Though I do not know if this will ultimately be the most defining moment of my life, I would have to say that my seventh grade Duke TIP award ceremony is the most defining moment of my life thus far. Like any other award ceremony, this program had a guest speaker, and it was this speaker who greatly affected my life. Unlike the many other speakers who I had heard before, he did not talk about the importance of doing well in school or being “smart” or attending a prestigious university. Instead he preached about the importance of being “good,” the value and importance of helping others, and that helping others is not only a gift to them but a privilege in itself. Though I cannot remember his name or anything else about him, I will never forget his final words “it is good to be smart, but it is better to be good.”

These few words truly led me to look upon my life and goals in a different light. Where I had previously been almost completely focused on just excelling in school, his words truly touched me. Though I had been involved in minimal service related activities before this, once hearing his speech I resolved to immerse myself in volunteer and service activities. Each of these experiences also helped to shape my life, leading me to subsequent experiences, such as being a Bonner Scholar here at Richmond, as well as demonstrating what the speaker meant about serving others to be important and a privilege. Though I still have no idea what major these four years at Richmond will finally lead me to, I do know that after graduation I intend to enter the Peace Corps so that I can serve and help those in the worst situations and with the direst need around the world.