Back to Main Page

 

Anonymous Student—

 

I believe in sympathy. Sympathy is what keeps people alive in such a harsh world. Sympathy is what keeps people’s heads on straight and understands others’ downfalls. I believe our sympathy has been tested since the creation of man. Sympathy is what motivates and creates change in our violent world.

 

Where was the sympathy when millions of Jewish, black, and non-white Christians were being persecuted? Where is our sympathy now that children in northern Uganda are being stripped from their homes and forced into a world of violence, only being taught to kill, in exchange for their lives? It is our sympathy that changes the way the world goes. Sympathy is what links us to other people that are different than us. After seeing the movie, Invisible Children, I have wanted to educate people on the devastation that is occurring in northern Uganda; I want to inspire people so they can make a change. Taking even the smallest steps can help make a difference. I believe that at the core of change is sympathy and this is what inevitably will change the plight of the Ugandan people.

 

Humans were created to be on this Earth for some purpose and no one is more acceptable than another. Every human being has his or her differences; when one person’s thinking is considered more acceptable, there tends to be a disconnect. I saw a man in a grocery store one day and he had obvious signs of a tumor growing on his head. I watched people walk by him, scowling at his physical features. This lack of empathy and sympathy made me sick to my stomach. Our country will remain disconnected, inwardly and outwardly, as long as we continue looking down on each other.

 

I can only hope for the day people put their needs aside to help others. Everyone is equal and many people have yet to come to this conclusion. Sympathy is a trait that most people have and in the end, it will be the trait that keeps us surviving.

 

 

Anonymous Student—

 

I believe that everyone has a right to shelter and food; no one should be homeless or hungry. I live my life to help those who are in need, those who are less fortunate than me. My family has not always been where we are today. We have moved from house to house and lived with several different family members. If it were not for my grandparents and the land that they owned, my parents and I would have had nowhere to go. We got our food at the local food bank, and our church members provided us with food and diapers. My aunt bought many of our clothes and my parents did without so that my brother and I had a decent life. Because we received so much help from those around us, I feel that it is my job to help others in the same situation. Poverty, hunger, and homelessness are my passions. One day, I hope to make a difference in someone else's life like others did for us. I believe that everyone deserves a roof over their head, and food on the table. It is my job to make sure that others do not have to endure situations like the one I went through.

 

 

Anonymous Student—

 

I believe in giving without recognition. I remember looking at my mother as a child and thinking, “Don’t you want anything for yourself?” She was always so satisfied with what she had, even in the worst of times. I saw her struggling every day to provide for our family as a working, single mother. She was always confronted by challenges but somehow always made it through. She never asked for a pat on the back for anything she had done.

 

When things got hard, she often said, "Someone else has it worse than us." Even though my mother had to work very hard to make ends meet, she never stopped giving to the community. She was always involved in church food and clothing drives and fundraising efforts that were close to her heart. She always told me to find something that I was passionate about, and to give it all that I had. She could not give us very many material things, but she always filled our lives with love and support.

 

She told me that sometimes people just need love to make it through life and that you should be satisfied with knowing that you have given joy to someone else. She loved our family unconditionally and always taught me that if I sacrifice my own selfishness to give to others, my life will be greater in the long run. I quickly took on this belief as a child. I began volunteer service in middle school and here I am, a college student, still loving it. It is my passion. I love it, not because of any title, award, or thanks given to me. I love it because of the feeling I get when I make someone else's life just a little bit better even if they do not know I helped them. I love it because I feel that as a human, I should feel the passion to serve those around me and to never expect recognition for anything I give. This I believe.

 

 

Anonymous Student—

 

I believe in the power of universal love. I base this belief around my favorite Biblical scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Everyday, I live my life remembering these words because it encourages me to look for the good in mankind. Today, we live in a world of terrorism, child trafficking, slavery, genocide, poverty, political corruption, neglect, homelessness, and environmental destruction. Despite all these crimes and many more, I believe that if we remember the capabilities of love and continue to love our neighbors, we will not fail to create a safer world. Love is present when teenagers take the time to help build a home for a family, when a senior teaches a boy how to read, when people of all ages protest on the streets of Washington D.C. to end genocide or when a stay-at-home mom writes a letter to her Congressmen.

 

I walked down a cobbled stone street in La Paz, Bolivia safely holding the hand of my mother. The sky, full of dark clouds, looked as if it would pour its raindrops on the people who crowded the streets at any moment. The small stores, standing on each side of the central street, waited for their customers. I was looking to buy a box of crayons for my coloring book. Crayons had been on my mind for quite some time, but soon crayons became the last of my concerns. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw the figure of an orphaned girl sitting on the street. She instantly caught my undivided attention and my heart broke into smaller pieces the minute I laid my eyes on her face. She possessed nothing but a few traditional striped blankets and a tin can in which she received occasional bolivianos from passersby. As a nine-year-old girl watching hundreds of people pass her by without stopping to help, I became very disappointed. Her image has stuck with me to this day. Love sparks compassion, which in effect, creates action for change.

 

Without love, our world would perish. As humans, we have an instinct to love. I believe it is one of our most important and natural qualities. With this priceless gift, the potential to create healthier circumstances for millions around the world is unlimited. We are capable of doing anything to which we set our minds. I am hopeful as I remember all the men and women, young and old, who are giving and will continue to give love to their neighbors.

 

 

Tyler Curtis—

 

I believe that although we should strive to become successful, what is more important is what we do to serve the good of humanity.

 

My family always told me to strive for success. "Tyler, do your best in school. Go to college. Get a good job. Do better than we did." I have grown up in a modest home and the rest of my family is quite successful with nice homes and happy, stable families. My uncle once told me, "Always surround yourself with people who are better off than you. It will make you strive to have more. If you're the `top dog' among your friends, you need to find new friends."

