A Little Hope Essay Example

There are multiple ways one can serve their community, whether it is volunteering for a charity or donating to a local homeless shelter. Anyone can contribute their part in making where they live a better place. I chose to volunteer as a teacher’s assistant to help change the lives of students who struggle academically. Understanding that in middle school students aren’t sure of what to expect moving into high school, it was my goal to prepare them as much as I could in a short amount of time. 

In the summer of my Sophomore year, I planned to do 50 hours of community service by the end of my vacation. This gave me the idea to volunteer at the middle school I graduated from, SOAR Charter Academy. After working a week at SOAR, I recognized the students’ unfamiliarity with the courses needed to graduate and other important tools needed to succeed in high school and beyond. Consequently, I decided to do a presentation on what they needed to know moving forward. This presentation included A-G requirements as well as the grades and test scores universities judge when you apply. This experience taught me that although tools and resources are available to myself, there are other young adults who aren’t given the opportunity to succeed. Following the presentation, the class was astonished by the amount they didn’t know, but also grateful for the information they learned. At the time of this presentation, however, I was having an academic struggle of my own. 

Choosing to enroll in Middle College High School meant that I had the opportunity to take college courses and earn my Associate's degree while attending high school. The stress that came with taking regular classes was only intensified with the extra load of college course work. I wasn't prepared for the late nights I would spend studying, the long assignments, and the hours of reading. My grades dropped and my mental and emotional health declined from this crippling amount of work. Nevertheless, I realized that if I wanted to do well in school, I would have to seek resources and to help manage the pressure I was under. I adopted better study habits such as staying organized, not procrastinating, and developing a good study plan.