How Volunteering Changed My Life

Growing up in a culturally diverse household of five wasn’t easy. The screams, the cries, the fights, they were never ending. Some would last only hours and others would last days, but they would all end with threats of divorce and a finger aimed at me. My parents come from two completely opposite cultures; one from Syria and the other from Mexico. My brother, my sister, and I have spent our lives trying to find the perfect balance between the two and no matter how much we tried we never seemed to find it. Around sixth grade, I gave up trying to please my parents, I gave up trying to make them proud. That fall when school started I decided to get away from the constant negativity that filled my home. At the age of twelve my only escape was school, so I took every opportunity I got. I participated in activities I thought I would have never consider such as basketball and cross country, however I’m glad I did. What started off as an escape became my passion. I am now currently the President of the Make-A-Wish Club held at my school, I also qualified for CIF three times throughout my high school years (this last year individually) and I have spent numerous hours helping …show more content…
Being a volunteer in various programs around school and the community has shaped me into the young lady I am today. It taught me responsibility, communication, leadership and so much more that students can only imagine. However, volunteering taught me more than just who I am, but showed me how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. Granting wishes for these kids was one thing, but meeting them in person and seeing the smile on their faces when their dreams would come true brought utter joy to my heart. That, and my love for science have inspired me to become a pharmaceutical scientist and embark on my journey to seek the cure for childhood cancer so that these kids can make their dreams last a