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Public Service is Personal Joy

Imagine spending a year in Taiwan touring the natural beauty of the Jade Mountain and
experiencing Taiwanese culture and food. Now imagine doing that while also putting a smile on
tons of underprivileged children faces. Doesnt the experience seem worthwhile to you? Or
would you rather be sitting in class taking notes? I strongly support the idea that young
Americans should be required to spend at least one year in public service to give back to the
community and enhance their own knowledge.
At first glance, public service may seem to be a tedious and wasted labor; however there
is a bigger picture to mandatory public service which is to give back to the community. Residing
in Montgomery County Public Schools, I am required to complete seventy-five hours of
community service in order to obtain my graduation diploma. Many students argue that the
mandatory seventy-five hours of service is far too much. However, I am highly supportive
because I believe that public service, whether seventy-five hours or a whole year, is necessary for
young Americans because of the lifelong lessons and skills cultivated by volunteering. Service
learning is beneficial to a young Americans future career and builds a strong foundation of
responsibility.
Requiring public service teaches young Americans civic responsibility in order to
strengthen communities and enrich the learning of responsibilities for their future. Public service
does not only benefit those whom receive the help, but also the person or people whom perform
the sincere act. The opportunity to serve the community gives a chance for students to apply
what they've learned in the classroom to real human needs (Online College). Although many
argue that requiring public service will take too much time out of the already busy lives of young
Americans, students will be able to use their knowledge to better solve problems(Online

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College) by applying it in the real world for a good cause. Thus allowing students to also be
gain education and critical skills used in everyday life. In addition, by being more aware of the
community, it suggests that young Americans are more likely to become voters because they care
about the fate of their community.
Public service also helps create connections between peers to advocate better social
interaction and enhances vital skills such as leadership for young Americans. Rather than sitting
at home doing homework and watching television, young Americans are given the chance to get
out of the house and help out a good cause while having a great time. Also, students can practice
volunteerism with friends. Therefore, instead of spending time with friends playing video games,
students socially interact with one another while volunteering. This promotes greater social
interaction as one can also makes new friends who share similar experiences with them.
Required public service also allows for the learned concept of volunteering can mean learning
to take charge (Ezarik Online). Young Americans are given the opportunity to strengthen
leadership expertise by organizing, communicating, and collaborating events with peers as a
team. As a result, young Americans will be better prepared to tackle challenges in their lives.
Young Americans who participate in public service experience different tasks while
giving them the opportunity to search for jobs they are passionate about, all the while giving
back to the community. How can volunteering help young Americans find their passion?
Volunteering can take place in a variety of different forms such as mentoring, administrative
work, office work, arts, and teaching. Volunteering for mentoring, the opportunity to provide
support and friendship to a person who may be going through a difficult period, is feeling lonely,
or is adjusting to a major change in their life (Volunteer Ireland), can lead to a passion in
spending time with less fortunate people. Hence, one who volunteered to mentor could decide to

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pursue an education in counseling and become a counselor or physical therapist. Students will be
able to experiment with possible career paths (Koenig Online).
Requiring public service does not only provide for career selection, but also influences
ones opinion on public policy. A common volunteering act is picking up trash on a local street.
By doing so, one could realize the importance of the environment and cleaning the environment
could become a lifelong hobby and interest. On a large scale, the volunteer could join certain
interest groups to support the environment such as the Sierra Club which is protecting millions
of acres of wilderness (About the Sierra Club) as well as helping pass the Clean Air Act,
Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. (About the Sierra Club) These interest groups
influence the passing of certain laws, therefore by deciding to join; one can help create change in
society. Also, this reproduces the fact that public service allows young Americans to become
more responsible and taking charge of their own community.
Public service has played an important role in my life; defining who I am as a person.
Since I was a child, I was associated with different non-profit organization and involved in
numerous activities to help out the community. I can remember a time when I was very young
where I helped pick up trash alongside a community road. At the time, my short attention span
combined with all the walking made me extremely grouchy. I thought it was dumb and boring
however my parents constantly forced me to enroll in tons of service activities. During many of
these activities, I would repeatedly mutter to myself, Why am I doing this? Why am I wasting
my time? In time, I would discover that I volunteer because it gives me great joy and is always
worth my time.
Through my own experiences, I have learned that public service is highly beneficial and
necessary for all young Americans. In the beginning, my parents had to force and encourage me

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to do volunteer service and I would do it unwillingly. However, as time passed, I have learned
that volunteering is a gift. It is a gift that anyone can give back to the community. Public service
is highly enjoyable and there are numerous and numerous amounts of ways someone can
volunteer. I am grateful that I was pushed to do public service as it is now a very important part
of me. I believe that by requiring a year of public service to young Americans will give them the
experience they need in order to cultivate an interest in volunteering whenever they have free
time.

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Works Cited
"About the Sierra Club." Sierra Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.sierraclub.org/about>.
Ezarik, Melissa M. "Mandatory Student Volunteerism Benefits Everyone Involved."
Volunteerism. Ed. Gary Wiener. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from
"Good Deeds Are Good Indeed." Career World (Sept. 2003). Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Hypes, Michael G. "Service Learning Makes Students into Better Citizens." National Service.
Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from
"What's in It for Me?" JOPERDJournal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 80
(Nov.-Dec. 2009). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Koenig, Claire. "Pro/Con: Should Student Service Learning Hours Be Mandatory for High
School Graduation?" Ed. Simrin Gupta. Silver Chips Print. Ed. Alex Frandsen and
Kelsey Gross. N.p., 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
<http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/10799>.
"Preface to 'What Role Should Service Learning Play in Society?.'" National Service. Ed. Louise
Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
"12 Reasons Community Service Should Be Required in Schools." OnlineCollege. N.p., 27 June
2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/06/27/12-reasonscommunity-service-should-be-required-schools/>.
Volunteer Ireland. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. <http://www.volunteer.ie/i-want-tovolunteer/what-can-you-do/types-of-volunteering/volunteering-activities>.