I will admit that I probably would have never started community service if I didn't have to complete hours freshman year. Now that I have done it, I am so glad that I was forced into it. I have had multiple valuable experiences doing community service. I remember sophomore year when I volunteered at a soup kitchen in Chicago. Going into it I thought it might be boring, but once we got started I didn't want to leave. Just being able to pass out food to people in need was one of the most amazing feelings. With the gratitude on their faces, it just felt nice knowing that I helped fill their stomachs. Another remarkable experience doing community service recently was when my friends and I volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. We were indirectly helping all the starving children in other countries, but it was great to know that they were getting nourishment from the food we were packing. By the end of the 4 hour day we had packed meals for 90 kids everyday for a year. Just hearing those numbers gave me this feeling inside, it's the feeling I love about community service. You help the world in a small way but it feels good to know you did something. If every person participated in some kind of community service, the world could transform into a much better place.
I beleive sociological mindfulness is so important in society. Each person, whether they realize it or not, affects society in some way. I agree with Schwalbe when he says that not enough people pay attention to the world around them. People tend to just get by in life, but if someone becomes sociological mindful life tends to be much more meaningful. Full interaction with the people you are surrounded by is important. People learn from each other; others help us grow. Everyone has an impact on someone else whether they realize it or not.

Who Am I?

My name is Alyssa. Though, that doesn't say very much about who I really am. I am a girl that is so grateful for her family and friends. They mean the world to me and I don't know how I would get by without them. I don't hold grudges and I try not to create an opinion about someone else until I've met them myself. I care too much about what people think of me, that's one thing I've been trying to change in my life. The only way to allow yourself to grow as a person is to stand up for what you believe in and not be afraid of what other people think. I'm aware that everyone has a different story, which is why I try my best to be nice to everyone I meet. I still go through obstacles every day of my life that teach me more and more about who I am. I'm only 17, so I have ways to go until I actually reach my full potential and become the person I want to be.  I don't think anyone truly knows who they are before they have actually gone out into the world on their own. Life is a learning experience; I surprise myself everyday I discover something new about who I am, but I know I still have ways to go.