Helping others less fortunate, or in other words, volunteering, is an activity that is often mentioned in the modern day, whether it be because of increasing disparities between socio-economic classes, high schoolers believing it will aid their chances at college admissions, or otherwise. Personally, I see the intrinsic value in such activity lying in two main facets: community and perspective. First off, I believe that as an individual, one has a moral obligation to help out those in need in their community. This may encompass simply donating clothes or food, going to local volunteer shifts, or even putting forth a hand towards a much larger community by traveling and engaging in more direct volunteer work. This allows individuals to bring themselves closer with sectors of their community that they may not have been exposed to otherwise, as well as support the fight to minimize any disparities, whether it be financial or social, in various parts of the world. Next, I maintain that for those who typically engage in volunteer work (those more fortunate/wealthy), it helps to put things into perspective for them. While many, including myself, are born into a position of inherent privilege, without much worry over basic financial or personal needs, it is quite easy to gloss over those on the opposite end of the spectrum, who face hardships and disadvantages each day. Volunteer work helps to bridge these two different groups together in a goodhearted manner, and expose the hardships many face to those who may never encounter them. Overall, volunteer work possesses the obvious merit of simply helping those in need with whatever adverse situation they may find themselves in, but I believe that there is room for personal growth present as well.

To be very honest, I have never really volunteered before. I have participated in fundraisers and concession stands, but it was for the badminton or bowling team, which I was in. It does not count as volunteering when you are a part of the team. I have always wanted to volunteer, but I ended up backing out because I was shy. I didn’t want to talk and communicate with others because I thought they would talk about me. I always stayed in my comfort zone, until now. It was about a month ago that I thought to myself that I had to change. I have to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I had to challenge myself and prove to myself that I was more than what I am now. That is when I applied to teensgive.org. I also applied to other volunteer programs to help me get out my comfort zone. Now I am also thinking of volunteering at the local library and the church when it is safe to do so. I have always wanted to help people and now it is time that I actually do so. I think it’s important to volunteer because you are helping others feel happy. It’s a win-win situation because you are happy while making other people happy. It is a great feeling to have when you make some else happy. A volunteer that inspired me are my parents. They have always been my inspiration for a lot of things. They have always helped people in their journey. My dad loves to help people and make sure that everyone is happy. A lot of people have come to my dad for help and he has always agreed to help them no matter what it takes. He has helped many people with jobs and financial matters. Recently my parents have donated food to the people in India. During the pandemic, my parents thought it would be a good idea to donate fresh vegetables, rice, and other foods to the people that cannot afford food. This is part of the reason why I was inspired to help people and make them happy. My parents are my biggest inspiration and I will continue to volunteer in different organizations to make people happy in this world. I believe that it’s important to help others less fortunate because you are giving something that they can’t have. You are making them happy and creating a strong community. There is nothing wrong to help others and it makes me feel very happy when I do. Helping people creates a strong bond and connects us with the people in need. I feel that it is a blessing to help people because I have learned from my parents that if you help people, they will always help you back. I have also learned that you don’t need money to be happy in life. Money can buy us a lot of things, but not happiness. Helping people has changed me as a person. It made me much happier and healthier in life. I strongly believe that volunteering will make the society happy. We have got to help each other through the problems in the world. My plan to make the world a better place is to have everyone in the world to be equal. I want everyone to get education, food, shelter, and to be happy. I know it’s not as simple as it sounds, but I truly want everyone to be happy. I want everyone that does not have access to resources to actually be able to afford it. I want to create an organization that runs online and in reality to help the people in need. I want the organization to be a place where people can get free education, food, and shelter. I am obviously not old enough to put my idea out in the world, but I will definitely continue to help people and make a difference in this world.

