Camp P.R.I.D.E by Alyssa

Camp P.R.I.D.E by Alyssa - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

I decided to volunteer in an environment full of children, ranging from the age of 6 years old to 8 years old. Where I volunteered was a summer program called Camp P.R.I.D.E., where the mission was to help the kids transition into the next grade they are going into the following school year. The Camp provided the tools that were needed for the students to learn, such as computers, teachers, and other materials that were beneficial towards them but also made it fun by having face painting and recess as well.
While I volunteered at Camp P.R.I.D.E, I become close with some of the kids, to a point where I would play with them during their recess or even paint their faces. While these relationships formed between the kids and me helped point out different perspectives on how you could view different situations. In addition to this, the mind of children at this age wonder and always ask questions and never stop thinking and are found to be open-minded, unlike some teenagers and some adults. Working with these kids help prepare me for what I will be expecting once I become a pediatrician.
From the volunteering experience, I learned many things. One of them being that a child's mind is meant to be expanded and not enclosed to a uniform thinking like manner. If you let children explore a bit and be curious about what is around them it will open many doors of different thinking for people altogether. Overall, this experience was an eye-opener because becoming a pediatrician is not just about taking care of their health but also allowing these children to feel as if they can accomplish what that want in life and not have to feel as if they need to fit the standards of society today.