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ABOUT ME
I have been blessed with a wonderful life. I have never known poverty or hunger; I have never had to really want for anything. But something happened in sixth grade. I saw need for the first time. I saw people in my community, neighbors on my street, and friends from my school in a different light. I saw that people needed help. This was the start of my service experience.
In sixth grade, my Mom was in charge of organizing the food drive for my middle school. I grew up in Burbank, California. Burbank is more of an affluent city compared to other suburbs; for the most part, it is pretty safe and decently clean. Every Friday for the month of December, I would stand in front of the school to gather donated food. I would then help my Mom organize the food into baskets, and then we would go deliver the baskets to the needy families of Burbank. I never forgot the first time I went to deliver a basket with my Mom. We knocked on the door, and I watched as one of my friends walked out. I saw the embarrassment in their face as they recognized me, and I felt my heart drop. That was the first time I realized poverty was real in my community. How could I go to school every day with my peers and not see that they were in need? The Christmas food drive is what sparked my passion to help others.
Since sixth grade, I have participated in varying community service events. I volunteered at church, at school, and at outside activities. Out of all of my service experience, however, helping at Neighborhood Rock School (NRS) had the most impact on my life.
In eighth grade, I volunteered to help at summer music camps for NRS. I taught music to kids with special needs. Many of the students had Asperger Syndrome, OCD, or some sort of social disability. Teaching piano, guitar, and vocals to those kids was a great professional and service experience, but hearing the kid’s stories helped shape and grow the person I am today. One of the boys I taught suffered from Asperger’s, and he would talk non- stop. His favorite thing to talk about was Minecraft, and he would spend a good thirty minutes talking to me about different strategies and short cuts for the game. One day, after he spent a good hour talking to me about Minecraft, he stopped and thanked me. “Thank you for listening to me Miss Toni. Most people don’t listen to me because I talk so much, but you actually listen to me.” I never forgot that conversation. There is power in listening to people. Everybody just wants to be heard, and I take this concept with me everywhere I go. Volunteering is simply “doing,” but when you listen to the people you are helping, it becomes “serving.”
I believe in serving others above myself. I grew up in church, so the “Golden Rule” was practically drilled into my head (in a good way)! When I applied to Virginia Tech, I didn’t really know where I was going to fit in at the school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and I had no idea what college life was going to look like. As I scrolled through Tech’s website, “Living Learning Communities” caught my eye. I clicked the page and scrolled down until I found “SERVE.” As I read all about this amazing LLC, I found myself growing more and more excited. The next thing I knew, I was texting my Mom and jumping in my seat. I had found where I belonged.
In the short time I have been a part of SERVE, I enjoy my decision to join more and more. I love being in a community of people who love to help others as much as I do, and I know we are all going to grow together as a community. I am so grateful for all that Tech has done for me, and I am excited to give back through volunteering, hard- work, and service. I know that this freshman year is going to be a great one, and I look forward to what lies ahead!
In sixth grade, my Mom was in charge of organizing the food drive for my middle school. I grew up in Burbank, California. Burbank is more of an affluent city compared to other suburbs; for the most part, it is pretty safe and decently clean. Every Friday for the month of December, I would stand in front of the school to gather donated food. I would then help my Mom organize the food into baskets, and then we would go deliver the baskets to the needy families of Burbank. I never forgot the first time I went to deliver a basket with my Mom. We knocked on the door, and I watched as one of my friends walked out. I saw the embarrassment in their face as they recognized me, and I felt my heart drop. That was the first time I realized poverty was real in my community. How could I go to school every day with my peers and not see that they were in need? The Christmas food drive is what sparked my passion to help others.
Since sixth grade, I have participated in varying community service events. I volunteered at church, at school, and at outside activities. Out of all of my service experience, however, helping at Neighborhood Rock School (NRS) had the most impact on my life.
In eighth grade, I volunteered to help at summer music camps for NRS. I taught music to kids with special needs. Many of the students had Asperger Syndrome, OCD, or some sort of social disability. Teaching piano, guitar, and vocals to those kids was a great professional and service experience, but hearing the kid’s stories helped shape and grow the person I am today. One of the boys I taught suffered from Asperger’s, and he would talk non- stop. His favorite thing to talk about was Minecraft, and he would spend a good thirty minutes talking to me about different strategies and short cuts for the game. One day, after he spent a good hour talking to me about Minecraft, he stopped and thanked me. “Thank you for listening to me Miss Toni. Most people don’t listen to me because I talk so much, but you actually listen to me.” I never forgot that conversation. There is power in listening to people. Everybody just wants to be heard, and I take this concept with me everywhere I go. Volunteering is simply “doing,” but when you listen to the people you are helping, it becomes “serving.”
I believe in serving others above myself. I grew up in church, so the “Golden Rule” was practically drilled into my head (in a good way)! When I applied to Virginia Tech, I didn’t really know where I was going to fit in at the school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and I had no idea what college life was going to look like. As I scrolled through Tech’s website, “Living Learning Communities” caught my eye. I clicked the page and scrolled down until I found “SERVE.” As I read all about this amazing LLC, I found myself growing more and more excited. The next thing I knew, I was texting my Mom and jumping in my seat. I had found where I belonged.
In the short time I have been a part of SERVE, I enjoy my decision to join more and more. I love being in a community of people who love to help others as much as I do, and I know we are all going to grow together as a community. I am so grateful for all that Tech has done for me, and I am excited to give back through volunteering, hard- work, and service. I know that this freshman year is going to be a great one, and I look forward to what lies ahead!