Winner: Taylor Burnett from Ewing (NJ)High School
Essay Excerpt
....In
school, I am in a variety of activities. I have played in
the school orchestra since eighth grade. I have played in
the orchestra pit for four years in the school musical.
I have also held membership in the book club, key club,
and band front. During my years as a member of the high
school orchestra, I have had the opportunity to travel to
Florida, California, Ohio, and Virginia. We are a competitive
orchestra and band and when we competed in Virginia, we
took first place. The orchestra also competed in Virginia
and won the entire competition. I have also played two sports
while in high school, field hockey and lacrosse. The lacrosse
team at my school was started in 2001. I have been a starting
defensive wing since I started playing. Academically I have
participated in the Minorities in Engineering Program (MEP)
at Sarnoff Corporation. This allowed me to experience all
types of engineering from highly qualified engineers at
a very successful corporation. I was accepted into the National
Honor Society in 2003. This honor allows me to tutor others
who are struggling with certain subjects.
I am also very involved in many activities outside of school.
I have been a Girl Scout since second grade. Some of the
meaningful activities that we are involved in are donating
to Women Space, a shelter for battered mothers and their
children. More recently, we decorated jars and filled them
with different toiletries and hair supplies. Other activities
include special Olympics, yearly craft fair that is held
at a local elementary school every year, baking muffins
for the local soup kitchen, making Christmas and Thanksgiving
basket for a needy family, made baskets with household items
and gave to disadvantaged people who are missing necessities
in their home, and many more.
I
have earned my Silver Award in Girl Scouts, which is a community
service and leadership award. For my project, I made approximately
113 gift bags for senior citizens. Patches were hand made
with hand written quotes were ironed on both the front and
backsides of the bags. I also raised money and filled the
bags with toiletry items, such as a pair of socks, a small
soap, lotion, a notebook, pen, and emery board. After these
bags were made, I took all of them to senior citizens at
The Princeton Medical Center in the Merwick Unit. I hand
delivered them to each person in the entire center. This
project was special because I had to make all of the calls,
contacts, letter writing, and arrangements, and that was
my first time organizing something completely on my own.
I loved doing this because it brought a smile to their faces.
They are not visited very often this made them happy and
when I am able to make someone else smile it brings personal
joy and satisfaction. This helped my personal growth because
I learned how to give of my self. I learned how good it
feels to give to others; it is not about getting recognition,
but it is the feeling that you get inside.
Another
service project that I had a part in was in Baltimore, Maryland.
Under the supervision of my aunt, who is a pharmacist with
the FDA, I assisted with the management of an HIV/AIDS Awareness
Day. For this I made hundreds of flyers, pins, and bookmarks
that stated various facts about this disease. I also manned
a table in the lobby of the FDA building, to have people
fill out a survey regarding HIV/AIDS.
I
am also very involved in my church. I have been on the junior
usher board for seven years and I am currently the assistant
manager. For two Sundays every month, I run a crew of about
twelve people between the ages of nine and sixteen. I also
am an assistant Sunday School teacher. I teach children
in grades three through five. It makes me so happy to see
their smiling faces every Sunday, they love to learn. In
class, not only do I teach them about God, but I also teach
them fundamental writing and reading skills that they will
always find useful. Along with these commitments, I mentor
two-preteen girls. I always monitor my behavior to make
sure that I can be looked up to as a role model. I always
try to look professional and pride myself on being very
articulate...
Congratulations
again to Taylor Burnett! Will you be the next winner?
Apply online right now and give it your best shot. Good
luck!
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