The Freshman $30,000

For the past 3 years I have been involved with a non-profit organization called the COVE Alliance, an organization loosely associated with St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Having begun as the dream of a Ugandan seminarian at about 6 years ago, the once small group of individuals has grown into an organization that funds the education of over 150 children in rural Uganda, as well as the construction of schools and other infrastructure. My high school, Vernon Hills High School, partnered with this organization and has since raised over $40,000 for the construction of a new primary school. However, the region that COVE works in does not have currently have any school for grades 5-8, and many students still require sponsorship. On the way down to Champaign-Urbana, my parents joked with me about gaining a "freshman 15" during college. Somewhere around Kankakee, I had a lightbulb moment; what if instead of a "freshman 15", I could have a "freshman $30,000"? While construction costs for a school in the United States will range in the millions, the costs for a school in Uganda are in the neighborhood of only $30,000. I will be traveling to Uganda next July and would love the opportunity to be able to give back more to a community that has some of the most basic needs imaginable. As I look around at the immense resources I have as a college student, I am truly taken aback when I see the horrific situation that so many children face on a daily basis in Sub-Saharan countries like Uganda. If I can take even a small portion of the resources I have been privileged with in order to help those in need, I believe that this will yield a chain reaction. By providing students with an adequate education, I am, in turn, providing them with a second chance at life. As these children become functional members of society, they, in turn, will be able to use their own abilities to help those around them. Although I am only one person, I truly believe that I can have a lasting impact on those in need. That, above any material or tangible object, is the greatest gift one can have.