Revolutionary Reading by Rachel

Revolutionary Reading by Rachel - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

One of the most influential organizations I have been apart of has been the United States Congressional Award for Youth. This award was designed to encourage young adults from ages 13-23 to give back to their community in multiple areas, the primary being volunteer work. Young adults create goals for themselves under the supervision of a mentor which fulfills parameters pre-established by the award.

I was honored to receive the Gold medal of this award after completing over 400 hours of volunteer work in the area of early childhood literacy. I chose this area of need as young children who are not frequently read to are a much higher risk for underdeveloped cognitively, socially, and emotionally in comparison to their peers who are read to on a daily basis. In partnering with an organization, Reach Out and Read, I was able to further their cause to reach children and their families by integrating reading into pediatric care, having a profound positive impact on our communities and society (https://www.reachoutandread.org). The main way reading and pediatric care are intertwined is through reading to children prior to their pediatric visits. One of my favorite memories was having a little girl with severe allergies, come in for her weekly allergy shots. After talking for a few minutes, she would always ask to read the same book about farm animals. She especially enjoyed talking all about the different sounds each animal would make. Her exuberant laughter always brightened my day.

I believe the best thing I gained from the Congressional Award and my volunteer work was furthering my understanding that serving others not only benefits the people you’re serving, but also blesses you and helps you to grow. It specifically reminds me of how blessed I was to grow up in a household which was able to afford books and parents who had the time to read to me. My hope is that organizations like Reach Out and Read, and those who participate in volunteer work are able to make an impact in their communities, while learning about themselves, as I had the opportunity to do though this process.