Matthew Hargraves

Having learned the value of community service and the importance of being involved in the community, whether it be Baruch or Staten Island or New York, I recognize that my next steps are extremely important. My involvement in the Unity Games for many years has started this process, but I plan to incorporate my assistance into as many programs as I can manage, whether they benefit me or another person that I may not even know. My involvement in the Freshman Seminar class has taught me the importance of teamwork and getting things done in a timely manner, despite the irony of the time of this post as I posted the wrong assignment previously. I have learned the repercussions of actions and the road to success. How I will utilize what I have learned will make me, well, me.

I plan on joining either BAP (Beta alpha psi) or PES (Phi Eta Sigma) to attain an honor roll status in a renowned organization. This will not only increase my chances at a future of successful business partners and friends, but open me up to a world of opportunities. Noting that I want to major in accounting, BAP has been the favored choice. As for non-profits, I am looking to join Team Baruch and/or Baruch Ambassadors. I’ve been inspired not only by Sam Shivraj, but also by Juan, a fellow classmate that was my tour guide when I was planning to come to this school. The program seems to be right up my alley, allowing myself to be a part of the Baruch community and give back to the school that has, after only one semester, instilled a sense of purpose in me.

These next three years at Baruch are the years that I will cherish and remember. They may fly by, or they may seem slow and endless. All I know is that I will make the most of them. I MUST make the most of them.

To understand what it means to serve my community, I first had to understand what was meant by “community.” The word community can have very different meanings, referring to a small group of people such as a class or a larger group of people such as a city like Staten Island after Hurricane Sandy.

Everybody has the option to help their community, but it’s those who actually go out that are noted. To serve your community, it can be as simple as helping an older woman cross the street, or as large as going house to house with the hurricane relief workers. There is a vast number of ways to serve your community, but the meaning gets misconstrued.

As a Baruch Scholar, we have all been given the great opportunity to help give back to our community through the community service project. Though entrance to the Baruch Scholars program is attained through grades and we must maintain a certain GPA, it is important to understand the bigger picture. We have been given a free ride to an amazing school, whereas some people are struggling to even live. The times we would have to spend working to make the the money for this college should go towards helping our community. It’s the least that can be done.

My parents, since birth, have always instilled in me a sense of dedication. Whether it be the dedication to my studies or to my community, I have worked hard to surpass the goals I have set for myself. Without this dedication to my projects, I would not be half the person I am today.

I have attempted to help out my community whenever possible. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hours have been put into my community service projects. When I was around 6 or 7, my family made me start helping out a foundation called Rainbow’s Hope. This company helped out the developmentally disabled and provided them with help and support. There were many events that I attended, including a Christmas event where they got presents from a wish list they made, an Easter event where they did easter egg hunts for prizes, and many more. I worked with this program for almost 8 years, accumulating many hours of community service. The great part about this organization was that I never asked for hours to be documented, nor did I ever try and count how much time I had put in. I was dedicated to helping the people in the program, many of these people turning out to end up being friends of mine.

At Baruch, I wish to bring this sense of selflessness to the Scholars Program, as well as the entire school. I think my role in Baruch and the Scholars program is not to change to fit in, but rather stand out for what I have done. I want people not to see me as somebody who goes out of their way to help, but as a peer that can help them do the same. I don’t want recognition for my previous actions. I want recognition for how much I help others go out of their way to help another. This idea has stemmed, in my eyes, from the movie Pay it Forward by Mimi Leader. This movie shows how one student in a classroom creates a nationwide phenomenon by helping out three people and not asking for anything in return except that they each help three others. Though seemingly farfetched, this idea is what I hope to bring to the Baruch Scholars program. I don’t want recognition, I want action.

From the moment of conception, my values have always been geared towards education. Having an induced pregnancy to be born on December 29th and not miss a year a school, my parents have held the world of academia as the priority focus of our household.

The environment around me has highly influenced who I am as a person. I have always lived in a community house, surrounded by many children of my age. It has not been the children who have influenced me immensely, but rather the parents of these children. These mothers and fathers have been my second parents, keeping me in check when my parents are busy or not around. Every Wednesday, many families from the community went to McDonalds and talked over our grades and what we were having difficulty understanding. I have always striven for better grades to be the best of my community friends.

As a college student, I look forward to the freedom of choice. This freedom involves the choice of the student to decide his own fate in the academic world, pass or fail. I have always loved pressure, as I have been a basketball player for twelve years. The most defining moments in basketball come from the choice of the player to make the right decision. The wrong move in the college world could be disastrous, but the right move could be life-changing. Despite the workload that comes with college, I hope to prove myself worthy of independence and recognition. I want to surpass all expectations placed on me, on my own.