Scholarship Essay: How Soccer Changed My Life

One of the most incredible and rewarding ways in which I have been able to make an impact on the lives of others is by volunteering my time through the avenue of my favorite sport; soccer. From a very young age, my parents have put a lot of time and money into me being able to play soccer and it is because of this that I have found success in my sport. I feel as though everyone should be given the same opportunity to possibly fall in love with the game and develop as a player. Additionally, I have always loved little kids and been interested in positively affecting the lives of those with mental and/or physical disabilities, as my mother is a Preschool Special Education Teacher and I have learned about disabilities from a young age. This interest

Each summer during the weeks of our CCD program, a drive was held and students were asked to bring in school supplies which would be sent to the group of students in the island country whose school tuition we raised money to pay for through through bake sales. This was always an event that I looked forward to as it brought me great joy to see the way in which our parish was changing the lives of these students. Due to this, I would always offer to go with my mother to organize the received materials and pack individual backpacks for the children, which only further strengthened my desire to make a change in Haiti. My interest specifically in the Be Like Brit organization began when Mrs. Gengel, Brit’s mom, came to speak at my church about the mission of the orphanage created in Brit’s memory as well as the goal of rebuilding Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. After hearing her speak, I immediately looked further into the organization, followed their Facebook page and inquired about volunteer opportunities. I capitalized on the opportunity to volunteer at their Operations Center in Worcester this summer, helping out as needed. When I heard of the Be Like Brit Club that was forming at Wachusett, I knew I wanted to join to further raise money for the organization and Haiti, as well as