Building the Community

Lowes Scholarship Essay

There are many ways to help “build” a community. However, not all forms of building involve construction materials. The predominant curiosity I had about the world around me fueled the incessant questioning of the seen and unseen that, I am told, began as early as I could talk. Even my school teachers commented on the plethora of questions that spewed from my mouth in an effort to quench my thirst for knowledge. However, I have discovered that not only do I have a passion for learning but I also possess a love of teaching. Midway through high school I moved to Arizona. Football was the pride and joy of my new school so eligibility to play was of the utmost importance. Some of the players were struggling. I saw a need and filled it. The players saw in me a resource and accessed it. It was a symbiotic relationship. I donated my time and talent and they enriched my life with their thirst for knowledge. I began tutoring them for free. My living room became a safe haven and a place of learning and success. I discovered in myself that I adore helping others succeed. This led me to the conclusion that I wanted to expand my horizons and network of people I could teach and help by becoming a teacher. I was able to explain math to people in a way that brought positive feedback by way of grade point average. By tutoring those boys and helping them better themselves academically, I was helping to build the community in the most rewarding way. The time they spent together in my tutoring sessions, drew them closer together as a team. How they were excelling in the classroom and as a group translated into a closer-knit team on the field. As a result, our varsity football team went to all the way to the playoffs. I learned a lot from this experience. I discovered that the most lasting way to help build a strong community is to teach young minds. I have heard it said that no one can change the world. But, in my experience, if you change yourself then you