Before I ever saw myself as a leader, I was an observer. I paid attention to what people needed and noticed where our community was falling short. At ConVal High School, I saw low morale, limited student engagement, and little connection between our school and the nine towns it serves. For a long time, I assumed this disconnect was simply the way things were; something too large for one student, or even a group of students, to change.
That belief shifted when my fellow officers in the National Honor Society and I decided to act. Together, we created ConVal’s first Day of Service, an initiative designed to unite our school through collective action. A day where students come together to engage in service projects that directly address community needs. Planning it was an exercise in persistence and trust. Coordinating transportation, schedules, and safety for over 600 students meant constant communication with administrators, teachers, parents, and more than 30 community organizations across our surrounding towns. At times, the scale of it felt overwhelming, but we kept moving forward.
After months of persistence and hard work, the Day of Service came together to become a pivotal event at ConVal – servicing and connecting our entire school district. A huge part of why Day of Service is so important to me, is because it showcased how I could make a difference. It was uncomfortable and difficult at times to claim my spot as a leader. But with support and guidance of my peers, teachers, and administrators – myself, and the other dedicated leaders that made up the Day of Service Committee – were able to transform a passion for service into an opportunity our community could share.
The impact of the Day of Service extended beyond a single day. It strengthened relationships within our school and built lasting connections with the towns around us. Service became a shared experience rather than an individual obligation, reinforcing the idea that strong leadership can create meaningful change.
My commitment to service also exists on a smaller, more personal scale. Every Tuesday afternoon, I volunteer as a teacher’s assistant at a local elementary school, supporting students and helping teachers create a positive learning environment. On Thursdays, I spend my afternoons at a retirement home, offering companionship and assistance to residents. I make a conscious effort to dedicate part of every week to service; not only for the impact it has on others, but for how it grounds me in the needs of my community. These consistent experiences remind me that service is not about recognition, but about showing up.
Together, these experiences have shaped my understanding of leadership. The Day of Service showed me how large-scale initiatives can mobilize people and transform culture, while my individual service reinforced the importance of empathy and consistency. I have grown from someone who noticed problems into someone who takes responsibility for addressing them. Service is now central to who I am and who I hope to continue being.