Although I have experienced many volunteering opportunities throughout my life, my volunteer work has mainly been community and library-based, so I was apprehensive to apply to be a junior counselor at a local summer camp. I didn’t know if it was for me, and wasn’t familiar with the camp’s atmosphere. Nonetheless, I went for a group interview and was accepted into the program. Although my experience was only for a month, it was absolutely amazing to meet other caring counselors and campers, and although I was able to teach them skills and activities in a fun, comprehensive way, they taught me valuable lessons about leadership and friendship as well: thus creating a positive experience for both of us. Kids are the future, both myself and them, so if we can help and improve each other, the future only becomes brighter. The leadership aspect of this journey was just as valuable to me, as the junior and senior counselors were very vocal about our preferences and needs, always trying to improve our counseling. We would always meet at the end of the day to discuss these tenets, which gave me this sense of leadership as I gave suggestions and took others’ ideas. Since then, I have developed a passion for becoming a leader in my community, and have acquired many different leadership positions in community councils, school clubs, and even have had the opportunity to participate in a rotary club. I believe that it is important to take this opportunity to improve one’s confidence, ideals, and involvement in local events.

July 4th has always been a special day for the family. It was a time for my family to reflect on the principles of America: equality and liberty for all— the same principles that inspired them to immigrate to the United States following the establishment of the Khmer Rouge, a Communist regime. Despite this proud feeling of liberty, I felt myself stuck in a liminal space— stuck in the (half-worlds or mudbloods) of race: half first-generation, half first generation to college, half Cambodia, and half White. This sense of one hundred percent American was lost in the definition of a mixed child, and I dismissed that feeling of displacement for years until my junior and senior year of high school. My years at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes’ have truly been a blessing. As a private school, it is not the cheapest, and I have had parents hardworking and determined enough to spend weekends and long nights doing overtime. But when I walked down the main hallway, I never knew another child of two identities, whom I could relate to— who felt the same tug in opposite directions. A Catholic father and a Buddhist mother seemed to mix like oil and water at St. Stephen’s. So, as I stained the crisp white linen of high school with a light brown stain, I began to feel more and more out of place. To this day, I have yet to find a place— other than my home— in which I truly feel accepted. Neither Catholic mass on Easter and Christmas, nor the cultural and New Year’s festivals at the Khmer BuddhistTemple comforted me, as I felt too white for the Asians and too Asian for the whites. Nevertheless, my father has taught me one of the most significant phrases I have ever heard: “you defy the statistics.” Only twenty percent of U.S. born Cambodians have attained a four-year college degree, and only 4% obtain a postgrad degree. Knowing these statistics, I am obligated to change them. Don’t get me wrong, I will change that percentage by maybe .0000001 percent, but it is a change nonetheless. Cambodia remains to be one of the poorest third-world countries, with the majority of the population working in farmlands. So when I say, it lacks the medical technology to properly support its people, I mean that it can barely support its own people. The 2019 coronavirus has ravaged Cambodia in a way I have yet to find words to describe. I have always had an interest in medicine, and I believe the coronavirus outbreak gives me more reason to assist those who cannot otherwise help themselves, specifically those affected by poverty. While this is a dream, I’ve spent my time volunteering at hospitals and churches, assisting RNs and physicians and giving free clothes to those who cannot otherwise afford it. Gaining experience in any type of volunteering allows me to take a few more steps towards my goals of Doctors Without Borders and the Peace Corps. Being an underrepresented minority not only makes it important to change the statistics but doing good at the same time.

Humans. We are far from perfect. We mess up, we say the wrong thing, and we lose ourselves. When we are filled with an anxious, lonesome mindset, we can feel like we are losing the stability in our life. But there is always one thing that will be there for us: Nature. For me, going on a nice walk through my neighborhood, seeing a pretty sunset, or smelling the salty air of the sea can cheer me instantaneously. It makes me realize the importance of life. But what if the harm we do to our planet becomes too detrimental? Will our society fall into a continuous depression if the only smell from the ocean is old trash, only sunset in the world is from burning mountains, only way to go outside is if hidden behind a mask? All these questions go through my mind everyday. I never want this to happen. Of course, I can’t just say that and do nothing. To accomplish my longing for an everlasting beautiful planet, I hope to communicate the importance through awareness, possibly starting my very own movement to stand up against global warming. I hope to create non-profit organizations helping give back to the homeless with sustainable products and negotiating with big companies to change their packaging to be more eco-friendly. For example, places like zero-waste restaurants, hotels, and clothing lines should be embraced and grow to become our future. I currently incorporate more sustainability into my life. I started to compost, grow vegetables and fruits in my backyard, and buy sustainable or second-hand clothing. The more I grow, I hope to strive closer to zero-waste. The best awareness to spread though, is that anything can help! Because we should take care of the environment like it takes care of us!

