As a recently graduated high school senior, I do not have the knowledge or the sophistication to think of highly inspirational quotes, however, the internet is filled with people who are. After going on www.brainyquote.com one sophomoric evening, Ghandi enlightened my world with a wise saying that really resonated with my own values- the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. From that point on, that quote has always been in the back of my mind.
Being the daughter of an immigrant family, my parents and I were not only faced with a language barrier, but also a societal one. As new members of the self-proclaimed “Land of Opportunities”, my parents expected to be welcomed with empathy’s open arms, but instead encountered prejudice’s closed doors. Burdened by the doings of unjust businesses, the person they turned to when they needed help the most is the sponsor I am working for this summer- the Attorney General. When I let my parents know that I will be interning for AG Maura Healey, they were beyond proud. They said that for their entire life, the AG has been the only way for them to feel represented as part of the commonwealth; and now, I’m continuing to represent those once-silenced voices of the people. To me, that is the most important aspect of public service- to be able to make a difference in someone’s life.
Seeing as to how service has made such a huge impact in my parent’s life, I aspire to do the same for someone else. As a volunteer fencing coach, some of my students have been recent emigrants from Latin American countries. Realization soon came that they were confronted with the struggle of understanding English in addition to learning how to fence. Looking into their eyes, I saw myself from many years ago. So, I did what I knew I would have wanted if I was in their shoes. I pulled out a Meriam-Webster Spanish Dictionary, summoned my years of high-school Spanish, and began coaching them in Spanish. It was one of the most daunting moments I’ve ever experienced, it was the moment when I gave it my all, and looking back, it was the moment in which an unbreakable bond formed among us.
The work that public servants do directly impacts the livelihoods of who turn to us, because for some, we truly are their last chance. Public service is genuinely eye-opening and really allows me to reflect on not just the world, but on who I am as well. In losing myself “in the service of others”, I have found that the most fulfilling work is dedicating myself to improve the welfare of others.