 

This drive for financial success seemed appealing to me. Part of my childhood was rough, and my family struggled financially. At one point, my mother was forced to work two jobs and my father’s alcoholism was spiraling out of control. Fortunately, they eventually overcame their struggles. I told myself I would never struggle to provide for my family and would give them a comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle.

 

That was until I reached high school. Becoming involved in community service changed my life. I counseled at-risk youth at a summer camp for four summers and, through a school service, I volunteered at various citywide events. I have carried that love for service to college as a member of the Bonner Leadership Program, a nationally recognized collegiate service organization where members commit themselves to service at non-profits in their communities.

 

I had once bought into the “American Dream”: a high-paying career, a two-story, three-bedroom home, and 2.5 kids. Not anymore. I will not be controlled by money. That is not to say I will not provide for my family when I finally decide to start one. I just will not let my sense of self-efficacy be determined by how many zeros are in my salary. I love the rugged-individualist-American-capitalist spirit. As a dedicated Libertarian, I think there is nothing like it. But I refuse to let it dominate me.

 

I believe in the creed: You earn a living by what you make. You earn a life by what you give. There is too much work to be done, too many people who need help, and a world too large to be preoccupied with the “American Dream”. I believe that God placed us on the Earth to do good works for others, not pursue our own selfish desires. I cannot see myself "settling down" and living the traditional American middle-class life. I must travel the globe and fight for peace and justice locally and globally. I must use every resource I have to serve others. If I do not, then who will? Of course, there are many others like me, but if we all decided to pursue the capitalist dream of money and power, where will the true world changers come from? I believe that it is imperative that I tackle the challenge. This I believe.

 

 

Laura Davis—

 

I believe that love has tremendous healing power. While love cannot alleviate all suffering and pain, love and support from friends and family are unique in their strength. When I was in high school, I dated a boy for three years who was emotionally, physically and sexually abusive towards me. He caused me to feel worthless and stupid, and convinced me I deserved to be treated poorly. I was isolated from my friends because I could not confide in them fully about the abuse. I also lied to my parents, who I had always been able to go to with anything. I neglected all aspects of my life because I was so focused on making this one person happy.

 

It was not until the abuse escalated to the point where I feared for my life that I found it in myself to get out of the relationship and go to the police. Getting out of that relationship was by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I had incredibly low self-esteem at that point, and 1 was terrified that my abuser would come after me. I can say with confidence that had it not been for the love and support of my friends and family, I would still be involved with my violent ex-boyfriend. I do not even know if I would have made it to college.

 

Although I neglected my friends and lied to my family, the support they gave to me was invaluable. They reminded me that life did not have to be as miserable as mine had been for the past few years. My family and friends showed me the true meaning of unconditional love. They stood beside me throughout police interviews and hospital visits, even meetings with the district attorney. But most importantly, they told me I had worth. They reminded me that I had once been happy, and that I would be happy again. I cannot do justice to the extreme kindness I was shown in the months after I went to the police. That is how I know the healing power of love. Love renewed my self-worth and my confidence, and helped me get myself out of a life-threatening situation.

 

 

Katie Goode—

 

I have worked at my mother’s convenience store for many summers. Something that I think went unnoticed was the penny tray at the cash register. The concept behind this tray is "take a penny, leave a penny". Some customers will take a penny one day and leave a penny the next. There are other customers who take advantage of this concept and will take what they do not need and never give back. However, I think if everyone treated life as if it were a penny tray, and took services when they needed them and gave back those services when they could afford to, the world would not be an "empty penny tray".

 

I believe in "take a penny, leave a penny". I believe in giving back to my community and the world for everything each has given to me. I believe in repaying my debt to society and its citizens for the opportunities that I have been given. I believe in helping out my fellow man by leaving a penny everywhere I go.

 

This concept of "take a penny, leave a penny" reminds me of the Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime”. If I give a penny everywhere I go, and teach others to do the same, the penny tray would be full for a lifetime. I believe everyone around the world should follow this same concept, this same relationship, of give and receive.

 

I believe in "take a penny, leave a penny". I believe that humankind is naturally good. I believe that if I need help, someone will be there to help me. If I can help someone else, I will be there to help as well. I believe that this give-and-take relationship can bring peace. I believe that people live by example. If I start by giving my services to someone, that person will give their services to another in return. If this relationship continued through generations, peace would be restored to humankind.

 

I believe in "take a penny, leave a penny". I believe that every customer, every person, every society should take a penny when they need one, and give a penny when they can afford to. I believe that people should live by example and teach others to give what they can and take what they need. I believe in keeping the world’s penny tray full.

 

 

Rena Michie—

 

I believe that people really do care and see hope in the future. In the news and the media, all you see is violence, mistrust, and apathy. But there are those who hold up the values of peace, love, and honesty. There are those who pessimistically believe that things are going to only get worse. These are the people that do not understand hope.

 

Many people, myself included, believe in hope. I believe that one day there will be peace; I believe that one day, there will be an end to the energy crisis; I believe that there will be an end to poverty and hunger; I believe in hope. I know that it is hard for many to hope. Some may not have anything in their lives to hope for, but I do, and I know others who do too.

 

Hope does not discriminate based on your religion, culture, race, nationality, or how much wealth you possess. Hope exists when you care about total strangers thousands of miles away, or your neighbor next door. Hope happens when you can sympathize with an entire group of people and then your best friend. Hope happens when you learn that you are only a fragment of the world, but know that you are still important. Hope is in every single one of us; we just need to learn to harness it. This can happen as an individual, a group, or even a nation. We are all able to hope. I believe in hope.