Personal Narrative: Working At The Awana Club

At the start of my junior year, I realized that I needed to volunteer my time more than just the occasional “Community Project” that I did with my school’s Student Leadership Program. My mother gave me the idea of working at the Awana Club, a club for children from Pre-K up to 5th grade, which focuses on the Bible and creation of friendships. To a sixteen year old who thought kids were the spawns of Satan himself, Awana sounded like the worst possible place to volunteer. But, my mother is very persistent. And sure enough, I found myself at Awana Club the very next Wednesday, with no clue who to talk to or how to become a volunteer. At one point, I contemplated leaving and just making up an excuse when I got home “Couldn’t find it! Guess I’ll have to try something else!” But something kept me wandering around the church looking for help, even when I sincerely did not want to be there. It was the teaching of my parents, actually. The reminders such as “Try something new! You never know, you might actually like it” or the “Never give up on something!” that had been instilled in me since childhood. And boy were they ever right. That …show more content…
Being the assistant, I did a multitude of jobs: paperwork, attendance, score calculating, award distribution, announcements, etc. I ran around like a chicken with his head cut off. But once again, I found myself realizing more about me than ever. I realized that I actually did have leadership abilities and I could use them effectively. I learned how to submit to authority and get the job done no matter how tedious it was. I created relationships with the adults I worked with that I would also consider some of my closest friends. Stepping out of my comfort zone and volunteering at Awana Club has been one of the most impactful experiences on my life thus far, and I couldn’t be more thankful for all it has taught