I heard about YAC through my sister being a member of it for years, and have seen flyers on my school’s walls. I am interested in joining because I know how this town has an amazing community and I want to be a part of that. Not only is Marshall known for its history, but also for its community, and that would be an honor for me to help make it a better one at that. I believe that I would bring the qualities of dedication, commitment, and passion to the council. I think that those qualities are good to sustain in life. I also want to learn about grants, and how they are issued. I think that it would be interesting to learn so that I will be able to make a strong helpful impact in this community.

Community service means people looking out and helping other people in a way that affects everyone in a positive way. I have been impacted by community service when I broke my knee in a car accident in 2022, and was not in a great place. I could not go to school, which to some 7th graders would be a treat, but not for me. I could not walk, and couldn’t use crutches very well. I had a wheelchair that I would use to move around the house, but the worst part of all of this was the loneliness through it all. It is tough thinking that you have been forgotten when you miss almost a whole month of school, and seem to be making little progress to be able to walk again. I received a gift from one of my friends in the mail. It was from the florist shop near downtown Marshall, filled with candy. I also received a gift package from my neighbors. It may have been a small gesture of kindness that would help to cheer up a young kid, but what they did will impact me forever. It is my hope to impact others in that exact way. I want them to remember the kindness and generosity that they received forever. That is the kind of impact I want to make well doing my community service. It may only be a little thing, but a little can go a long way.

Nothing is more important than a person's mental health. A way that you can improve a person’s mental health is by playing on a sports team. This not only gives the person a sense of identity, but also gives them a purpose as to what they may have a passion for, or may have a dream of one day making it to the pros. But it is also a way to expand your friend group, and talk to or meet someone who you may end up being good friends with. While I was on the JV baseball team, I met some guys who I really enjoyed playing with who I wouldn’t have known without the sport. This is good for youth who may not know many people from the area. I will say that this area has a wonderful youth program through the REC department, and has shaped some of the best sports players to attend Marshall schools, but we seem to only focus on a select few sports. It would be nice if we could expand the sports that are offered here in Marshall as well as in the school system. One thing that has really brought this to my attention is my sister, being a lacrosse player, has struggled to find a team to play for. She has had to miss out on her senior year spring season because there are no girls lacrosse teams in Calhoun county that can and would take her. It would break anyone’s heart to see a young kid in tears because they cannot play the sport that they love and have put in endless hours of hard work and passion, only to be told that they cannot play because it is not offered or available for you. To change this, I believe that there should be more sports offered for students at the highschool, because you’d be surprised at how many people show interest in a sport. Another solution is to add more sports to Marshall Middle School. MMS only has cross country, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and track. They also provide tennis and swimming at the highschool for MMS. I believe that there would be more interest in sports if they provide more sports. The more sports teams you offer, the more accessible they become to youth in the community. Being active is important to mental health.

If I am accepted into YAC, I will prioritize my commitment to the group by always making time for it, and fitting it into my monthly schedule. I know that dates are provided in advance and this makes it easier to work around. I participate in Marshall’s baseball program, on Mondays I take drum lessons at the music center in Battle Creek, I am in the Family Bible Church Youth Group, and I am a student at the BCAMSC In Battle Creek. Drum lessons can be moved and canceled if necessary. I go to the Youth Group on Sunday from 6:00- 8:30 pm, but my attendance is not required. The only thing that I participate in that cannot really be worked around is baseball. Marshall baseball has practice every weekday, and has a tournament on an occasional weekend. The season lasts from mid March and ends at the end of May.

I have not applied for a YAC membership in the past.