Kinsley High School
Kinsley, Kansas
Teacher: Dr. Galen Boehme
My Community Impact
By Chelsea Schmitt
12th grade
My involvement in any community must show trust, respect, and commitment.
A community is a social group of any size where individuals share a common interest with other individuals. There are many different types of community:…the world, national, local communities, peers, our nuclear and extended family along with…ancestors. These communities are broken down into many other groups, such as: religious, educational, cultural, and [common] interests. Communities are [our] connection [to] others.
The first quality that must show in any of my communities is trust. Trust shows we can depend…on one another to be there in a time of need. Two communities where trust is very important are my friends and family. Having trust with my friends is very important to me. Friendship, deals with trust, dependability, keeping the promises and secrets, ignoring the gossip, and being there for them in their time of need. It is important for me to have friends; I need to have people to help me through my troubles, celebrate occasions, and just to talk to. I read on a pillow at my friend’s house that “friends are your chosen family.” I agree strongly with this quote because our friends should always be there for us like our family is. A friend is one who respects and supports you without criticism. Our friends help us make the right choices and steer clear of the wrong ones. A friend is one whom we can tell our secrets to and not have to worry that others will find out. Friends make promises [to]; each other [they] know [they] will never break them. A friend is…dependable and trustworthy.
Another community that [we] trust…is our families. Our families are first and foremost our support systems. My family has always been there and supported me in everything I have done. They have trust in all my decisions. When I ask for advice my family is always willing to sit down and help me. I trust all of their advice. My sister has been in college for three years. Since she has been in college our relationship has grown the most. Not being able to see my sister everyday or even every week has really made us communicate in other ways. My sister and I now talk everyday. We either call each other or leave a message for each other on the internet. My sister and I will always have a great relationship no matter how far apart. This has taught me to trust. I now know that I can trust my family will always be there. Even if I go against their will and do something bad, they will never judge me. My family will always welcome me back with their huge hearts.
Another quality that must show in any of my communities is respect. Respect shows how much we care for others and our community. Two places where respect is very important are with my elders and myself.
Every community I have been in has always stressed respect your elders. I believe you should always respect your elders. Most of the wisest people I know are my elders. They have been through a lot more than I have and I can learn valuable lessons and morals from them. Many of our elders grew up in a different time where money was tighter, the draft was recruiting, and they had no internet. They have grown up a whole different way than we have to. They can teach us to save our money until we really need it, live everyday to its fullest, and what they had to do without our technology. My Grandpa Schmitt has taught me many valuable lessons that no one my age could teach me. My grandpa has been through many different experiences. One of the greatest lessons he has taught me are the three R’s: Respect your elders, Respect others, and Respect yourself.
Respecting ourselves means a lot to our communities. They need to know that I can stick up for myself, show responsibility, and be trustworthy. Respecting myself has always been one of many of my priorities. If I do not trust a situation I am in, I will immediately leave or fix the situation. By saying no to many peer pressures now I do not have to worry about having to start, or trying to quit during college.
The last quality that must show in any of my communities is commitment. Commitment is important to a community. Commitment shows we are dedicated and serious about our lives. Commitment is needed in our education and religion.
My education has always been important. I will be going to college next year and studying marketing. While in my training I need to keep up with my studies, stay prompt, and have good attendance. After I am done with my studies and using my marketing skills in the real world I will have to be committed to stay 100% truthful to my consumers. Marketers have a responsibility to sell many products to a wide variety of people. We need to think of the most tactful way to sell our products.
Religion is also one place I must be very committed. I need to practice what I preach. I manage my time very wisely to make sure I have enough time to attend both weekly mass and UCC youth group. My faith has helped me through some difficult decisions and very tough times. My religion has helped me meet some great and helpful people. My youth group sponsor has helped the group and me help and meet a variety of communities. We go on youth retreats and perform many different tasks. My commitment to my faith has taught me many life lessons. My commitment to my religion has helped me stay committed to all of my communities.
My community involvement is very meaningful to me. Every community I am involved in must show trust, respect, and commitment.