When I was fourteen years old, I started volunteering every other Saturday at Breakthrough Miami, a non-profit organization which offers academic enrichment opportunities to underrepresented middle-school students. When the summer arrived, I spent every weekday for six weeks teaching Math and Language Arts, as well as academic electives like Robotics. I’d also play sports with the “scholars” during physical electives. This kind of time commitment might sound like a lot, but my mother and grandma, who understand the value of giving back, encouraged me to continue. 

At first I was skeptical. I was new to the act of volunteering, and thought that the scholars wouldn’t notice my presence. I also thought it would be impossible to balance other activities. Weekends already consisted of homework, baseball practice and games, and spending time with friends and family. I was also shy, simply teaching the scholars and helping them with activities rather than trying to connect with them on a personal level. But, I kept on going back. Soon, the scholars were running up to greet me in the mornings. Waking up early on Saturdays was hard, but small acts like these cheered me up, putting a smile on my face and energizing me to teach.

When I was in middle-school, I always looked up to older people to set examples for me. With the consistent presence of role models, the Breakthrough scholars were surrounded by a positive community. I realized that our kindness and curiosity was reflected in them.

Service can be contagious. Seeing someone care for members of their community encourages others, even those who might not typically go out of their way to help. This past year, I started The Book Link, collecting books through donations and delivering them to facilities in need. I thought that this would be a solo project, but when I began posting my progress on social media, peers at my school began to reach out, wanting to help. 

Community service is like moving a boulder; once one person starts pushing, it attracts others to help. Once I began to understand what volunteering is and the amazing effect it has on ourselves and others, that bolder kept on rolling.