Why a Non-Profit Organization

I went to a college that was heavily grounded in community service, largely in thanks to its Methodist roots. Almost every student who attended did some kind of community service during his or her stay; I put in upwards of fifteen hours of volunteering a week. My hours were spent working in after school programs, mostly with seventh and eighth graders. I was eventually offered a part-time job with the school district as a substitute working with the various after school programs at the elementary and middle schools. I mostly found myself subbing at the elementary schools; not necessarily my preferred age group, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. The younger kids were always good at making you feel appreciated, not necessarily being conscious of the true heartfelt meaning behind their statements and actions; more than once my day was made by something a kid did or said.

Working with kids not only had an immense impact on me, but I knew there was also an even bigger impact on the kids. That's why I did it. I didn't do it for the money or because I needed community service hours for a class. I did it because I knew those kids needed help and attention that they otherwise might not receive. Quite often I put the kids before myself; I was probably about the only student on the entire campus still working during finals week. But I knew those kids expected me to be there and I wasn't going to be the one to let them down; I'd leave that to their parents.

Even before joining the after school programs, I had thrown about the idea of starting a private school—an inside joke of sorts with a couple friends. Sometimes I took it seriously. Sometimes I didn't. As I got older the more serious I took it. By my senior year of college and after three years of working with kids, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: found a non-profit organization and subsequent educational institution. The purpose of the organization would be to offer support and aid (financial and otherwise) to struggling and impoverished schools and after school programs (many of which are funded by grants and face elimination every year), as well as individual students who stand above all others but are heavily limited and restricted in their opportunities for success and advancement due to their socioeconomic standing. Eventually it would pan out into counseling as well, offering free and discounted services to kids dealing with issues like bullying, depression, suicide, sexuality, and general adolescent and teenage angst. I have seen all of these issues arise with the many kids with whom I have worked and have personally helped many of them with their problems.

There is only one thing I hate more than seeing a child unhappy and that is seeing that child kill his or herself because of his or her unhappiness. I want to do everything in my power to make sure that does not happen. Too many young kids are killing themselves because of the amount of bullying which they face. That is not a world in which I want to live. That is not a world in which I want my kids to live. It is a big task to take on, but I want to rid the world of that. I want to make our schools a safe place to be, not somewhere haunted with terrors.

On top of all that, I want to make sure every kid has every chance possible at success. Too many kids lack a strong, sturdy support system, which can easily lead to the aforementioned. Give a kid support, give a kid a chance, and they'll be a happy, successful kid. Socioeconomic standing greatly reduces a person's chance for opportunity. I want to level that playing field. Some of the smartest kids in this nation live on the South Side. But a good chunk of them will never get to use that intelligence because of where they live and how much money their parents make. There is nothing fair about that.