Benjamin Vu ’16
EE Senior Features Editor
Every year, Americans celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. These soldiers fought and served our nation to protect our freedoms. While not all of us can make such heroic sacrifices, many students at Trumbull High volunteer in services that benefit their communities. Big or small, we can all make a difference for the betterment of society.
As a boy scout, junior Ian Maloney has made many contributions towards the community. Most recently, he hosted Public Safety Day for his Eagle Scout Service Project in the parking lot of the Trumbull Mall. Not only is Maloney a dedicated Boy Scout, but he is also a Police Cadet. Bridging his Boy Scout experiences and interest in law enforcement, Maloney naturally chose a topic for his service project that combined both his passions.
Public Safety Day was an event where citizens of Fairfield County could learn about the safety resources available to everyone. Numerous departments and organizations, such as the Center for Family Justice and the Easton Police Department, were invited to set up booths that included demonstrations for car seats and safety seat belts, crash and rollover simulators, and even the landing of the Stratford Police Department’s Eagle One Helicopter.
Maloney states, “It was a very good event. It was very satisfying to know that this all happened because I put in the work. It truly brought the public and the first responders together in a positive manner and I am completely sure that everyone that came left with knowledge that they didn’t know before that can help them in the future. It was definitely very cool.”
Clearly, the event was a major success and an overall benefit to the community. Even though Public Safety Day was a large project, there are numerous smaller ways one can contribute to the community.
Every week, junior Rose Lisi spends her time at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. There, Lisi works in the pediatric surgery/medicine and cardiology units, where she cleans after and plays with the sick children.
According to Lisi, “Volunteering at the hospital is more than just fulfilling a graduation requirement or for college. Seeing the patients smile or laugh makes me feel extremely happy because I know that for that moment, they forget about their pain.”
Besides Lisi, junior Nikaash Pasnoori also works at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. Pasnoori does many tasks, including directing patients to their rooms and working at the pharmacy by reorganizing patient files or manning the register.
Similar to Lisi, Pasnoori says, “It’s the little things that matter; the smile on a tired nurses face when you greet them, the gratitude an elderly patient offers when you push their wheelchair – is all the thanks I need for doing my job. While I don’t get paid for volunteering, the thanks I recieve make it all worth it.”
Combining their love for the sciences and helping others, Lisi and Pasnoori both found ways to give back to society in ways they find enjoyable.
For many, community service may seem like an arduous requirement for graduation that gives very little in return. However, by combining our interests with our labor, the work may feel rewarding and interesting. Everyday, soldiers put their lives on the line for our well-being. The least we can do as citizens is to give back to our communities in any way we can.