Community Service as a Graduation Requirement
Jasmine Santos
Mrs. Shafer
IU English
19 December 2011
Community Service as a Graduation Requirement A wise person once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path.” This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self. Each student has his own reason for volunteering. Many volunteer for the joy of helping others, and some volunteer to seek career opportunities. Simply volunteering at a place that is related to the career one is interested in will help him determine whether that career is suited for him. Bill Jensen, Superintendent of Curriculum for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, agrees with community service being connected to career choices and provides examples. “We’ve seen students that have gone in to help at the hospital and all of a sudden see that the job is something they are really passionate about. Then we see some students that volunteer at the animal shelter and they find that they would never be able to euthanize an animal, so they have to consider finding a different career” (Jensen). Selecting a career is challenging enough, let alone discovering that the career one chose was not the best and having to choose another. Volunteering provides teens with opportunities outside of finding a career that gives them the necessary skills to help them survive the real world. Students will gain knowledge from volunteering that will lead to increasing their communication and interpersonal skills (Keeler). It can also help with the confidence of stretching one's wings at work, because he or she has already been taught the necessary skills for that job.
Mrs. Shafer
IU English
19 December 2011
Community Service as a Graduation Requirement A wise person once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path.” This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self. Each student has his own reason for volunteering. Many volunteer for the joy of helping others, and some volunteer to seek career opportunities. Simply volunteering at a place that is related to the career one is interested in will help him determine whether that career is suited for him. Bill Jensen, Superintendent of Curriculum for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, agrees with community service being connected to career choices and provides examples. “We’ve seen students that have gone in to help at the hospital and all of a sudden see that the job is something they are really passionate about. Then we see some students that volunteer at the animal shelter and they find that they would never be able to euthanize an animal, so they have to consider finding a different career” (Jensen). Selecting a career is challenging enough, let alone discovering that the career one chose was not the best and having to choose another. Volunteering provides teens with opportunities outside of finding a career that gives them the necessary skills to help them survive the real world. Students will gain knowledge from volunteering that will lead to increasing their communication and interpersonal skills (Keeler). It can also help with the confidence of stretching one's wings at work, because he or she has already been taught the necessary skills for that job.
Cited: Chang, Mitchell J. "Who Benefits from Racial Diversity in Higher Education?." Diversity Digest. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. Heim, Susan. "Teens and Volunteerism: The Benefits of Community Service for Adolescents." Bringing Out The Best In Teens. N.p., 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. Jensen, Bill. Personal interview. 16 Dec. 2011. Keeler, Doris. "Benefits of Volunteering for Teens." Youth Development. N.p., 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. Khanna, Maya M. "Community Service Engagement: How our students." . N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2011. Newell, Mark. Personal interview. 16 Dec. 2011.