I've learned that in order to mature into adulthood it is necessary to discover myself and who I am. The odd thing is it did not come from within me but from an outside source. While helping mentor elementary students in my spare time I've begun to discover myself, my limitations and expectations. The community service program has given me the opportunity to do so. Working as a community worker helps me to build self confidence and character.
It takes sacrifice in order to gain something. Helping others takes personal sacrifice and without that then it is impossible to appreciate what I'm doing. I sacrifice two hours of sleep in the morning to feel and smell the chill of the brisk morning air while waking into their domain. The loud pop! of the buses releasing pressure when they put on the break to drop the children off is always a nice wake up call. The many drear-eyed first periods I spend bobbing my head, fighting to stay awake are well worth the sound of a laughing child early in the morning.
These sacrifices have given me a commitment not only to my pals but to myself as well. I need to set a good example so their impressionable minds understand the difference between right and wrong. Being committed and showing up every morning is a task in itself, the loud buzz of an alarm ringing in my ear and seeing the light green glow of 6:45 a.m. is reason enough to smack the snooze button and drift back into a deep, peaceful sleep in a warm, comfortable be. It is the commitment of getting out of bed and driving to the school at this hour that proves to your pals that you are there for them and that builds not only my character but there's as well.
The confidence I've gained throughout this has made me a stronger person. If there's one thing I've learned it's that if I can lead and handle a group of loud, wild elementary students then a group of teammates on my baseball team should be a cake walk. Not only does it build my self confidence, but the children's as well, which is essentially the main goal. It makes me proud helping out in the community and gives my self-worth a boost.
The community service program in our community was created to help guide the youth of today in the right direction, this goal is being achieved for elementary students and for the mentors, both groups are learning from one another and learning about themselves, which is a win/win situation for everyone involved. That is why I'm proud to be a member and mentor of this organization.
