Kinsley High School
Kinsley, Kansas
Teacher: Dr. Galen R.
Boehme
Communities and Me
By Alexis Stiebe
12th grade
It is important for me to be part of a community so I build values, so I share a heritage, and so I fulfill a vision.
Being part of a support group, such as my nuclear community, helps me build values. My family is the most important part of my life. I bonded with my parents instantly at birth. My parents raised me and taught me the important values of my life. I have learned to treat others with respect and to use good manners at all times. I have learned to appreciate the value of hard work. My dad is a farmer and works very hard every day. In the summer I go to the farm and help to keep the farm yard in shape by mowing and doing other odd jobs. My mom is a nurse. Both of my parents work hard so my sister and I can have a good life. We have gone to church together and worked together. I learned the Lord’s Prayer from my parents and how to use a power sander. My parents instilled a love of reading in me. Every night, starting when I was just a baby until I could read large books on my own, my parents read to me. They taught me the alphabet before I went to kindergarten. I have gained an appreciation of beauty from my parents. I experience such beautiful moments in the country. To come over a rise in the road and see acres of golden wheat flowing like waves is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. All of the amazing sights I have been exposed to have helped me to form an interest in art. My mom bought me crayons and other art supplies and my dad would draw little pictures for me. I have loved art since I was very young and now drawing is one of my favorite hobbies. My sister shares these experiences. I have watched her grow and learn the same way I have. One of the ways I contribute to my family is by taking care of my sister after school until my mom returns from work. I also do laundry, clean dishes, and clean house some. I work hard in school to make my family proud of me. At night we talk about the day’s events and share our opinions on world events. My family is my support group. Without them I would be lost.
I share a heritage by passing my love for reading onto the youth of the community. Every summer I volunteer at the public library. Our library has a summer reading program that lasts for several weeks. The program’s goal is [to] encourage children to read and to teach them about the program’s theme for that summer. When children sign up for the program, they set a goal of how many books they are going to read. This goal is set according to the age and the reading ability of the child. We also have activity days twice a week a few hours in the afternoon. Such large numbers attend that the program is held at the city park as space is limited in the library. The park is divided into different sections and the children are divided into age groups. At each section the children are taught about something relating to the theme. Last year our theme was medieval times. A lesson one day was about castles. A different day was about dragons. I am the craft leader. My job was to teach the children how to make a craft and teach them how the craft related to the theme. I like to teach the children something new and see how much fun they have making the craft. I feel most connected to the local community when I am working with the children. This experience has taught me how to show patience, how to teach, and how to work with others.
In the future I can fulfill my vision within the world community. I feel very loosely connected to the world right now but once I become an adult that connection will become stronger. Once I finish high school I plan to attend Kansas State University. In a way, college is a small community. I want to be involved in that community. I will make new friends and try new activities. The college has many clubs I can join. They will help me be more connected to the world community. I plan to live in the dorms which are a smaller community inside a community. I will bond with my dorm mates and soon college will be over. Then I will enter the real world. I plan to major in advertising and public relations with a minor in political science. When I start out I will probably have a low level job in a large firm. I want to help people and have a major effect on the world. With hard work I plan to work to the top. I plan to move to Washington, D.C. to further my career. My goal is to become press secretary to the President of the United States. Then I will truly be part of the world community. I will be able to cause change. I will be a part of our national government. I can not be more connected and involved than that.
Through my actions I express the values my family taught me, I share my passion with the youth of the community, and I strive to fulfill my vision of the future.