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The Remnants of Uncertainty...

My Proud Moment...

05/16/08 at 11:10 AM by cassusriff

Last night I had one of the most proud moments of my life. The people I have in my life aren't necessarily willing to hear my righteous rant about doing the right thing and all. So that's why I have my blog.

Yesterday, I gave $1000 of my own money to a high school student who deserved it. I am 15k in debt from one year of student loans. I'm most likely about to go to UCSD where I will accumulate another 15k of loans before I go off to grad school to add more to that total. I'll be looking at close to 80k of debt when school is all said and done for me. But that isn't what is important.

Giving this scholarship was never about the money, it was never about making myself look good, it was never about any of the superficial stuff. I honestly just wanted to do something good. I could've used that $1000 to pay off some of my loans or buy myself a new computer or get ahead on my rent. Really, there are many things I could've used that money for. But the most important thing about last night, is that I realized I could make a difference. I can make people think about how they can give back.

I gave a very honest speech when I presented. I wasn't trying to be overly eloquent or preachy. I just wanted people to know where I was coming from.

One thing I said, "In the last two years I've learned many things: College is hard. Adulthood is hard. Life is hard. But the world is what you make it. And despite all these hardships, you can give what little you have and make the world a better place, even if it is in a small way."

Maybe a little preachy. But I didn't really feel the impact of how great it feels to give until last night. I've always donated money to relief funds and charities. I don't have much money, so I usually donate anywhere from $5.00-$25.00. And last night I gave $1000 to a well-deserving student and I still didn't feel like that was enough. But if there is anything I've learned, it's that any small amount or small gesture means a great deal. Just by putting myself out there in front of that audience, I touched many people. Afterward, parents and students alike came up to me and told me how I inspired them. How I made them think about what they could do to help out, whether it be students, charities, impoverished children, whatever.

And that is the true value of what I did last night. I never felt like I could impact people like that until last night. Hearing those things and hearing how people could think so highly of what I did means more than anyone can imagine. It honestly brings tears to my eyes as I write this. I don't consider myself a saint or someone who is above others or anything like that. I'm just a guy who wants to be about more than myself.

So it began with a scholarship. I hope it doesn't stop there. And if one person does something good because of what they saw me do last night, then I have achieved more than I could have ever hoped for.

Now that is something to be proud of.

Tags: charity, scholarship, giving, pride, inspiration

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