AmeriCorps.

I grew up with scarcity. I lived in the same house my entire life built in 1942 in the worst part of my small town back home. My father was a drug addict, my mother was always ill due to a severe heart condition, my sister is bi-polar, and my stepfather has a gambling addiction and is an alcoholic. And for most of my life there were at least seven people living in a three bedroom one bathroom home. I don’t have one small moment in my life that has made me want to reach out to others, I have a lifetime.

I have never had money and I have never felt completely secure. And for a long time because of all of this, I was resentful of all that I came from. From 3rd through 12th grade, I worked myself to the bone to guarantee my place at a university far away from home. I wanted to get out, and I did.

But then I grew up. In my four years at UCLA I have come to realize that my life full of nothing but adversity has made me a better mentor, a better friend, and most importantly a better person. I learned to let go of whatever made me want to leave everything that was familiar, and to embrace everything and everyone that came my way. I realized, that maybe I was meant to experience all of the hardship I’ve endured in order to better understand and help others.

I have always known that while I have never had everything, there are others with absolutely nothing. And since I have never had much, I am able to identify with people in need. I have gone without many times in my life, and I feel that now it is my responsibility to at least try to ensure that others don’t have to experience what I have.

The truth of the matter is, I’m about to graduate from one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. People are telling me to go to law school, or take a year off to travel, or work at some big fortune 500 company. But I don’t see the point in doing any of those things. Because while a job would make a lot of money, law school would ensure a good career, and traveling would be a good experience, none of it seems worthwhile. I have lived my entire life listening to what people told me I was supposed to be doing. I got fantastic grades for 12 years because going to college was expected. I am graduating in June because my family expects it. But I have given my family and the rest of society 21 years of dictating what I should do with my life. This time, I am making a life decision completely of my own volition: I am going to help people. I don’t need any pats on the back, or thanks, or praise for being so generous. I just want a chance to make a year’s commitment to simply serve others, and if I’m lucky, maybe even make a small difference.

I want to serve because I know it’s needed. I want to serve because I know I can. I want to serve because I know that my life has made me perfect for it.