I belong to a relatively tightknit community within my subdivision. Here, everybody knows everybody! Whenever a neighbor is in need, we drop what we’re doing to go and help them. Simple as it may be, that’s just the way things work around here. I can define my place within this community in a couple words: friend and leader. Recently, a neighbor of mine was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. The whole subdivision was shocked.

In her time of need, I knew the right thing to do would be to reach out to her and offer my help, although being a seventeen year old high school student, I didn’t think I had much to offer. However, I had just passed my road test and had my license. I offered her rides to and from her chemotherapy sessions at Beaumont Hospital. On the rides there, we talked about everything, and I knew she felt like she had a friend in me. I did not want compensation for my actions; I just wanted to be there for someone in need. Also within my community, I organized a Rouge River Rescue cleanup project.

There is a small creek in the commons area of our neighborhood that needed a serious cleanup. I recruited a group of my peers and sent out flyers to all the houses in our subdivision. When the day came to clean up the creek, the turnout of people who came to help was astounding! I consider myself a leader; I saw a problem and found a solution. My place within this community will always be defined as a friend and a leader. I don’t think it takes much to make a difference; you just have to be involved and motivated to do something.