much more.

I have been alongside the brave nurses and doctors that save the lives of patients everyday. There is no doubt that the City of Hope is indeed true to its name. It is a place, although with tragic losses, that has even greater victories.

My parents exposed me to the spirit of volunteerism. The City of Hope has pointed me in the direction of medicine. I am excited by the prospect of being able to give back to those in need. I can think of no greater way to provide service to mankind than by becoming a doctor. I would be able to save lives and restore hope. Beyond what I hope to accomplish in my career, however, I know that I will always be an active volunteer, because of my parents and my community.