The first thing I used to think of when I heard the term "community service," is me, giving up my time, to do something for somebody else - for free. However, as high school graduate struggling to find a good paying job without a college degree, I came to see how important it is for high school students to be required to serve one school year involved in some type of community service. .
High school students would benefit from serving their communities because helping others, with no financial gain, would help them learn the value of giving, as well as instilling the need of having a solid work ethic. Also, if the student takes his/her community service position seriously, those who oversee their service can write letters of recommendation for them when applying to colleges and for grants and scholarships. Making community service a pre-graduation requirement, would lead to an increase in student involvement. In fact, if a student wants to graduate, they'd have to fulfill the volunteering requirements. .
Working to help another person or group (for free) has many benefits. It helps a person grow as an individual and learn what it means to be responsible to another person. Many students graduate from high school with no real idea of what it means to function in the "real world," making it difficult for them when they become employed and must produce in a professional manner. Students should be given options as to where they would like to conduct their community service. These options should be based on the type of career the individual is interested in for the future. For example, if my sister would've been required to do community service in a health clinic, she would've had more basic knowledge of what is required as a Can. She would've been able to see if this job would be beneficial for her or not and then would be able to make a decision as to if she wants to further a career in that or if she wants to pursue another field.
