What Helping Others has Taught Me by John

What Helping Others has Taught Me by John - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

I think most of us think of community service as giving without getting anything in return. But I have been shown, first hand, to believe differently. Community service is dedicating your time to others now, while gaining a meaningful experience that will undoubtedly help you in the future. While it is sometimes difficult to see a benefit while performing difficult or challenging tasks for others, the knowledge and experience gained from service to others is immeasurable. It is possible to learn skills from the work performed, but the true benefit of volunteering comes from seeing life from another’s perspective. Providing community service permitted me to see things through the eyes of the person or people benefitted and to gain insight into the needs of those around us. In this way, I learned that the world doesn’t revolve around any one person, that different people have different philosophies and goals, and that communities operate to the benefit of all.

For six years, I volunteered my time to teach Tang-Soo-Do (karate) to children from various backgrounds. As a world-ranked martial artist, I know the hard work, discipline, and dedication necessary to practice the art that pays dividends across the martial-artist’s daily life. As I taught the art to my students, I focused my attention on the individual needs of each student. The children at the studio came from all walks of life and each child had their own obstacles, fears, and ambitions. By learning as much as possible about my students, I was able to create custom lessons and learning plans for them. In some cases, my lessons were a fun distraction from otherwise difficult circumstances. Sometimes, the lessons helped my students realize that their goals, and even dreams, were possible. As I watched each student progress, I realized the time I gave them was teaching them many life skills (for example: perseverance, patience, and determination), but was also helping me practice those skills as well.

While also teaching at the Tang-Soo-Do studio, I volunteered to feed less-fortunate persons in this community. Serving approximately one hundred meals at a time, I was able to see a side of life with which I was previously unfamiliar. While society often bypassed these people without a glance, and often purposefully ignored them, my close interactions allowed me to view them as human beings and as members of our community. A kind word, or a simple acknowledgement, was typically returned with a smile. For some, I believe my “hello” may have been the first kind words they had received in some time. I truly enjoyed watching people’s expressions change and their moods brighten. While I do believe my actions benefitted people, I believe I gained as much, and likely more, from the experience.

I cannot imagine myself in college and not continuing my service to others. It is another way to continue to learn outside the scope of academia. Greek life is something I plan to explore as they do focus on philanthropy and volunteering. I have volunteered on a small scale basis and would love to volunteer for a larger organization. The philanthropy benefits our local community as well as national charities. I hope to be a part of this larger organization not only to continue to help locally, but to develop my knowledge in national areas of need.