Analysis Result

In high school, I joined a school club that offered students opportunities to earn community service hours. Every student was required to complete sixteen hours to graduate, and the club offered opportunities to earn hours while volunteering at events that supported the local community. When I heard about an event allowing students to complete twenty-four hours at once, I committed my time to that event. I volunteered at a Spirit Run, stayed overnight, and carried out the tasks the club officers have assigned to me. I felt proud knowing that I’ll be completing more than what the graduation requirement states. I have not yet worked at a formal job, but I have experienced what it feels like to be taken advantage of as a group member in a school organization. That experience changed the way I communicate with others and how cautious I am when I am in a new environment. What started as a simple task to complete a graduation requirement has turned into one of the most important lessons in learning how to stand up for myself. To document service hours, the school required each student to submit a form signed by the organization's coordinator. This form confirmed the number of hours served and was sent to the school's office for documentation. After the event, I handed my form to one of the club officers, who assured it would be signed and submitted. I trusted the process; however, when I later checked with the school officer, there was no documentation of my hours. My form had vanished, and I had no official proof showing that I had completed the work. While participating in the club, I volunteered at multiple events, including Spirit Runs and canned food drives to earn my service hours. Each activity had the coordinator’s signature on it, but prior to the twenty-four-hour event, I had only eight verified hours on record. Without those additional hours, I would not meet the graduation requirement of at least sixteen hours. Things began to go downhill quickly after my sign-off sheet was handed to the club officer at the event. I attended every club meeting afterward, repeatedly asking whether my hours would be signed. The response never changed. I was always told to be patient and reassured that it would be handled “soon.” Time kept passing. I completed the service hours during my sophomore year, yet by my senior year I was still emailing the club and attending meetings trying to resolve the issue. Instead of receiving a clear answer, I was redirected. Eventually, I learned that the club coordinator had quit without notifying the club officers nor the school, and many other student’s service hours were not verified and left unresolved. My time, effort, and dedication felt meaningless due to this situation. Meanwhile, the school still showed eight hours on record at the start of my senior year, and I only had one semester left to fix everything. The possibility of not graduating almost became reality. This experience changed my view of leadership and responsibility. I always trusted that adults and student leaders would be responsible and follow through with tasks. But I began to realize that leadership without accountability would not affect the leaders in any way; only the people who were meant to be supported are affected. I learned that silence can also be dangerous. While I stayed quiet and waited, nothing happened. Speaking up is how I began to see change. Growing up, I have been shy and introverted. I also experienced bullying in school, and for a long time, I didn’t really know how to respond when I recognized that I was being mistreated. This situation mirrored the feelings of bullying at first. It felt like I didn’t matter, and I was uncertain about what to do. However, this time, instead of staying idle, I decided to stand up for myself. I kept a record of witnesses and found a certificate from the event to use as proof to get my official papers. I wrote emails in a professional manner, explaining my situation clearly, and I managed to stay respectful even though I was frustrated. I contacted club officers, the school’s office, as well as my counselor to pinpoint a solution. Instead of giving up, I decided to treat the problem as something that must be resolved. It felt unfair to track down so many people just because the coordinator of the club quit without leaving information behind. Many club officers did not even know he left until I started asking questions. Eventually, after two years of effort, I was able to get the new coordinator to sign the official form as my proof was sufficient to show that I did complete the hours. My hours were finally recorded, so I graduated on time. Looking back, I now notice the red flags I see in professional settings which I initially missed. Students were encouraged to blindly trust a system, but the form to document the hours was taken away without the club officers disclosing any kind of information on who to contact if things went wrong. This experience taught me to look more carefully at organizations I choose to join in the future. I ask questions rather than blindly trusting a system where I am not in power, a skill that will guide me in the future whether it be a job, internship, or academic program. Though this was a stressful situation to have, it did become a positive turning point for me. I learned that self-advocacy is not the same as confrontation. I also learned that being persistent, but still being patient works together for efficient communication in situations like what I’ve faced. Today, when I experience a difficult situation, I am no longer confused about how to handle it. I understand that I have to stay calm, seek support, and respond professionally.