Service
From all of the service I’ve committed to doing during high school, these are the ones that have impacted me the most.
Key Club:
I joined Key Club sophomore year as a participant and showed up to the majority of the volunteering events. The amount of service hours received depended on the number of hours I chose to put into working, showing me the true value of volunteerism. During junior year, I was elected to be the Social Media Webmaster, but quickly rose to become the Vice President when the previous one was not fulfilling her duties. I also ended up fulfilling most of the President’s duties and became the ILS Key Club President that same year. As the president, I prove my leadership role by attending district meetings, in which I plan and communicate events with other Key Club leaders from other high schools in Florida. I plan volunteering events by contacting and communicating with other organizations and I participate in them to set a good example for the members of the club. I also schedule monthly board member and general member meetings to make sure all members are up to date on service opportunities. I create fun and "eye-catching" event flyers and manage the club Instagram page to make events seem more engaging and fun to participate in. Becoming President increased my social skills and helped me rise up to become a true leader in my community. My goal for this club is to organize it better to increase the participation rates and increase the member amount. Bringing in more fun and active volunteer opportunities will show club members that service can be fun and does not have to be a chore.
Below are some of the many events that I have done within Key Club:
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The KCKC is a huge yearly Key Club event for clubs all across Zone K. At these meetings, members can explore and learn more about Key Club's role in the community. There are various workshops to help members with fundraising, service opportunities, leadership skills, running for higher office, scholarships and competitions, and more.
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DCMs are monthly meetings for clubs within one's division, Immaculata La-Salle being in Division 26B. At these meetings, participants are given service opportunities and tips to grow one's club. Leaders can also collaborate to make group service projects.
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The Anxiety Kids was hosting a donation drive for the psychology departments at Nicklaus Children's. Bags including Play Doh, pop-its, fidget toys, stress balls, craft kits, card games, crayons, journals, and pens were donated. These items were then gifted to struggling patients in this department.
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The Kiwanis of Little Havana Foundation was hosting a Holiday Kickoff Party setup, where Key Club members from various schools would help set up. At the event, we set up tables, chairs, decorations, tents, etc. We encountered big-time sponsors like BMW and Bacardi.
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Angel Tree is an annual event that students of Immaculata La-Salle High School participate in. Students are to pick from various different ornaments, one kind being designated to Key Club, to help children, mothers, or the homeless. Members of Key Club were given the opportunity to make care packages including travel sized deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, socks, underwear, and a comb. Items were then sent out and distributed at the Missionaries of Charity.
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The Jingle Bell Run is a fundraiser the Arthritis Foundation hosts to raise funds to help those with arthritis and to discover a cure for it. I got in contact with the organizer of the event junior year to make this a new Key Club service opportunity. Members who participated helped set up stands, handed out water bottles to runners, and served as cheerleaders at the finish line, handing out medals to everyone.
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Key Club has always been a big volunteer for this event. This multi-day event is probably one of the most demanding ones that members participate in. When serving, volunteers are to help package hundreds of gift bags for children. Another day, volunteers would sort them and load them in a truck. On the final day, members can hand out these gifts to needy children for Christmas, bringing them happiness and hope for their future.
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This is a new event that I brought into Key Club junior year as president. To raise money for the Easter baskets and goodies, Key Club hosted bake sales. Those who participated donated items like coloring books, crayons, pop-its, fidget toys, mini plushies, Easter eggs, bubbles, stickers, etc. Another day, we hosted an assembling day where members helped package the baskets. As a new event, Key Club successfully made and distributed 88 Easter baskets for children at Nicklaus Children's Hospital!
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Summer is indeed a time for vacation, but that does not mean that there isn't time for service to help the community! Immaculata La-Salle's Key Club partnered with the International Studies Charter High School to create a park clean-up event! Oceans play a huge role in humanity and this was the perfect opportunity to clean it up and make it a better condition for Earth's creatures.
Want to learn more? Click on the icon to keep up with our events on Instagram:
Salesian Hearts of Christ Club:
Salesian Hearts of Christ is a club where I learned to grow as a leader in my faith. I also learned how to become a good Salesian, finding a deep love for Saint John Bosco’s mission and accomplishments. He showed me that Catholicism is the opposite of strict and boring. He taught faith through his Oratory Model, sharing his faith through a home, school, Church, and playground setting. As an admirer, I believe that many others can also come to love Catholicism as much as I do through his teachings. Salesian Hearts of Christ is a club where I lead various middle school retreats to help students gain a stronger love and connection with God. I perform witness talks to connect with the students, pray with them, play with them, and give them tips on how to keep a faith-centered life in the busy high school life.
Salesian Gospel Roads
The summer before beginning senior year, I participated in the Salesian Gospel Roads in New Orleans, Louisiana (SGR NOLA). Being able to attend this mission trip taught me the true value and joy in serving others as Jesus did. I spent 8 days at Archbishop Shaw High School to help the New Orleans community and those still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. I contributed to building a house that was completely wiped out from the infamous hurricane, painted parking lines and numbers for the Archbishop Shaw High School, rebuilt a Marian garden shrine, repainted stairs of a local elementary school, and volunteered at ARC's Mardi Gras bead factory. We'd have daily mass before starting the day and did group prayer before going to bed. This experience helped me understand that giving service to others is not a chore, but rather an opportunity and privilege to help others and become a leader in a community. Here, I became a leader in positivity and in taking initiative because, without these qualities, it would become difficult to help others from the heart.
Impactos of Christianity
Outside of school, I am an Impactos of Christianity leader. This organizations provides retreats to families looking for a Christ-centered lifestyle. Here, I give witness talks to teens and younger kids, helping them grow closer to God. This experience has helped me crave a longing to help adolescents learn more about themselves and their faith through storytelling on real life experiences, from which they can relate to, and through fun projects and activities. It satisfies me to be able to answer spiritual question from their curious minds and, quite often, they surprise me with a different perspective on my faith that I would never have thought of without their help.