Summer.

School is drawing to a close, and summer is drawing closer and closer.

Last summer, I had gone with Rustic Pathways, a summer program which gives students many volunteer services, to China, where I had taken care of pandas.

This summer, I'm planning on participating with their Sea Turtle Conservation Project in Costa Rica. I had enjoyed last year so much that I decided to volunteer with this program again. There, I will work my hardest to help save leatherback sea turtles from extinction. During the morning, I'll work on the beach, clearing away plants, logs, and other debris and design and construct a hatchery. I'll also build environmentally friendly containment units for the baby turtles. At night, I'll patrol the beach for turtle nests in an effort to preserve the turtles.

This time, I'll undertake more physically taxing challenges that will push myself to persevere. Although I know that I'm in for days of working long hours in the hot sun, moving debris off the beach, I'm still excited. Similarly, I'm showing perseverance and commitment to the protection of endangered species, first the pandas last summer, and the turtles this upcoming summer. The protection of the turtles is a matter of global importance, as they are an endangered species. My actions may (whether large or small) help the turtles, and I"ll do anything I can to help the turtles even in the littlest way. Finally, I will be working collaboratively with others (two others so far) in physical labor.

I'm looking forward to the summer!

Relay for Life: Cont.

On the 23rd, I helped my friend Jayna with her Relay for Life bakesale.

Previously, I had discussed with her my own shortcomings with my own Relay for Life bakesale, which failed to launch successfully at DCDS. She mentioned that her own Relay team wanted to host a bakesale and as the only member of her team that attended DCDS, she wondered if I could help her, which I eagerly agreed to.

The bakesale sold yummy treats like muffins, homemade cookies, brownies, and donuts. Overall, we made nearly $275, all which went towards cancer.

As mentioned previously, I'm glad that my efforts can help fight the global issue of cancer, and that the money that I helped raised would go toward the American Cancer Society.

This bakesale not only allowed me to work collaboratively with my friend Jayna, but also allowed me to plan and initiate a project, which I hope will help later as I try to establish my own bakesale to raise money to send books to children.