Gabriele Forbes-Bennett

To me, community service is more than just doing a few things to help out groups of people. It is an effort we continually engage in to try and improve the lives and experiences of community members and it is a way for us to give back. When I was in high school, I took part in a variety of community service projects (both school-sponsored and not). I did this not only to fulfill the yearly 20 hour service requirement, but also because I felt that I needed to give back to my community and try to help those in need. I volunteered at a local day camp in my area each summer throughout my high school career, and I have participated in a handful of events that helped the rebuilding effort in the Rockaways after Superstorm Sandy. I felt that I had an obligation to help out with this cause because after the storm, community service organizations like NY Cares and the Build-It-Back program helped my own family out.

Serving my community has taught me certain values and ideals that I plan on applying to my experiences here at Baruch. The Baruch Scholars program places great emphasis on community service and giving back, and I look forward to upholding its standard. I have only been a part of this program for a little over a month and I have already learned a lot about the different types of community service opportunities that are available in this area and in neighboring parts of the city. I plan on choosing one of these opportunities to use for the community service project I will complete with my group members next semester.