Sydney Sagman, Brien McMahon High School, Grade 11

[Note: This is not the article where you should vote for this contestant. This is essayist No. 7, so in the voting article, which is here, just post a comment that says ‘7' to vote for this student. Voting is limited to one person per finalist per day, and closes at 8 p.m. on May 13. The finalist essay follows.] 



Many people participate in community service only because they think they must, that is expected of them, and is something they must do to get into college. Some people even feel that community service is something that can be disregarded as a self-fulfilling act that people do in order to make themselves feel better. However I disagree, the act of offering your time in order to help someone else, for whatever reason, is truly an altruistic one. To me community service means more than just a way to give my own life purpose and meaning, it gives life and humanity in general purpose and meaning.

Community service shows us that the world is not the cold and inhumane place that many people consider it to be. We live in a world where people dedicate their time, and sometimes their lives, to serve others, and help those who cannot help themselves.

It is this self-sacrificing mentality that makes the world a hopeful place to live in, and provides a beacon of light in a world that can sometimes seem so dark. When you see a homeless man on the street you are clouded with grief, community service reminds us that he is not alone, that we can help, that you can help. Whenever I see a homeless man I now do not just feel hopeless about the state of the world, I think about the clothes that I gave to the shelter that could potentially be keeping him warm at night.

As a busy high school student I find it hard to find time to help those around me as I am so focused on securing my future. But when I think about my future opportunities and all that I can accomplish because of the lucky hand I’ve been dealt, it makes me want to help those who were not given the opportunities that I got at birth. Whenever I can, I help those in need, even if it’s something as small as donating at a food drive or taking a visit to the nursing home.

Still community service goes beyond dedicating your time to help someone else, it’s dedicating your mind to others. It is seeing or hearing something that is upsetting and actually wanting to make a change. Many people see what is wrong in the world and try to change it with more money, or new programs, however that is not what the world needs. The world needs human compassion; it is the engine that keeps us going. More than money we need kindness, and nothing shows the true concern for those around more than dedicating your time to help them.