Medical School Acceptance Rates Extracurriculars Sample

AMCAS Work and Activities Most Meaningful Experiences Sample

As a teen, my parents took me to volunteer every holiday at the local soup kitchen and homeless shelter. There, we helped cook homemade meals with donated food items and served sometimes hundreds of clients over the course of a day. My years as a volunteer at the Smithson Center drastically changed how I view other human beings and service work. My time as a volunteer there instilled in me compassion, understanding, and an appreciation for discovering people unlike myself.

At first, I was reluctant to give up some of my holidays to serve others, seeing no connection between myself and the clients. But one day, while I sullenly served, a regular client complimented me on the simple stew I was ladling, remarking that it was the best thing he’d eaten in a long time. Cooking stew took little effort from me in the kitchen, and only seconds to serve that gentleman. Yet it provided him with a hot meal, perhaps the first one he’d had in weeks or even months. It required very little from me, yet it filled someone else with gratitude for my work.

This man’s small compliment, passing his gratitude on, stayed with me. I learned that day how even the smallest gestures of service can have an impact. Every holiday thereafter, I saw this man again, waiting in line. Every time I saw him, I was sure to engage him in conversation and try to learn more about him. He told me about his family and his work with fellow homeless individuals like himself. And together we shared many delicious meals.

Little by little, I saw the change in myself and in my perspective. I no longer felt detached from the clients at the shelter. They became like family to me as I started to open up to learn their stories. My service became a privilege and an activity I looked forward to, seeing the difference made for clients when they received more than just food. Instead of looking at service as a task or a duty, I began to see it as a way to actively shape and impact the lives of others and myself.

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