Guhgalski, Guglinski, Giggleski, Googalski. Despite having a relatively easy Polish last name to pronounce (Gugulski), people always find ways to mispronounce it. I have heard my name butchered so many times, I have come to dread the first day of school. My Polish heritage has really shaped the way I have developed as a student, member of society, and person. Without it, I would not have achieved as much as I currently have.
Polish was my first language, and I continue to speak it at home. English came along through watching TV, attending preschool, and reading books in English. My second language was something that I had to teach myself. Because I spoke Polish first, I showed I was a quick learner. From first grade all the way to graduation …show more content…
Having Polish influence has really opened my eyes to the way people function and depend on each other. Since sophomore year, it has been my goal to improve the world both around me and abroad through volunteer service. It started after I helped out at my church and coordinated activities for elementary schoolers. Seeing them happy motivated me to keep giving back to my community. Over the summer going into eleventh grade, I volunteered at Little City, a non-profit aimed at creating a safe environment for people with special needs. I have also spent a lot of time packing food for Feed My Starving Children, a food packing agency that packs food for its distribution partners. My work there has taught me that the slightest effort by a community can make a huge difference on the surrounding world. Logically speaking, people like it when they receive something, but volunteering has showed me that behaving altruistically trumps that feeling. The smiles of people I have helped creates one of the best feelings in the world, and it is overwhelming to think that not much is required to obtain it; just hard work. If not for being Polish, I most likely would not have gotten involved with volunteer service and my mindset would not be the
Polish was my first language, and I continue to speak it at home. English came along through watching TV, attending preschool, and reading books in English. My second language was something that I had to teach myself. Because I spoke Polish first, I showed I was a quick learner. From first grade all the way to graduation …show more content…
Having Polish influence has really opened my eyes to the way people function and depend on each other. Since sophomore year, it has been my goal to improve the world both around me and abroad through volunteer service. It started after I helped out at my church and coordinated activities for elementary schoolers. Seeing them happy motivated me to keep giving back to my community. Over the summer going into eleventh grade, I volunteered at Little City, a non-profit aimed at creating a safe environment for people with special needs. I have also spent a lot of time packing food for Feed My Starving Children, a food packing agency that packs food for its distribution partners. My work there has taught me that the slightest effort by a community can make a huge difference on the surrounding world. Logically speaking, people like it when they receive something, but volunteering has showed me that behaving altruistically trumps that feeling. The smiles of people I have helped creates one of the best feelings in the world, and it is overwhelming to think that not much is required to obtain it; just hard work. If not for being Polish, I most likely would not have gotten involved with volunteer service and my mindset would not be the