Serving My Community

Five grueling days a week, three hours a day for four years! That's what it seemed like when training for the Volleyball Team. When I wasn't playing for the school, it was straight to Club Volleyball to stay in shape and gain more experience. From spring through early summer it would be both training camps plus maintaining good grades! How did I ever survive?

I love being with the team, learning to play as a team and supporting one another. I would not change a thing in these past four years of Volleyball. I learned valuable lessons like how to be responsible and work hard till the very end. Although I was not a starter of the volleyball team, I was counted on for substitutions and ready for the challenge. I also learned that the mind is very strong. If you keep pushing yourself to say, "I can do it", it can be accomplished.

English: Finland volleyball player Jani Pykäri. N...

English: Jani Pykäri finland volleyball player. N...

English: Finland volleyball player Tuomas Ruuska. ...

My coaches instilled this in me and I know it will carry me through my journey in life.

Why do we have to help with the community? We're only children! This was my first thought during my freshman year at Pearl City High School. Little did I realize my mother had involved us in community service from a very young age. Whether it was participating in the March of Dimes Walk, helping clean & decorate the church or volunteering at St. Francis Hospice, I was participating while dangling from Mom. But not clinging to the stroller any longer, the time came for me to rise to the occasion and help out.

I remember one of my first community projects was to volunteer at one of our public school's after school A-plus program. I had already known that I enjoyed being around little children. I was...