Community is a word that can be limited to a specific population but can also be generalized to a much larger population. It ranges from a school community to a global community. Further, you also have communities in different sectors of work, such as the business community, the law community, the arts community, and so on. When the question arises of how we should give back to our community, there are many routes that can be taken. Giving back to the community can be through volunteer work, through paid work, or just through sheer dedication to succeed in a career field so as to ensure that a college’s decision to invest time and money on you was a wise one. There is also a fourth option and that is to give back through all of the aforementioned means.

I personally agree with the last option. For me, volunteer work is a way to lend a hand, or a shoulder to lean on, to those who want one. I am someone who is, to mention a few, passionate about the environment and global warming (in elementary and middle school whenever I was asked to choose a topic to write a paper on, the topic would usually be precisely that–global warming), and someone who cares about hunger and disabilities. A few weeks ago, I had gotten into a philosophical conversation with a friend regarding the reason behind altruism, or the need or desire to help others that is intrinsic to all human beings, and the idea is something that I am still exploring and trying to unravel. As of now all I know is that for me it is important to help those who are suffering. I have been given many opportunities and through education have been exposed to so many different ideas and topics across the board. As I continue to learn, I also feel it is an opportunity that all should be given. I also strongly believe if you truly want to help someone, you should “teach a man (or woman) to fish rather than providing him (or her) with a catch one day.” When it comes to the field of business, there is greater competition and to incorporate altruism becomes more difficult. However, much of business, too, has altruistic qualities. All businesses create products or services for their own profit. However, these products or services indirectly benefit the community through which they came about and, as a result, increasing the quality of life for all. Of course, volunteer work is a more direct approach when giving back to the community, while success and work in any field is a more winded approach to the question, but is still just as effective.

As a Baruch Scholars student, I feel I should give back to the community for multiple reasons–the first being my part altruistic nature. The Baruch Honors program has provided me with an array of opportunities that not all students receive. The college expresses faith in me by investing in my education. Thus, I believe I should give back to the Baruch community through volunteer work and, most importantly, through investing my own time and effort into my education and  emerging a much more successful individual through my journey.