Recycling by Jillian

Recycling by Jillian - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

I volunteered at a local recycling center for several months during my summer breaks. I’ve had the honor of working alongside a team of people who have made the job absolutely worth it. We talked to each other, made jokes, and helped each other when one area had more work left to finish. There were contests of trying to throw the huge bags full of sorted recyclables as high as possible onto the pile. Other happenings included greeting the colony of cats and resident peacock. Because we all found little ways of entertaining ourselves, we worked much more efficiently because we enjoyed what we were doing, all while helping the the community.
We especially loved helping all the different types of people who came in to recycle. People of all backgrounds came to the center to sort their recyclables and help the environment, and we struck up conversations and provided help wherever we could. By talking with the community at large, I learned about all sorts of different hobbies and local events that I never would have heard about otherwise.
One of the most important lessons I learned from volunteering at the recycling center was that by keeping busy, I didn’t notice that it was boiling hot and constantly stank of rotting milk. By focusing more on what I was doing, I learned that I could easily put up with the unpleasant conditions. I don’t mind having dirty hands or muddy shoes anymore. The work was so fulfilling and the reward at the end of the day was satisfaction and a nice cool shower to cleanse off all the filth. I honestly recommend volunteer work to anyone because of the immense happiness just from knowing that you’ve truly impacted the community in which you live.