Eva+M's+OpEd+Article

High School Students should focus on more than just Academics.... media type="file" key="evam-muckraker-2011.mp3" align="center" For many high schools students there life usually revolves around academics or sometimes also sports or being social.

But should that really be our focus or should it be something else?

I believe that you should spend your four years in High school, being creative, involved in many things but most important to grow and learn about yourself.

I believe that you should have a strong focus on your academic, sports, being social but I also think that being involved in the community and volunteering is extremely important.

I think the biggest problem is the Universities; High School students have it in their head that they cannot get into a good University if they don’t have excellent grades and tests score. Even though it is said that they do look at your involment in school clubs and in volunteering…..realistically we all know they barley even pay attention to that. If you don’t have the 4.0 or above with the perfect test scores you’re not even given a chance, they won’t even read your application.

I think this is something that really needs to change. Universities need to look at the person as a whole. They should really take a look and try to understand that applicant.

There should be a focus on the well-rounded students, that do all of that.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Personally I think of myself as one of those well rounded students: I challenge myself academically, I have a good social life, I’m involved in various clubs in school and outside of school I’m part of committees for other programs. I am also very involved in the community and in volunteering.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">I believe that volunteering and giving back to your community shows so much about your personality, about the type of person you are. And that’s what universities should be looking for.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">From experience in volunteering many hours with Tee-Voice of the City of Ventura, I have grown so much and am very involved in the community. You get a great feeling when you do something that will really make a difference, from something as small as giving a donation, to collecting items for the homeless to give them the essentials they will need, to collecting food items for 100 thanksgiving meals to underprivileged families.

<span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">There’s just so much you can do in the community to improve it or the lives of others in need, all you need to do is give a little bit of your time. You will be doing something great, and you will feel great as well. ==<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">

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