High schoolers often view community service as just another box to check for college applications, but for those individuals, more than 10 hours is a goal. “The 10-hours isn’t only about college applications,” says Mr. Ball, the Avid coordinator at Osbourn High School, “It’s more about building habits early.” By stepping into the community, students are more open to exploring and getting an opportunity to give a hand to help out the community.

For students like Genesis Gutierrez, a 9th grader, setting up elementary school events is her favorite. She said, “I volunteer at my old elementary school because the teachers there had a big impact on me, and I wanted to help create that same positive experience.” Showing up and setting up from the decorations to the complementary snacks and activities is a lot to manage, but with many other volunteers, it is manageable and fun.

When the community service opportunity is posted on Schoology, individuals need to sign up for a designated role. Many take this chance to sign up with friends. Genesis Gutierrez explained that, “For the first time I volunteered, I got paired up with my best friend to do an activity together, it was a lot of fun and we got our work done.” Many others may not get the privilege to go with their friends, but this still doesn’t stop you from meeting new people and discovering something new.

Some students think volunteering is still mostly about looking good for school applications, while others really want to be there. “I think our generation is more on the 50 – 50 side about actually helping and the others on using it only for their college resumes,” Hibah Mizah said. Even though some kids just want their hours, others believe that colleges want to see commitment rather than quantity. Colleges use community service hours as a tie-breaker for admission, so community hours may have a big impact on your future.

Besides helping others, there are also fun rewards that come with volunteering. Sometimes, the best part is the food at the end of a long shift.  Melissa Hernandez shared, “Some perks that benefit me from volunteering are that after we finish helping out, the host lets us eat at any of the complimentary tables.” That sounds like a great deal after having a 3-4 hour shift of activities like face painting, reading, craft table, setting up, and cleaning up. As Jose Luna said, “Some perks I get while volunteering are giving back to the community and the people in it, as well as helping out those people who need the help of the host of the event.” By giving their time, Osbourn students are learning that helping out is a habit worth keeping.

As Osbourn High School students continue to check Schoology for the next big event. It doesn’t matter if a student starts volunteering for the snacks, the social time, or the resume boost; the result is the same. However, they aren’t just signing up for a shift; they are signing up to be a leader. By stepping out of the classroom and into the community, these students are proving that this new generation has the determination to make a difference. Whether it’s through a small act like handing out a snack or a big act like assisting at an event, every hour counts towards building a brighter future!

Do you do community service? If so, how many hours have you accomplished?