My most recent work experience was during the summer of 2008, I worked as a maintenance worker in the Union City Day Care Program. Renovating classrooms, painting, reconstructing rooms, lifting heavy items, and tiling floors were part of the job description. One time my co-worker had painted a room the wrong color and I decided to stay after hours to paint the room the proper color, so the boss would not get mad and fire him. Besides working maintenance in Union City, New Jersey, I have also worked in West New York. This was not the same type of maintenance job that I was doing in Union City. This job consisted of removing all the items in a classroom. Therefore, the janitors could buff and wax the floor for the upcoming school year. These two jobs have shown me the true realization of hard work and team work. I also learned to sacrifice my time to get a job done. Although these two jobs were seasonal, I learned a great deal in such a short amount of time.
In high school, I participated in volunteering projects such as The Arc of New Jersey, March of Dimes, Community Food Drive, and other events with the Key Club. The Arc of New Jersey was introduced to me in my sophomore year of high school by my Spanish teacher because her older brother was a victim of Down syndrome. Every year, the school would have a Walk-a-Thon around the county park, everyone who participated raised money for those victims of Down syndrome and autism. The other activities that I participated in high school include the March of Dimes, which was another Walk-a-Thon, but this is for children that are born premature and/or with birth defects. I was introduced to this organization while in the Key club. The Key club was a group of students who participated in community service projects. With the help of the Key club and the volunteering work I have impacted the lives of others and vise-verse.
My volunteering has continued in college, I have participated in volunteering such as Habitat for Humanity, Educational Opportunity Program Car-Wash, AIDS Walk, and Mercer Street Friends. It all began in the Educational Opportunity Program, the program had a car wash to raise money for the Achilles Track Club. The Achilles Track Club enables people with disabilities to participate in athletics and promotes personal achievement. The Multicultural Student Leadership Institute (MSLI) has been very essential to my first semester of college because I have been part of some heartwarming volunteering experiences. Habitat for Humanity, AIDS Walk, and Mercer Street Friends were organizations I have volunteered in. They have changed my outlook on life because I really got witness the final result of my hard work in the faces of others.
