Name: Tejasri Devanaboyina
From: Coppell, TX
Grade: 9th
School: Coppell High School
Votes: 0 
To this day I still remember the first time I saw a homeless person. He was sitting outside of a Burger King, huddled together in nothing but a thin coat during a freezing winter evening. He held up sign that said, “I haven’t eaten in three days, please give me some food.” Seeing this as a seven year old broke my heart, but what truly showed me the cruelty in life were the people who walked out, glanced at the man, and threw away whatever food they had left. That day even as a kid I
was able to understand life was not always easy and others sometimes made it harder. From that day onward my goal was to not be one of those inconsiderate people, but instead make life easier for another person.
In memory of that day I have been volunteering at a homeless shelter almost every Saturday for the past two years. As a volunteer I aid the medical staff and assist those who are physically in pain. With this responsibility in hand my biggest challenge has been gaining the trust of the homeless. Many of these men and woman come with a wall built around them. Breaking down this “wall” bit by bit is a process, but when it has been accomplished I have finally gained their trust. The gaining of trust is what gives men satisfaction as a volunteer because with this trust I am able to make a difference in
their lives.
As longstanding volunteer I have learned the importance of every individual no matter their wealth, class, race, level of education, and ect. Each and every individual deserves an equal opportunity in life, and the people who are there for them along the journey have truly made a difference greater than that of any kind. My goal is to use the experience I have gained as a medical volunteer to become a doctor, and continue helping those in need with more experience and practice. For this reason I see my activities as “forward looking” or helping in the future.
As sophomore in high school I hope to show people that by committing one less inconsiderate act someone could truly make a difference in another person’s life. This principle does not just apply to the homeless but to anyone who is in need. I apply this principle to my life every single day and try make difference whether it is as easy as sitting next to the new girl at lunch or as hard as finding a place for someone to stay. In the future, say 20 or 30 years forward, I believe every volunteer activity that I have been a part of should and will make a difference because whenever someone is helping another person, instead of hurting them, they will definitely make a difference.
I hope that one day I will be able to use what I have accomplished now to continue making differences in the lives of others.
