Volunteering:
Watkins Glen Volunteer Fire Department:
As a volunteer at the Watkins Glen Fire Department has helped me realize how much people need volunteers and caring people like us. We are always running calls like EMS, Fires, Rescues, where people rely on the fire department to help them out. Becoming a volunteer firefighter is a very rewarding experience. The first call I ever made, was a fire, Adrenalin kicked in I am not trained to go into the fires but many don’t think how much the firefighters that come out of that fire need your help with changing air packs, getting them water, etc. Becoming a firefighter was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Clubs:
Watkins Glen High School Yearbook Club:
Watkins Glen High School opened up the yearbook to the students. I joined yearbook in 11th grade, loved it and took in so many opportunities. Also was a good was to use my organizing skills, a big pet-peeve of mine! After helping me create the yearbook for that year, I decided to continue in my senior year. Senior year, yearbook started off very hard. The yearbook advisor was moved to help with the younger kids, meaning her schedule wouldn’t fit with ours. There were many teachers that did not want to take on another role to be yearbook advisor, this meaning what would we do with a yearbook advisor and how will the yearbook get created without the club. As a leader I like to be seen as a staff member that is willing to take on the role. As we started meeting for yearbook we had to have leaders; President, Vice-President, Secretory, and Treasure. There was a vote put out during a meeting. I was voted for President; meaning making meetings, recruiting people, making sure the yearbook was getting worked on, etc was all in my control. Taking on that commitment to yearbook club helped me grow with my leadership and responsibility.
Leadership:
New York State Mentoring Program:
Watkins Glen High School participated in the mentoring program in 2017-2018 school year. The mentoring program is a program where a younger elementary student that is need of support, they have a mentor who was chosen through the school counselors to help a specific student with their needs. Many of these children are in overwhelming issues outside of school like economic issues at home, lack of attention and support, and have many social obstacles. This program is a one-on-one, mentor- mentee to help the mentee grow on skills and make them have a purpose to be in school and want to come. This program helped me grown on leadership skills, it helped me because when the mentee would come to me for help or advice I had to quickly think of an answer that would help the student without offending them but would also help them overcome the problem.
Service Learning:
During my 11th grade year I started taking service learning with my accounting teacher Mrs. Popovich, the service learning was in two of her classes ACE Accounting (which I already completed) and in transitions. Transitions was a class of 7th graders that needed to build on basic care needs and discover more about the community. ACE Accounting was one that I always loved and wanted to keep growing my skills and knowledge in, so what better way to do this then help teach the students that are just learning this subject. Service learning was an opportunity to grow on leadership skills and help out students in need.