Essay by Fiona Risom, New Canaan High School, Grade 10

[Note: This is not the article where you should vote for this contestant. This is essayist No. 4, so in the voting article, which is here, just post a comment that says ‘4' 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.] 


In the wake of terrorist events in my lifetime, community service has become more meaningful to me. In the aftermath of a tragedy such as the murders in Newtown or Boston, it hurts to know that a horrible act of terrorism against humanity was committed by a fellow human. I will never understand how a person with hands like mine, could use their hands to take the life of another human. Every day, I decide to use my hands to benefit the world through community service. Whether it is spending time in a Stamford soup kitchen, or packing for a food drive at church, I use my hands to serve the community to positively shape the world instead of doing it harm.

I am always taught, “Climb the mountain to see the world, not for the world to see you.” I apply this saying to the way I approach community service. To me, community service does not mean “getting the hours” to write down or “doing it for the college application.” Instead, I “climb the mountain to see the world” that is around me. Through service projects in my church youth group, I am able to volunteer throughout the year. When I give my time and effort, I receive the benefits of communing with recovering alcoholics and drug addicts or Haitian church-goers in need of a Thanksgiving dinner. Without serving, I wouldn’t know these shelters and churches in Fairfield County. I am fulfilled by helping a fellow human in the community even though we may not have anything in common.

Community service also has prepared me for leaving New Canaan to serve. The socialization and work ethic skills that serving in an open community like Fairfield County allow me to develop are applicable outside of our community. For the past two years, I joined the Congregational Church of New Canaan’s youth group on service trips to Mississippi and Puerto Rico. My love for volunteering, that sprouted here in our community, carried through and allowed me to serve communities far away from my hometown. Repainting a playground in Stamford led to similar strokes of a paintbrush in the kitchen of a rehabilitation center in Puerto Rico. Similar smiles were on the faces of owners of the playground in Stamford and the kitchen in Puerto Rico. The sheer look of excitement on the face of a Mississippian pastor when viewing renovations on a Hurricane Katrina-ravaged house I worked on mirrored the look of local pastors when greeting a group of us volunteers in Stamford. The display of joy and appreciation is what pushes me to serve more. In this way, I saw the world through helping others. Service opens several doors to seeing the community and world around me, and I am ever grateful for the opportunities to serve others.