Arwen F., Oakwood High School
Growing Hope
Sometimes undertakings seem too immense-too vast for just one person, especially one teenager. But one person can make a difference. Truly, a myriad of individuals have made huge impacts worldwide. And a couple of years ago, I made a difference in my community.
After a large, old tree was felled, I noticed a paucity in my schoolyard. There was no space to sit in the calm shade. We needed a tree. In my city, there is a program that plants a tree of choice; it is, however, quite expensive. So, I thought about a fundraiser. What if I got donations from everyone in the school? With only a small contribution from each person, we could buy a tree together.
But then I started noticing how small I was. How could I do this all by myself? I am just one girl, trying to raise tons of money. It seemed hopeless. But after encouragement from my family, I was determined to go through with it.
Uncontrovertibly, I care about my community. Passion is one of my most useful strengths. But sometimes, passion is not enough. Hope and belief that I could do it would take me to the end. I needed love to ignite that hope: love from my family and love for my community.
It took hours of planning and promotion (and the working out of a few obstacles), but I finally raised enough money, using my natural strengths of organization and determination. I was elated over my-our-success.
Then, I decided which tree to buy. After cogitation, I realized I wanted a tree for future generations. I wanted one that would give a quiet spot to relax and everybody could enjoy together. I wanted it to symbolize my hope for future generations- that they will make big differences in this splendid, imperfect world. So, I picked a hardy, sprawling tree, the Princeton Elm.
After it was planted, I made sure it was watered regularly because, just like hope, it needs a little nourishment. Sometimes I go back to check on it, reminding myself of what it means to me: even small people can make a big difference. One person can make a huge impact in many lives. I am just one teenager, but, together with the student body, we managed to buy a tree that will be enjoyed by many generations to come. If one has hope and passion, wonderful things can grow in people’s lives.
So, to this day, a tree of hope grows in the schoolyard, but also inside us all.
