"Volunteer" was a word that became familiar to me early on. When I was around fourteen, I joined a program at my middle school called NJHS, and 50 hours of volunteering was one of the requirements. So I ended up at the kid zone of the YMCA, hanging out and interacting with little ones while their parents spent time at the gym.

At first, I didn't want to give up my Saturday mornings to babysit kids instead of watching TV or doing whatever it was I did on Saturday mornings in middle school. But slowly, as time went on, I found that my mind changed. In that one year I spend volunteering at the YMCA, I made new friends, learned new skills, and also grew out of my shell a little bit as I learned to let go and be as silly and goofy as I wanted playing with a bunch of kids.

Since then, I've had countless other volunteer opportunities which have enabled me to meet new people, get out of my comfort zone, and help me self esteem as I feel like I'm making a difference. While I've been able to put my volunteer hours towards requirements I've had for school, it's also something I'm sure I would have done regardless.

Finding volunteer opportunities is also relatively easy. Most organizations will accept people who are willing to work hard and give back to their community. For many of them, there is no special skill or past experience that you need to have. Just an open mind and willingness to learn.

By far one of the most rewarding experiences I've had volunteering was at Tampa General Hospital. During the summer between 10th and 11th grade, on most Fridays I would head over to the reception desk, and then to the pediatric ward. One of the most fond memories I have of that summer was pushing one of the kids from pediatrics around the hallways because he wanted a ride.

Aside from having something to add to your resume in the future, or getting needed credits for school, volunteering allows you to branch out in new and unexpected ways, and I can definitely say that my life would not have been the safe without the experiences from doing it.