The Most Meaningful Service Project by Layla

Layla's entry into Varsity Tutor's April 2022 scholarship contest

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The Most Meaningful Service Project by Layla - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

My 70 hours of community service throughout high school have been primarily centered around giving back to marginalized communities such as people of color, women, and inmates in correctional facilities. Through my time in the National Honor Society and by founding my school’s first civil rights club, I have had ample opportunities to give back to my community in ways that I believe are important.

Since quarantining has made it more difficult to visit organizations in person, I have done quite a bit of research on the best ways to help those in need. Having to support organizations from afar, I have organized a food drive and donations for The Houston Food Bank, a clothing drive and donations for The Houston Women’s Shelter, and a PPE drive for Harris County inmates. I believe that this type of community service is so incredibly important to amplify voices in communities that are often overlooked or forgotten.

I think my most fulfilling and meaningful service project was the first one I did as a founder of my civil rights club. We as a club felt that women of color and their struggles in relation to the Covid pandemic were not widely covered. We did research on what women of color were facing during the pandemic and we found that an overwhelming amount of women and sometimes their children were facing severe food deserts as well as homelessness. As we learned more about the topic, we thought of ways that we could be the solution to this issue in our community. We decided to run a food drive at our school for the women and children at the Houston Women’s Shelter. I knew that we were making a difference in so many women’s lives.

This was meaningful to me because we studied the topic for months and became more involved in the issue. I had an attachment to these women who don’t even know who I am. Even if they never knew who donated all of that food to the shelter, we as a club wanted the women to know that we see them and while we never may be able to fully understand, we empathize with them and applaud their strength. This was also the first project I had ever led. This project will always have a special place in my heart.

Community service is not something that I do to fulfill my required number of hours for the year but it’s something that I do in the hopes of empowering people. I enjoy helping my community because I know that I have impacted someone in a positive way, however big or small.

I hope to continue service-learning as an undergraduate at George Washington by continuing to do the same targeted service I have done throughout high school, just in D.C. As I further my education, my goal is to continue to learn more about myself, to learn how to navigate the legal system and make policies for people in the marginalized communities I serve. At GWU, I plan to continue my dedication to community service while continuing my passion to learn about social issues. My specific major of political science is geared towards learning about communities in need of assistance and service. It is my passion to be on the front lines to help people who may be unable to help themselves.

After pursuing my educational goals, I see my focus on service transitioning into other ways of engaging with the community and broadening into greater areas. My goal is to make policies that change the trajectory of the country, help amplify voices and help people better their lives.

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