The Caring Cats Motto

Last year was the first time I worked the Special Olympics, and I didn’t know what to expect. I signed up for it with my basketball team because the Special Olympians would be playing basketball and volunteers were needed to help run the scoreboard and keep time. Mr. Campbell, the man in charge, told me that the opportunity to play basketball will be an incredible experience for the special needs participants, but working the event will have an even greater affect on me. I was

For as long as I can remember I have always loved being around and working with kids, and I have always had a special place in my heart for children and adults with special needs. This past winter I was able to raise money and awareness for an organization that enables children and adults with special needs to reach their full potential by participating in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge. As a member of Student Council, I helped contribute to the $2,000 that we raised for Special Olympics Athletes. Along with raising money for Special Olympics, we also ran into the freezing waters of Lake St. Louis to raise awareness for the Special Olympics and their cause. The Polar Plunge does more than just raising money and awareness, it gives children

Over the past two years (2014-2016) I have participated in the National Junior Honors Society. As a member, I commit to completing community service and to learning among my peers in order to develop into a superior leader. I have taken part in activities such as fundraisers, team building activities, and several forms of community services such as working in a soup kitchen, daycares and organizing social events. Recently, I volunteered for a week as a vendor at a temple in Tacoma, raising money for the establishment during the Cambodian New Year festival.

One particular activity that I feel has made a difference in the community is my participation in Mini-THON, a student-led philanthropic organization that raises money for research in pediatric cancer and benefits Four Diamonds and Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. I have served as the Junior and Senior Co-Chair, or President, for the past two years, respectively. Each year, my responsibilities have expanded from simply attending meetings and contributing ideas for fundraisers, to actively coordinating meetings and organizing fundraisers with local businesses. For example, our club held our first annual “Teenie-THON” for elementary school students. We spent countless hours creating advertisements and permission slips for the participants.

In fifth and sixth grade, I was invited to attend The National Young Leadership Forum, an organization dedicated to serving academically gifted and talented youth. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a week in Washington D.C., where I learned the qualifications of a righteous leader and to develop academic abilities and interests. I will bring my knowledge of leadership to sustain a school community in which students will strive to maintain integrity and trust with each other. By engaging in community service, I have an opportunity to learn experientially, expose myself to diversity, and develop a sense of responsibility. By volunteering in multiple ways in the last several years, I was able to knit hats for children in hospitals, help at a local food bank, create and donate bookmarks for third graders, and help at the Bellaire Public Library. Helping others has given me a great sense of satisfaction and I plan to continue working on various community service projects in the future. Born and raised to Israeli parents, I am benefited with bilinguality, traveling overseas, exposure to other cultures, and insight on global

Throughout the past four years of high school, I have done my best to try and stay actively involved in the community. I have been presented with some amazing volunteer opportunities such as Huron Safety Town, STAR Leadership Camp, American Red Cross, and Huron High School Girl’s Basketball Biddy Program. I spent over 24 hours at Huron Safety Town where I was able to help young students, mainly those going into Kindergarten, learn how to stay safe while on the road. I was also able to spend over 24 hours at STAR Leadership Camp where I was a councilor to those going into the sixth grade. I made sure that each student understood the importance of being a leader in today's society and how important they are to Huron’s community. Through National Honor Society I have been able to maintain in constant contact, approximately 10 hours, with the American Red Cross by volunteering in monthly blood drives. I have also dedicated 16 hours of my time to those young girls interested in someday being a varsity basketball player through the Biddy Basketball Program.

This event happens once a year and takes place at our high school stadium. Special needs kids come from all around my community to compete in events that best suit their physical or intellectual disabilities. It is truly astounding to see a whole community come together to support these kids. At this past year's Olympics I volunteered as a peer buddy and my responsibilities included walking my buddy, Luke, to his different events and making sure he was having a good time. Luke won first place in the ball throw and second place in the 100 meter dash. I loved seeing how happy he was when he was handed his ribbons and I was so fortunate to have been able to spend the day with

In ninth grade, my mother suggested that I volunteer with peers at my high school who are special needs. She thought it would be good for me to meet other people my age who have their unique struggles in school, much like myself. I protested originally, but little did I know I would love volunteering with my peers, regardless of their disability. During this time, I signed up to volunteer with a local organization called Buddy Ball. At Buddy Ball, I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities ages five through twenty-one baseball. When I volunteered with my peers, I mainly saw high schoolers with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, whereas with Buddy Ball most of the participants had severe autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, or a multiple of disabilities. Both of these experiences allowed me to gain knowledge of a variety of special

At Elizabeth Davis Middle School, eighth graders are offered a chance to join the National Junior Honor Society, which is a national organization that focuses on scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship. Since I have met all of NJHS’s criteria, I would like to be accepted into this nation wide organization. I would make a good member of the NJHS by fulfilling all of its standards and expectations. Helping others is one of the many traits I have and it is very important to me to help other people in need. There are also definitely areas in the school where I can make positive impacts to make this school an even better place than it already is.

