Outlive Yourself! by Jenna

Outlive Yourself! by Jenna - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

My heart raced as my hands death-gripped the passenger seat of the airplane. I simply hate flying. Truth be told, I have an irrational fear of flying. I breathed in deeply, turned my focus to God, and acknowledged this Belize mission trip is entirely about helping others. Yet, stories from previous trips flood my mind with worry. Bugs crawling on you at night while you sleep…oh my! Poisonous snakes, scorpions, rats and bats! Ruthless swarming mosquitos and trickling ice-cold showers! As I stepped off the plane, I recalled one of my favorite scriptures, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” A courage welled up inside me! I have waited three years for this! Worry and fear won’t stop me now!

An endless dirt road trip to the orphanage revealed the regional destitution. Poverty stricken villages contradicted the lush scenery. At the orphanage we fixed toilets, repaired faulty water/sewer pipes, replaced electrical wires chewed by rats, rebuilt rickety bunkbeds and rehabbed dressers that had cockroaches scurrying from every crack. Despite the unsanitary living conditions, the laughter of the kids helping us rings in my ears to this day!

This trip was unforgettable, humbling and forever impacting! Not because of overcoming my fears, but because of the never-ending love and joy exuded by the kids despite the past abuse inflicted on them and the dreadful living conditions they endured. These children didn’t meet the social system guidelines for help. They were the forgotten throwaways. Their faith in God demonstrated that joy, peace and love come from within and not from the external circumstances influencing their lives. The love I experienced in such a short time is indescribable and helped me realize that I wanted to “outlive myself” by being a positive impact in other peoples’ lives that makes everybody feel like a somebody!

Volunteering has filled my heart with a desire to live a life of purpose that positively impacts others around me. We all have a limited time to be here, but the way that we help, influence and lead other people is timeless. By performing random acts of kindness, volunteering with and donating to organizations that help people in need, or simply by being compassionate and empathetic towards others, we can all infuse some much-needed positivity into the world around us.

Since a young age, I have dedicated countless hours to serving others in need and fostering the concept of “outlive myself”. I have helped yearly to collect and distribute food, shoes and school supplies to over 6000 local families via four different service organizations. Through the sale of french fries, I have helped fundraise over $80,000 for four mission trips to build six homes in impoverished communities, replace two church roofs and rehab an orphanage.

I have learned that every moment dedicated to community service is an irreplaceable opportunity to leave my mark on the local and global community. I have seen the burden of poverty; tears of thankfulness and pure joy exude from those that have so little. It also changed me! Community service has transformed me from an introverted, insecure, disconnected person to a strong leader that engages, inspires and creatively helps others see their best potential.

More importantly, through volunteering, I discovered my future career of becoming a bilingual teacher! I have loved nurturing, inspiring and mentoring others by helping in children’s’ ministry, instructing volleyball clinics for young athletes, overseeing the preschool room at the learning center and teaching Spanish as an intern in an 8th grade class. Every time I teach, I feel so full of joy! It speaks volumes to who I am and what I want to do!

Did you know that Spanish is the second most common language in the world and it is the fastest growing language spoken in the U.S.? In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. will have the largest Spanish speaking population in the world by 2050! Yet a cultural gap exists that creates isolation and disunity because of language differences. Research suggests that non-bilingual teachers are not equipped to meet the increasing needs of Hispanic students. The classroom content is either “dumbed down” to compensate for language-learning needs, or kept the same, leaving the Hispanic student struggling to learn. Hispanic dropout rates are the highest and have not declined since 1972. Presently, one of three children living in poverty is Hispanic. Yet, there is hope! Bilingual programs have been proven to help students become proficient in English more quickly than English as A Second Language support system. Students are motivated to stay in school and learn. In fact, schools with bilingual teachers documented increased attendance, lower dropout rates and higher graduation rates among Hispanic students.

Hence, I want to leave this world a better place than I found it, by working to bridge the poverty and educational gap as a bilingual teacher that serves Hispanic families in disadvantaged communities.

To me, education is the passport to the future! It paves the way for hundreds of generations after me! As Ben Franklin said, “an investment in knowledge, always pays the best interest”. It helps push boundaries, it allows young people to rise from hardships and it promotes big dreams! I plan a lifetime committed to “outlive myself” by serving and impacting young people’s lives for their betterment. That is living a life with purpose, beyond oneself!