Something about my life that I take great value in is giving back to my community. In high school, we had an annual blood drive, which I always found necessary to participate in because I value philanthropy. All the clubs I joined in high school were volunteer-based and focused on fundraising for great causes.

I enjoy organizing and executing fundraisers and find enormous satisfaction in helping others, but my participation during my senior year may have been over the top; the blood-drop costume that had been chosen for me to wear made me look like an M&M with a pointed head lol. Despite my ridiculous costume and any embarrassment I may have felt, it felt like an honor to be chosen for the role because my peers believed in me and knew I would attract many people with my fun spirit. Ironically, being in this costume allowed me to behave in a way I used to tamp down as a student in high school. I walked down the hall, high-fiving students who had no idea I was inside the costume. This silly costume boosted my confidence, and I felt no one was judging me, just supporting my efforts to bring light-heartedness to a serious cause.

Participation in my high school's blood drive is only one of the many events I love to partake in. I was the president of my high school's Youth to Youth Club, an organization that fundraised for many different causes concerning drug and alcohol prevention. It was an honor to serve my school and my community. Giving back will always bring me happiness, and I will continue to do this throughout college and the rest of my life.