“Actions speak louder than words.” It’s an overused expression but when you stop to think about it, you realize it holds a lot of truth. In Psychology class, we learned about cognitive dissonance – the feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. In a survey that aimed to provoke cognitive dissonance, we were asked if we believed that no one should be left hungry. In a follow up question, we were then asked if we have ever helped in the cause against hunger. I felt a wave of shame as I answered yes to the first question and no to the second. I realized that most people, myself included, have good intentions but never do anything about it. This simple survey propelled me to take action rather than saying so. Reflecting back, this helped spur my interest in community service.
My first and most memorable volunteering experience was the summer I volunteered for Project Discover, an academic program for children sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. I wanted to place myself in a cause that I strongly believed in – keeping young kids off the streets and inspiring them to attend college. I chose to volunteer at Project Discover because I liked that it provided a fun, productive outlet for children during the summer. Its mission was to instill a love of learning and motivate the kids to always perform at their best. As a volunteer, I was assigned the task to aid the program’s third grade class. I got to individually know each kid and learn about his or her quirks and different personalities. Jaden idolized Will Smith; Amber loved hot cheetos; and Adrian would try to trick me into doing his class work. They continuously brightened my day and made my volunteering experience that much more fulfilling. Meanwhile, I helped them with their science and math projects and played with them during recess. I loved that I had built a friendship with each kid and did not expect myself to be sad to see them go at the end of the program. By the end of the program, I realized that volunteering and giving back to the community did not have to feel like an obligation. Volunteering was fun for me and was rewarding in its own right. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "Well done is better than well said."
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