Through National Honors Society, I have gained self-confidence, empathy and respect not only for teachers, but also for employees who diligently fulfill their responsibilities. Volunteering allows participants to perceive certain situations from different perspectives and therefore has allowed me to enhance my understanding of the plights teachers and young students may encounter on a daily basis. From grading a gigantic stack of assignments to engaging in mundane tasks such as tearing out multiple worksheets from workbooks, there are many events that occur outside of typical school hours that I would not have been able to witness and learn from had I not been an active member of National Honors Society. Likewise, now reflecting on all my volunteering at my local

I’ve learned that embracing an uncomfortable feeling has made me become a better student, and I will continue to show that dedication even if in the end it isn’t perfect. As I’ve gotten older, something that has contributed to my personal growth and success are the two pillars, leadership and service. With these two qualities, I’ve been able to not only change my own life, but make a difference in others lives too. During school, I have shown this as a founder and secretary of the Latin Honor Society, where I help plan out events for our community and our society. I also devote most of my time to giving back to the community, by completing many hours of community service.

For reasons most likely to be blamed on as laziness and procrastination, I have never acted upon the desire to help others through volunteer work in my high school career. I also am in need of teamwork skills in order to successfully succeed in life. Due to the fact that I believe in what I deem to be good morals, participate passionately in theater, and maintain school as a priority of my life, along with the desires I have to grow as a person, I believe I could contribute even the smallest fraction of a percentage to OIAIS’s National Honors

I have taken an active role in many clubs and various activities during my high school career. I have donated most of my time, however, to the B+ club, as a leader sophomore and junior year and co-president senior year. B+ is an organization that raises funds for families battling pediatric cancer and for cancer research. The main event for our B+ club is the annual student-run volleyball tournament during the winter; it’s such a fun night filled with friendly rivalries on the court while thousands of dollars are raised for the organization. During my sophomore year, I helped implement a new “care package” program, which I have led and we have continued ever since. We fill the “care packages” with games, candy, blankets, and more, and given

Furthermore, I have also done quite a few acts of service to my town and school even though I realize that it is not necessary for me to do so, I believe that by serving others without a reward is the best way to become a better person and leader. As a matter a fact I am a member of Frisco’s Teens4Green and have volunteered to play “Rufus the Recycling Dog” at local elementary schools, which was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. In addition, with my early release periods, rather than go home early most days, I choose to go assist some teachers if needed. By assisting them I can learn more about following in one’s footsteps to achieve a certain goal and how to aid another in a time of need. Since then, I knew that I had to serve my school in different ways rather than just teachers. I wanted to demonstrate to my class that I could be a worthy asset, and that I was there for them in wanting to make our senior year extravagant, yet

With the help of teachers and my efforts, I have been successful and was even a recipient of an academic achievement award for students with a 3.6 GPA or higher. It is not always easy learning the materials, studying and placing my thoughts onto paper, yet I will continue to advocate for myself in any circumstance necessary. Despite having learning challenges in the classroom, it does not limit my activities outside of the classroom. I love to volunteer! One of my favorite activities includes being a volunteer buddy for the Miracle League of the Fox Valley. The Miracle League is a baseball organization for children and adolescents with physical and/or cognitive challenges. My role of a buddy is to assist my fellow buddy in any needs she may need, protect her from possible injuries and make sure she is having fun! I love having the opportunity of being a buddy, it has formed a forever lasting companionship and provided smiles that touch us all! Addition to the Miracle League, I’m a member of National Honor Society in which I volunteer in several community organizations to help better the community. I was honored to be selected as a Link Crew member. It has been one of my greatest opportunities to advocate for my peers with disabilities. This is a first time that Appleton North Link Crew created a program for students with physical and cognitive challenges to be included in a freshman transition program in