Impact of Community Service on Students
After school or on weekends, many Middle College High School (MCHS) students spend their time contributing to their communities by volunteering. Some students find service programs and continue to volunteer throughout their high school years. Programs like these help students find purpose in their community service. Impressively, these students fit service hours into their jam-packed schedules.
Community service is a very important aspect of high school, as it is a requirement for graduation and plays a big part in college applications. Volunteers have the opportunity to make an impact on their communities, gain knowledge of local resources, and build skills that can help in college. However, finding and sticking to a volunteering center or program can be difficult for those who have ever-changing schedules. The graduating seniors share their advice on keeping up their community service hours while balancing their own lives, both academic and personal, in the process.
Senior Paola Sanchez talked about her very first volunteering experience, which she continues today.
“I believe the first volunteering I did was in 8th grade when I was a speech and debate student. I was offered the opportunity to give back to my community by serving as a speech judge for elementary students participating in speech and debate. I gladly accepted the offer and woke up early in the morning to spend the entire day judging speech rounds,” Sanchez said.
Besides judging speech tournaments, Sanchez is also part of Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Honor Society (NHS), and Key Club. Throughout the years, she has seen her own confidence grow through volunteering and has gained a larger sense of community through her impact.
“Through various opportunities, I have seen the engagement in my community increase, as well as my own confidence. The activities I participate in for community service have allowed me to improve my public speaking skills and have given me the assurance that I can make a meaningful impact on my community,” Sanchez said.
Senior Emily Parra-Diaz also finds that volunteering has benefited her in many ways. Beyond simply fulfilling community service hours for graduation, volunteering has provided her with valuable personal growth, leadership skills, and meaningful connections within her community.
“I feel that I benefited from volunteering as it opened my doors to social networking. From LHA I became aware of the Santa Ana Youth Commission, and then from the Youth Commission, I have gotten more opportunities simply by going up to people first,” Parra-Diaz said.
In order to manage their volunteering schedules and other commitments, both seniors use calendars and agendas to ensure they attend every event on time.
“Currently, I have a (physical) agenda where I write my monthly and weekly schedules and have been using them since the beginning of senior year. I am a forgetful person, so for me, this has been a really useful method. I also make sure to surround myself with people who are in the same extracurriculars/ community service as I am,” said Parra-Diaz
Additionally, although having many community service hours from various volunteering centers may look impressive, consistency with one or two is recommended. Burning yourself out with too much work is not worth it, and you should volunteer for causes that feel right to you, not just for appearances. Sanchez offers her thoughts on the subject.
“It is not about the number of people you helped but rather the depth and quality of the service you provide,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez and Parra-Diaz represent just a small portion of student volunteers, yet they have made a significant impact. They encourage younger students to seek volunteering opportunities in programs that align with their interests and future goals beyond high school.
