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I was taught many lessons growing up. Many of those lessons molded me into the person I am today. The motto that was always said around the building was “Pay It Forward.” This simply meant that if you were to do a good deed, you should not expect anything in return except the satisfaction of your kindness. From that moment on I knew giving back to others personally gave me joy, just to see the smiles on their faces.

Growing up, I was always a quick learner. Therefore I caught on to the saying and began doing good deeds of my own. It all started around my adolescent years, when I was a part of my elementary school’s cheerleading team and choir. We would practice, practice, and practice our cheers and songs so many times so that we would have it just right for the nursing home we were performing at. I couldn’t even explain the joy that the elderly felt of how happy they were to see a bunch a seven to eleven year olds cheering and singing. I felt as if I was their grandchild and they were so happy and proud of my performance. I knew we made their day and possibly their week. That’s when my desire for helping others began.

Throughout my four years of high school, I was a part of the Girls Varsity Basketball Team. During my freshman and sophomore years’, my team and I went to the local soup kitchen and served food for the day on Thanksgiving. The looks on their faces of gratitude and appreciation were enough to make my Thanksgiving an unforgettable one. It was a great experience to have to the chance to put smiles on their faces and share laughs with people I didn’t know. I would love to do it again.

A different experience I had with giving back to the community was volunteering at the Staten Island Zoo for a summer. This was something I really enjoyed doing because it involved two of my favorite things; animals and kids. Over the course of this camp, I provided an educational and recreational experience, in addition to teaching the campers about all the animals in the Zoo and taking them on trips. This involvement was particularly one of my favorites because I myself enjoyed learning about the animals so I could teach them to the kids.