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"WordPress." Softaculous Blog. WordPress, n.d. [Web]. Retrieved Jan. 30, 2014. From: https://www.softaculous.com/blog/tag/wordpress/

Life as a teenager can be very stressful, boring, interesting, fun, and busy! It’s often difficult to find time for everything, yet, at other times, it seems as though there is nothing to do at all. Instead of wasting time, you could make good use it by doing something productive and kind for someone else or yourself. This attitude is displayed in the lives of the following teens; they have made a difference with their time, contributing to the community and changing the world. Perhaps they will inspire you to volunteer or be more creative in your own life.

Kristin Powers, a Chapel Hills High School student, changed her school forever by changing a barren plot of land into a beautiful garden. Leading the high school’s environmental club, they took the garden on as their first project. She stated, “It bugged me to see a problem when I knew there was a solution,” and, “We realized we could have a discernible impact.” Overall, they did some research on gardening, organized a fundraiser, and inspired many people in the community to participate in “reclaiming the land.” After the project was completed, they were able to grow many fruits and vegetables, and they have donated back to the community since then by supplying them with 135 bags of produce in all. This is proof that no matter how small a group, a few people can make a big difference for the benefit of all.

Another young advocate for change puts his efforts into a project called Woofin’ & Hoofin’, which supports animal shelters and works to eliminate animal cruelty. Adin Lykken, from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, combined two things he is passionate about, animals and running, into a 5K charity race to raise money for DuPage County Animal Care & Control. In the end, his project raised $16,000. The experience overall taught him “life is about passion and dedication, not merely test scores and GPAs.”

At the age of fifteen, Alisha King began involvement in her first volunteer opportunity. She started working with people who have disabilities at Great Lakes Leisure and Respite Options. After volunteering here, she “fell in love with the people and the feeling of making other people happy and helping out those most in need.” Since then, she has volunteered at nine other organizations, making a large difference in the lives of many people. She has been described by many as “selfless, hardworking, and dedicated.” As well, she has had many good experiences overall, and has said, “I gain self-worth. I feel like I’m making a positive difference to society, and I feel like my life has meaning and direction.” Overall, her story shows how volunteering and making use of your time has benefits for others and yourself additionally.

Another way to make good use of your time is to be self-sufficient by working or perhaps creating your own business. One person who accomplished this at a young age is Matt Mullenweg. At 19, he started WordPress, “an open source initiative for better blogging software.” This is the very own software we journalists are using today to make the Jetstream Journal possible! After creating WordPress, Mullenweg started a company called Automattic, which has since earned over $30 million dollars. The products of his company are some of the most popular software programs on the Internet, which has made a positive difference overall because he has created something that is very useful to many and changes the way people are able to blog, communicate, and write on the Web.

Each of these people have made a positive difference and a change in the lives of numerous others. The positive effects of volunteering can include multiple things. Through volunteering, you can gain experience in doing something they love and learn life-long characteristics that will be beneficial in all aspects of life. Also, by creating your own business or working, you can have the chance to earn money and learning how to be self-sufficient and productive. If you are interested in volunteering, you could check out our article The Top 5 Places To Volunteer this Winter, go to an AAVO (Air Academy Volunteer Organization) meeting (meeting dates are on flyers around the school), or sign up for volunteering opportunities in student services (through AAVO). As well, you can go to dosomething.org, a website where you can participate in different projects, or create your own project about something you feel passionate about. Making a difference with your time has many positive benefits; you just has to look for opportunities to begin!

Sources:

Hanc, John. “5 Teens Who Are Making a Difference.” FamilyCircle.com. Meredith Corporation, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

“Youth Volunteering Stories.” Youthvolunteeringnsw.com. The Centre for Volunteering, 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

Stansberry, Glen. “10 Awesome Companies Built by Teens.” Openforum.com. American Express Company, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.