My role in the community by Jasmine

My role in the community by Jasmine - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

The summer of 2011, I went on vacation to visit my parent’s homeland. Both of my parents were born in Vietnam and moved to the Unites States to find a better life for themselves and their future. Living a life in two different cultures, I learned to balance them both. I honor the Vietnamese culture and where my family has come from.

I have realized that the life in Vietnam is completely different from the life in the United States. There you find a lot of poverty, slums, isolation and air pollution. I see more children on the streets begging for money than children in school. Parents cannot afford secondary school for their children to get their full education. Therefore, I appreciate my parents’ hard work to provide me with a college fund. My parents are the biggest influences of my life and created the person I am today. They have always pushed me to work harder in school. When I am unmotivated I remind myself that there are children who don’t have the opportunities to learn like I do.

After the trip I have always done volunteer work because it’s a way to reach out and give back to the community. Muhammad Ali describes the importance of volunteering as, “Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on Earth.” Knowing that I made a positive impact on someone is emotionally uplifting experience that can never be matched by money nor fame. I won’t be able to help Vietnam from doing community service in San Diego but I can help others around me. My dream is to make my parents proud, as well as reaching out to the community in a positive outlook. I strive myself to success in school and outside school.

Community service is a crucial part of my life because it is a method of giving back to the community. I love helping out the community because it brings a sense of achievement to myself. My involvement in community service brings back memories of Vietnam. A specific community service I’ve done that related to Vietnam is serving food to homeless people. This is because it’s painful to see people who are helpless, especially the ones on the streets. Sometimes I have the guilt of living such a good life while so many others have it so rough. When I donate my time, I give hope to someone who needs it.