Over the summer, many different opportunities arose for students amongst our school. As we are all aware, it is necessary for high school students to complete a series of hours in order to graduate, but how and where can one expose themselves to these opportunities whilst optimizing the experience of one’s own future?
The Flying Samaritans is an organization built to support rural areas in South America without doctors, by providing medical care. It is a hands-on experience mainly allotted for medical practitioners, pilots, and translators. Over this past summer, student Brandon Makiyama (‘24) accompanied his parents to help. They’ve been going for over 20 years as they’re both dentists and his dad is a pilot. Makiyama took on the tasks of working as his mom’s dental assistant and handing out clothes and toys to children. Throughout the trip he was able to allot time to ask the pilots about their jobs and responsibilities which served him greatly as he plans on going into a similar field in the future. Passing out clothes and toys to the children and working as his mom’s assistant left a lasting impact on him. As he looked around, he was inspired because “it was amazing how these people help out others without the same opportunities.”
Other students stayed more local in their volunteering exploits by organizing their own option and giving back to their local communities. Seniors Addison Lynch (‘25) and Sofia Llabres (‘25), demonstrated the latter when just a few weeks ago, they organized a mural painting at a retirement home. They had been conversing on the topic roughly for the past year or so, but came up with the refurbished idea after visiting a care home, thinking that it’d be a cause that others would want to be involved in. The girls put up posters and ads all throughout their area. Reaching out to foundations such as ACE, LOWE’S, and KELLY MOORE PAINTS, they were able to gain donations and created a social media account via Instagram to reach out to the public. They prepped, briefed, and designed everything on their own, reaching out to schools around the district to share this opportunity and give the mural their best.
Not everyone has the chance to travel abroad or organize their own opportunities. Other times, one can simply recognize nearby associations that have impacted their lives and take part in that. Millie Pickford (‘25) did just that and recalls when she was younger at her local church. She had looked up to the volunteers a great amount, to the extent that she wanted to have that same impact on kids someday just as she was. Keeping this notion in mind, she became a regular volunteer for her youth group and was later promoted to a permanent volunteer. This experience left her feeling rewarded as it let her “appreciate how the people she volunteers with have helped [her] through experiences,” teaching her patience.
Volunteering is a commonality that every high school student has to go through. Not everyone knows how to truly optimize their experience to best fulfill their own needs regarding their future or even a new skill set acquired. Even if one grew up disconnected from their community, they can always reconnect and learn or create, making the most out of a learning experience valuable to their future.