All my life, I’ve lived in a bubble. No, this isn’t the 1976 film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, and unfortunately I’m not John Travolta. What I mean is, I’m surrounded by constant security and comfort. I’m blessed with an environment that contains everything I’ll ever need; running water, electricity, food, and a stellar education. And far too often, I take these privileges for granted. Far too often, and despite the multitude of resources that allow me unhindered access to knowledge and information, the countless chances to gain awareness of what goes on outside my metaphorical bubble, I don’t take the opportunities that present themselves. More likely than not, I have consciously allowed a chance to change someone’s life for the better slip through my fingers simply for the sake of convenience. I have permitted myself to sacrifice another’s well being because it was too hard. Too untimely. Too demanding. But what I’ve come to realize is helping others isn’t supposed to be easy. It requires both personal and external sacrifices, hard work, determination, and realizing that even the changes we perceive as minute can have a drastic effect on the lives of people used to the bare minimum. Some people dream and long for the type of life far too many take for granted. As impoverished population numbers drop due to hunger, or disease, those who could have done something now but didn’t will be left wondering if the loss of a vital community and its cultures was an adequate price to pay for the bliss of ignorance. In the end, human resolve is a powerful tool. But it’s how we utilize that tool that makes all the difference. We can all use its opportunities and benefits to make ourselves happier and the world in its entirety a better, safer place. Or we can choose to live under a cloud of selfish intentions and guilty consciences, and we can look back on our lives later on and wonder, if only.

Before gaining some “field experience” with volunteering, I had a very narrow understanding of what volunteering really is. I associated the idea of volunteering with crowds wearing the same ugly neon t-shirt while completing the same mundane task. Little did I know that volunteering could encompass designing the t-shirts, organizing the events, and designing the visual identity for a cause. Volunteering, as I have learned, demands organization, creativity, and invention. I grew up as an art kid with my face behind a camera, and my hands shackled to Adobe photoshop. By creating branding for the New Jersey Student Climate Advocates, I learned how to use my skills to amplify the voices of nonprofits. While the work demanded a level of professionalism, I was able to catalyze my growth as a creative professional while giving back to a cause that I am tremendously passionate about. Put simply; volunteering is equal parts giving back and self-exploration- two attributes that continue to drive my passion for activism. 

Why do you feel it is important to help others less fortunate?

 Privilege is meaningless if you 1) don’t recognize it, and 2) don’t do anything with it. I am tremendously fortunate to have been assessed by mentors, resources, and opportunities that have allowed me to realize my passions and amplify my voice. I am also painfully aware of how lucky I am and how unusually this luck is distributed in the country. Helping others makes me feel as if I am minimizing this inequality and can only hope that others in my community also recognize and act upon their privilege. 

What do you plan to do to make the world a better place?

I plan to amplify the voices of the causes that I am passionate about and others that are less fortunate, I plan on using my talents in graphic design and photography to catalyze the growth of change movements. Through various volunteer experiences, I learned the importance of a well-designed t-shirt, a flawless logo, or an engaging infographic on bolstering community pride and support for a cause. So, to make the world a better place, I fully intended to use my passion for visual communication to give faces to causes that strive to make a difference.

Who is a volunteer that inspires you, and why?

This may sound corny, but my school librarian’s effort to foster community pride inspires me to think of activism on a smaller scale. I have a pattern of looking at massive problems like gun violence, youth homelessness, or climate degradation as a source of activism. As a consequence, I often neglect to focus on issues going on within my community. Comparatively, my librarians focus on the student body and the community by running food drives, crafting cards for sick teachers, and planning mental health activities. Activism, as I learned through my librarians, does not have to be a grand and dramatic movement. Instead, the most effective forms of volunteering and intimate but equally as meaningful.