Embracing the Volunteer State

My volunteer experiences...

have shown me that I want to spend my life working for disadvantaged communities. I still don't know exactly what I want to do just yet; but whether I work as a doctor, a lawyer, or a journalist, my work will be to benefit the people who often do not get a voice. I've seen firsthand the lack of resources for those who need them and the lack of a spotlight on those who need it. I want to be a part of providing those essential things for these people.

Some of My Experiences

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Tennessee Valley Healthcare System VA

Over the summer of 2022, I volunteered at the VA for over 60 hours. In my time there, I started a national newsletter to recognize volunteers at the VA, acted as a volunteer ambassador to move patients, worked within the pharmacy, worked in the ENT clinic, and more. This experience taught me I could put my writing to use, representing voices that were often not heard. I also got to meet patients who were in need and understand the sacrifices everyone in the medical field makes on a day-to-day basis.

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Y-Literacy Tutoring

From 10th to 12th grade, I tutored 8 students from disadvantaged parts of Metro Nashville in English. Each student improved anywhere from 2-6 Scholastic levels. In these tutoring sessions, we'd read books and take quizzes on the platform Raz Kids, and did an assessment at the end of the semester. All in all, I accumulated about 35 hours of volunteering - this experience showed me how important literacy is to communities, and what a gift it is to have it. It furthered my love for English and my want to serve disadvantaged communities even further.

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Hope for Justice Volunteer Ambassador

During my junior and senior years, I've been working as a Volunteer Ambassador for Hope for Justice. It's an organization focusing on human trafficking awareness and fundraising, and I have helped to set up social media posts and packing events. This organization has taught me the importance of working for marginalized communities; every bit of help matters. And as an aspiring journalist, I've gotten to see that my work - writing about these communities and their struggles - would matter.

American Red Cross

With the Red Cross, I've gotten to work as a Blood Donor Ambassador, Disaster Responder, and Mass Care Team Shelter Member - and I've met so many patients and people in need. I want to do something for them in my future - I want to be able to help. Whether that's writing articles or becoming a doctor myself, my work has shown me the acute need for help in communities that are often overlooked and underappreciated by the government.