Drew Lord, St. Luke's School, Grade 11

[Note: This is not the article where you should vote for this contestant. This is essayist No. 9, so in the voting article, which is here, just post a comment that says ‘9' to vote for this student. Voting is limited to one person per finalist per day, and closes at 8 p.m. on May 13. The finalist essay follows.] 



It was early January, and the cold air inside the homeless shelter felt cold and dry.

I walked into the classroom and was greeted by George, my second grade student who lives at the homeless shelter. On Wednesdays, I go to the shelter to tutor George and other residents who need some extra guidance on their academics. 

I hadn't seen George since before Christmas, and, naturally, I asked him what Santa had brought him. 

"My mom says Santa doesn't come to our house anymore," George said in a soft, saddened voice, "so nothing this year." My heart sank in despair at the fact that George's parents probably couldn't afford any presents for their son this Christmas. 

Moments like these are the reason I consider community service an integral aspect of my life. Taking part in service and volunteering on the community level fosters a unique sense of charity and goodness—a feeling that not only benefits those in need, but also advances the self-worth and morality of an individual. 

Giving people a sense of emotional nourishment and community can often be the best gift of all. We live in a world where everyone relies on one another for comfort, and there are millions of people in the world who are in the absence of this emotional nourishment.

Participating in community service is the most effective way to foster such feelings for those who desperately need it. 

But perhaps service is more than just volunteering a few hours of time, and rather something that can be practiced unintentionally on a day-to-day basis. Something as simple as picking up an empty bag of chips on the sidewalk, or holding the door for a stranger, or smiling at the man walking his dog—should all be considered valuable and effective means of service. 

Integrating service into your everyday activities can generate a chain reaction of kindness. Since elementary school, we have all been indoctrinated with the phrase "treat others the way you would like to be treated," and "pay your kindness forward," and it is important to realize that these phrases do hold substantial merit. 

I hold community service close to my heart as a way to stay grounded, humble and understanding. My heart aches for people, like George, who are robbed of the simple pleasures that most of us take for granted. But participating in community service can help ease our aches and mitigate the suffering of those in need. 

At my school, the motto is "Enter To Learn, Go Forth to Serve”—something we should all intend to do—for ourselves, for those in need, and for George.