Of the many activities that are available to high school students, volunteering is arguably the most popular. At Fossil Ridge, National Honor Society (NHS) and Key Club are two organizations that strive to promote helping others and dedicating their time to the community.

Yet do these people volunteer with the best intentions? It is a common fact among high school students that colleges love volunteer hours, a transcript “rounder” that could inspire some to get involved for the wrong reasons.

In a survey taken by members of Key Club and National Honor Society members, students answered questions pertaining to their motives for volunteering, and whether they were truly interested in the activity.

While it appears from the first graph that many students are devout volunteers, the second reveals that there are mixed reasons for doing it in the first place.

It is no secret that college admission requirements are high, and for those that are very academically inclined, they may feel pressured to fulfill the “cookie cutter” mold of an ideal candidate.  But college shouldn’t be the reason that students are getting involved in volunteer work. Around the holiday season especially, communities encourage giving back and supporting those that are in need. Generosity and kindness are attributes that people aspire to have. As children, people are taught the importance of sharing with others; this seemingly simple lesson is what guides people to becoming compassionate.

If a student is involved in a club like NHS, they should be fully committed. So many times students have grumbled about the amount of hours they must fulfill to stay involved with the club. To find out the extent of people’s dedication, I asked them!

Seeing the results of this graph restored my faith in humanity! Along with the next graph, it proves that overall, Fossil Ridge students are, for the most part, genuinely sincere about their involvement in these clubs.

The majority of high school students volunteer for the best intentions. According to the second graph, 75% of participants volunteer because they love giving back to the community, as it should be!  As said by Catherine Cyril, an FRHS senior, she volunteers “To help people…you get to meet new people in the community, and it’s a chance to get to know people from different backgrounds. You get to meet people you would have never known before.” But if college is your motivation for volunteer work, challenge yourself to reevaluate how you choose to spend your time. Will  your resume be doomed without volunteer hours? Hardly! Dedicate your time to doing what makes you happy, and be sincere in all of your endeavors. 

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