Service Reflection
In the Academy for Global Studies, we were tasked with fulfilling at least 80 service hours that accumulated throughout our four years in high school. At first that sounded like an unattainable number of hours but in the end and when I was actually volunteering, I saw how easy it really was. Through volunteering I learned that I love getting out in the Austin community and meeting new people in the process. AGS is rooted around the idea of service work. Each of our trips rely on a large service component: doing chores at the Heifer farm, helping the elderly at the Bri Bri tribe nursing home, helping the students at the To'hajiilee Reservation in New Mexico, or building schools in Thailand. I love the service work we do on our trips because it allows us to work closely with people that have different backgrounds. There are also AGS projects like TGPLAN and Capstone in which participation earns service points, and I have earned a number of hours doing that. Overall, I am very glad to have been introduced to the lifestyle of volunteering because it is truly a beneficial experience all the way around. I have also gotten involved in a lot of community service through PALS. With PALS, we get 20 hours each semester for traveling to elementary schools during lunch for 40 minutes of time with our palees. We are also required to earn 12 hours each semester, which we earn volunteering at the Trail of Lights, and other service opportunities. I am also apart of volunteer club where we volunteer at a multitude of events throughout the year along side other Austin High students. During the past three summers I have also volunteered at the Clint Small Middle School STEAM camp as a camp counselor, where I provided assistance to teachers and counselors, directed kids, passed out snacks, aided in camp activities, as well as setting a good example for campers. This volunteer experience impacted me immensely in that I found my love for working with kids and is what inspired me to apply for a job as a camp counselor at the Texas Rowing Center after my first summer of volunteering. I continue to return every summer to volunteer as I know that the camp would not be able to continue without its volunteers. Overall, being a part of AGS and the volunteering aspect has taught me how much I can do to help the Austin Community and all those around me no matter how small or how big.
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