so there are a few people who truly appreciate everything i do for them and tell me they appreciate it. the band moms i help are the absolute best! i'm working another rays game on sunday because one of the moms got sick and they have no one who knows how to do money now. this works fantastically for me because i can sit and study in between drops and stuff. the moms have always said thank you and always tell me how much it means to them that i help. the kids think its kinda cool that i still show up and help when i can. it gives me the opportunity to show them that they can do a lot with very little and if they want something they can have it if they work for it. they also see that i don't need to be there and i'm only there to give back to a program that made a difference for me. the extracuriculars that kids are involved in are so hugely important to their development as individuals. many teach things like hard work and cooperation and dedication. these programs teach commitment and perseverance. these kids see people donating their time and their money and their knowledge to help them grow and that makes a difference to them. one of the kids asked why i work the rays games with them. i told them i think it's very important to give back and to 'be the change you want to see in the world'. i don't have the musical or marching tallent to help them on the field but i can help them raise their fees. i can't write a check and i can't hand over money but i can do something to help them and i feel it's important that every child who wants to be involved in something like the band have that opportunity. this is how kids learn. this is how we create changes in society. i really feel volunteering is important because it benefits so many. so i might not be directly compensated for the time i put in.

last year, i had a student tell me that he wouldn't have submitted his college applications if i hadn't yelled at him. he said that as we were walking from the music department to the student center on campus. i suddenly remember the last marching competition of his senior year in high school. i asked him where he was going to college and where he had applied. he told me he hadn't because he thought he couldn't write a good entrance statement. i told him he was being really stupid for one of the smartest kids i've worked with and i'd definitely be willing to review his statement if he thought he needed help. i didn't think anything of it, but it made a huge difference for him. he gets his bachelor's degree in another year and a half.

i know what seems small to one person can be life-altering to another.