Serving others has always had a special place in my life. In high school I was the president of my high school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. In NHS we always had the opportunity to serve. Every week members, including myself, would go around collecting recycling from all the classrooms in the school. We also sponsored 2 blood drives per year and each Wednesday we’d go to the elementary school next door and read to the kids there. Serving the community is also a big factor in my life. When I am at home I serve with AFSP, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this organization has become a big part of my life. It has taught me life lessons and expanded my knowledge.

One of the best parts about coming to Longwood was the Honors retreat, but in that Honors retreat we got the opportunity to serve. The service project I got to take a part of was going to finish painting a mural. My group added so much to the mural and we painted all right before having to go to graduation for Honors. That was one of the coolest projects I have ever worked with. The Honors Student Association also has given me opportunities to serve. For example working at the SPCA for their Fall Festival. Serving the community is the best way to grow as an individual.

Sophomore year brought more opportunities to serve in the Longwood community. I was able to serve in various ways through Elwood’s Cabinet and with the office of Institutional Advancement. Joining Elwood’s Cabinet allowed me help fight hunger on our campus and opened my eyes to the needs all around campus. I also got to serve in the office of Institutional Advancement. I was able to help out with Longwood Scholarship Day, Philanthropy Week, and Scholarship Dinner. Those were the three biggest events that I was apart of. Scholarship Day I was able to help write thank you notes to donors. Philanthropy Week I was able to put up signs for Tag Day and promote the whole week in general. I was able to tell other students what impact philanthropy has on our campus and how much donors mean to all of us. For Scholarship Dinner I was fortunate enough to make the name tags and place cards for the dinner and I had the opportunity to talk to Donors about the impact that Longwood has had on me and they shared their experiences with me. I am forever thankful for the ability to serve my campus and I cannot wait until next year to serve more.

In my junior year I strived to contribute more to the community by spending my free time volunteering. Farmville and surrounding communities were impacted not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but also by a large ice storm that hit the area in late February. A call was put out to students to help the surrounding areas by packaging food and delivering meals to families who were impacted by the storm. My fellow honors scholars and I answered the call and spent one weekend delivering and packaging meals for our community. COVID-19 hit the Longwood community and surrounding areas hard.

Attached below is a picture of me and one of my fellow Cormier Honors Scholars set to deliver meals to the Farmville community.