Throughout my life I have been raised and educated in Catholic schools and Providence College, founded on these same Catholic teachings is therefore very appealing. My religious up bringing has strongly influenced my desire to pursue studies in social justice. In an attempt to fulfill this aspiration I have participated in numerous community service activities throughout the years and I would like to continue to do so at providence. During my time at Wheeling Jesuit University I have worked in a soup kitchen distributing food and preparing meal baskets. I also volunteered my time in an after school program helping under privileged kids with their schoolwork. Even though I am only a freshman I have been trying to increase community awareness about our countries homeless. Currently I am part of my schools Hunger and Homeless Awareness team. This past winter during the nationwide Hunger and Homeless Awareness week we fasted for twenty four hours and spent that night sleeping in a box outside in front a main school building in hopes of showing my campus the daily struggles of the less fortunate. .
Despite all that I have gained from these activities I could not help but feel that something was missing. While looking back on my service experience at Gonzaga College High School I realized that it was the urban environment that made my work truly memorable. Living near our nations capital allowed me to get involved with one of my most unforgettable projects, SCAMP. SCAMP is a free week of summer camp for nine to five year old children from the worst areas of Washington DC. This camp was so enjoyable for me because I know that for one week those children were not out playing on dangerous streets, but instead were well fed. As a camp counselor I accompanied them to the swimming pool and bowling alley, making sure they were having a great time. .
This type of service is rewarding for me because I feel like I am actually helping better someone's life, in concrete ways, directly impacting his or her future.