A Personal Account of Community Contribution and Social Responsibility

Extract

[...] That's an experience that no social networks can convey and that changes you profoundly and keeps you coming back, as you know you are useful in a direct way, without the intermediaries that exist in politics and that is sometimes dispiriting for some people. There is no better tonic that the immediate action that one takes to make things somewhat smoother. And that begins with listening to what others have to say in order to lessen the division that riles up the world. That experience made me realize that I should go to others more in my daily life with the desire to initiate a dialogue that would be both respectful and constructive, in a word, caring. [...]

[...] My contribution to society In our university, we bring people together to better the lives of others. Our students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world's biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. Politics begin at home, the saying goes. I strongly supported Donna Shalalah's campaign for the midterms election, for instance because I felt it was important and Florida is my home at the time. [...]

[...] Living in the United States, I consider myself privileged and want to make myself useful for people who did not have the same opportunities that I have had until now. There, more than ever, I felt the need to connect with the world at large, the importance of caring for others and crossing that psychological and physical gap that separate them from me. I find that it is facile to lose sight of our neighbors, or to flee from problems by, for instance, going where things are less complicated, which is the easy way out. [...]