We were able to catch up with Will, a student at MoellerHigh School, and talk about “Working For a Smile”, their Service Challenge Project from 2014. Last time we spoke with Will, “Working For a Smile” was a project in process, now we see how Will and his peers at Moeller took our challenge to create a service project a step further and decided to not only impact their own community, but also the community of Santa Cruz, Peru through “Working For a Smile”. (You can view their trip below)
What was your biggest take away from the Youth Leadership Seminar?
Will: My biggest take away from the seminar was just the inspiration of seeing other high school students become passionate about doing service work in the community. Seeing my peers come up with great ideas for service pushed me to come up with the most challenging service project possible. The speakers also inspired me to go out and make a difference in someone else’s life as so many have done to me in my own life.
What impact have you seen in your community and school from the Youth Leadership Seminar and from “Working for a Smile”?
Will: I saw a large impact from my school when we raised money through the penny wars because tons of people got involved and I was happy to see the support of my peers and my school. There was also large support from my school to try and win second place in the contest when students used social media to try and win. The Seminar was a great opportunity to raise awareness for service not just domestically but also internationally in my community and my school.
Would you recommend others go to the Youth Leadership Seminar?
Will: Yes, because it engages students in a subject that talks about service to those in need. Whether it is bullying or the homeless there is always someone who needs help and with the great opportunities given to my peers and I by our parents and our schools we have the ability to help others. The Youth Leadership Seminar inspired me to take advantage of these opportunities and it led me to great success with my project.
You were the student leader for the Service Project Challenge. How did “Working For a Smile” specifically impact your own life?
Will: It impacted my life by forming a sense of work ethic that I never thought I could have before. This project helped me reach my potential and the satisfaction I derived in seeing the respect from the villagers made it so worth it. It helped me form new relationships as well as reestablish old ones and also helped me form new ideals to live by. This project has changed me as a person greatly and I will never forget the positive impact it had on my life and especially the people we helped.
Check to see if your school is on the list for this year’s Youth Leadership Seminar so your students can make an impact like Will!
Kristin Shaffer
Experience Intern
#NTCincy15
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