GSA Has Changed Me by Abigail

GSA Has Changed Me by Abigail - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

I have always known that I want to help better the world, and thanks to my participation in my school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, I know how I can best do so. I became co-leader of GSA this year with a friend who was formerly the only leader. She was struggling to run the club by herself, so I offered to help. Together, she and I have made sweeping changes within the club. Now that there is division of labor, meetings are more organized and productive. I singlehandedly designed and maintain an interactive website for the club. I also set up an email and a mass texting service for the club to keep members informed. Both of us have contacted speakers to come to meetings and organized trips to places like Kaleidoscope, a safe haven for gay youth. We have planned thought-provoking activities for the club like Challenge Day, which helped members to open up about their inner struggles and see that others share their issues. Both of us have worked very hard to involve staff and students in making our school a safer place for all students and to make GSA known and respected within our school.

Being a part of GSA opened my eyes. Unknown to most of our school, many of our members are mercilessly bullied throughout the school day. Many bullies dislike these students because they do not understand them, but if they knew how deeply their words and actions affected these students, they would reconsider their behavior. My peers need to understand that regardless of whether they agree or disagree with how these students choose to live, they have to be respectful and follow the Golden Rule: treat others how one would like to be treated. Many members come from situations of poverty or abuse and have mental and emotional issues, and the only place where they feel safe and validated is in GSA. GSA’s existence has truly saved the lives of many students by giving them a place to be themselves judgment-free and receive help from figures of authority. It is now very important to me to ensure GSA’s existence after my friend and I graduate so it can continue to positively influence our school.

Thanks to my involvement in GSA, I learned that I have strong organizational skills and enjoy planning activities. I like providing resources and working with others to help improve their lives. I also feel very good about the work I do for GSA, since I know it has a positive effect in the lives of our members. All of this has helped me choose social work as a career path, so I can help improve the lives of people in my community by giving them the tools to improve. Social work would be the perfect way for me to do important work in my community and in my world that I can feel good about. I will always remember the positive influence GSA has had on my future.