Throughout my life, I have constantly been taught to put the needs of others before my own. Whether it was helping a friend with homework or offering support, I was constantly available for others. And through my experiences, I realized that I genuinely loved helping others.

In high school, my junior year Morality class took a personality test, and after hundreds of personality stimulating questions, my result revealed that I was a Helper. I realized that after taking this test, this personality type could not describe me better, yet as I moved towards college, I wanted to continue serving others.

When I arrived at college, I noticed two different ways of serving others. While one was a genuine effort to contribute towards the greater community, the other revolved around capturing the perfect picture. In these instances, I seriously doubted whether most people actually cared about the cause of the foundation or organization they were helping. It reminded me of the current issue of Voluntourism, where American and Western Europe teenagers and college students travel to underdeveloped countries more concerned about the top tourist sites in the area rather than volunteering.

Maybe you see this on your Instagram when you see a volunteer with African children in the background. In most cases, the relationships you think you see are nonexistent. In the perspective of children who live in those nations, "volunteers" pop in and out every two weeks, demeaning them in the twenty-first-century version of the "White Man's Burden".

Yet, after encountering many of my classmates who would rather post a picture on Instagram of them doing service to prove something to their hundreds of followers, I knew I wanted a more genuine, behind-the-scenes way of helping others.

Halfway through my first semester, I discovered a learning community revolved around service. Each week, members of the community would travel to different locations in the local area to perform acts of service. Additionally, this community lives together in the same building, allowing amazing friendships and relationships with others to form and mature. I thought, "This could not be any more perfect".

During my freshman year of college, I dedicated every week to visit a children's elementary school in West Philadelphia. Each visit, I began to recognize and even form close relationships with the students there. And every week, I watched their eyes light up as I walked in the room. They were so excited to play with me, to run outside on the playground with me. Yet, it was not until the end of my first semester where I realized how rewarding this experience was for me.

However, as time passed, I realized that an element necessary to appreciating service is the ability to give while receiving nothing in return. These actions of service and love towards other members of your community allow you to learn and grow within yourself, possibly introducing you to people and circumstances which can forever change your life.

Additionally, I realized that service was not about showing off what you do to others. Rather, service is behind-the-scenes action towards positive change towards a common goal. In that way, it is something that is rarely seen in pictures or videos. Service is an act of the heart, not an act of the self.