I’ve learned so much in being part of Enloe Charity Ball for the past 2 years. I used to think that what mattered was getting donations; that someone’s contribution would only be measured in monetary value. However, I learned that what makes the organization isn’t how much money we raise, but the effort we put into reaching our goal. Whether that’s by volunteering, organizing events, sending emails, or using lunches to plan and work together, ECB would not be successful had it not been for the people.
While working on the service committee, I’ve gotten to see how everyone works diligently and puts 120% into every event planned, every idea contributed, and every email sent. My peers have pushed me to do my best. My friend, Whitney Hall, compelled me to work hard and put my all into the Kickball Tournament for the past 2 years. Her passion to reinvent and implement a successful and fun tournament for many years to come has become a motivator for me. I have not only put my all into this year’s tournament, but I have also mentored the underclassmen so that they too can continue a successful event for many years to come. I will never forget the long hours we spent late at night last year making brackets, creating schedules, and doing our all for the tournament to make sure it was successful. Seeing our hard work pan out into a successful event re-lit a fire in me. I had finally found something I was passionate about.
This year, my hard work panned out in the face of volunteering. Volunteering at Alliance Medical Ministry has been one of the greatest opportunities I have ever been a part of. From creating birthday boards to weeding and harvesting in the community gardens to cooking in the evening with Nora and AMM patients, I was enriched. You learn through volunteering who the people you are helping out are, the faces behind the names, the humans behind the numbers. Volunteering has had a huge impact on me. I found a reason to be passionate about this year’s beneficiary, pushing me to work that much harder for the community we are helping.
I’ve realized that while I may not have raised hundreds of dollars, the time I’ve put into helping organize events and the 20+ hours I’ve put into volunteering and getting to know the people we are supporting is equally as important as raising money. With this being my last year as a part of Enloe Charity Ball, I want to thank the organization and the people for everything I’ve learned and experienced. The ups and downs, the wins and losses, and the successes and failures. Everything I’ve experienced has been something for me to learn from. I’ll take everything I’ve learned with me throughout life, working alongside other philanthropic organizations and continuing to strive to build a stronger and better community. Thank you so much for everything.
Nashbi Cruz-Martinez
Senior Class Senator