Essay by Jordan Cohen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Grade 10

[Note: This is not the article where you should vote for this contestant. This is essayist No. 3, so in the voting article, which is here, just post a comment that says ‘3' to vote for this student. Voting is limited to one person per finalist per day, and closes at 8 p.m. on May 13. The finalist essay follows.] 


Every day we make decisions that shape our lives, and the lives of others around us. Each choice impacts society, and it is imperative that we step out of our comfort zone for the sake of others. Through community service I’ve come to realize how much, even something as small as a smile, can mean to someone. 

To me, community service is not just visiting a little girl with cancer. It is seeing her smile after I paint her nails. It is not just playing a game with an elderly woman; it is watching her pride as she brags to everyone nearby that she beat me at checkers. Community service is not just feeding the homeless, but watching them glow after receiving their fill and have someone look them in the eye during a conversation. 

This winter around Christmastime, I visited the cancer wing in Montefiore Hospital.  I was making crafts and drawing with the patients, when a four-year-old girl came over and sat down next to me. She was very quiet and it took a lot of effort to make her feel comfortable enough to participate. We started coloring and I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, expecting the typical little girl answer; a Barbie doll, but her answer took me by surprise. She quietly said; I just want to go home and spend time with my family.  Then she handed me a picture she drew of Santa and elves with her name on it. I sat there in shock, almost teary, and I realized the past few minutes would change the way I view my life forever. 

Many people think community service is a chore or a just a set number of hours to fulfill by a deadline, but to me, it is another activity that I love to do. It is not extra work or a requirement for graduation, but it is something fun and rewarding for me. To go that extra little bit out of my way to make someone else smile, makes me truly happy. It is said that the definition of love is when one puts someone else’s happiness before their own. I love every child I meet during a visit to the children’s hospital, every belittled person that has spent a night on the street, and every elderly person despite the fact that they won’t remember my name. 

Because I care so much about others, community service has impacted my future. I’ve decided that I want to do something with pediatric oncology. The people I work with, such as the little girl from Montefiore Hospital, put a smile on my face and I hope one day I can return the favor.