Sprint
As I sat down in front of my computer on December 10th, 2021 to outline this post, I couldn’t think…
Raleigh
At 10 years old, I put on my light-up high tops, buckle up my seatbelt, and sit back and relax…
Kickball for a Cause
This year I spearheaded the Kickball Tournament. I had worked on the Kickball Tournament in my Sophomore year and I…
Dots
Pointillism is a painting technique developed by French artist Georges Sureau, famous for his work titled A Sunday Afternoon on…
Inspiration
Four years ago, I was hesitant. Hesitant to try new things. Hesitant to meet new people. Hesitant to go out…
The Smallest Things
I walk in, look around, look at all new faces, then I finally take a seat. I was at my…
Unity In Our Community
I had heard of Charity Ball since I was younger because my three siblings attended Enloe and had helped fundraise…
Balance
16 years ago, Charity Ball was merely an idea that could raise a few thousand dollars to help make an…
Small Steps
I feel like students are constantly going 100 MPH and are not able to appreciate the little things in life.…
My First Year
I’ve always wanted to make an impact on the world. I was raised always being taught to give back and…
Meaningful Melodies
“Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.” Edward Bulwer-Lytton was exceptionally perceptive when…
Outlier
Winter for me has always meant giant coats and freezing while walking to first period. I can vividly remember Charity…
Lifetime Experience
Before my tenure on Student Council began, I saw Charity Ball as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s also for a great…
In Retrospect
Before the pandemic shut the world down, we presented a check of over $207k to Southeast Raleigh Promise (SERP) at…
The Joy in Charity Ball
Charity Ball is a phrase I have been hearing since middle school. My sister would tell me all of her…
Community
One definition of community is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and…
Fulfillment and Growth
I’m in the West Gym Lobby, surrounded by students chatting and eating their lunches, peeling paper after paper off of…
Leaving Your Mark
Arguably, the highlight of the annual Enloe Charity Ball is the moment when the “Big 5” stand at the top…
Making An Impact
I have been fortunate to be a part of charity ball since my freshman year. Being able to contribute and…
Hope and Passion
The world stopped once the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Everything we had ever known changed in an instant. The exponentially burning…
Thank You
In 2020, my first year at Enloe, I heard so much about Student Council and their impact on Enloe and…
Checkmate
Chess is the game of life. A board game where all pieces on the board have their own intricate speciality,…
Finding My Voice
My parents always told me I needed to speak more. Whether it was around a group of kids my age,…
Team
My whole life I’ve been told two is better than one. That the more you have, the better the outcome…
Walking Slow
“Life is too short to walk fast”- Yaqub Brock The past year and a half flipped my life upside down,…
Completion
If you told me in 2018 that this is how I would spend my senior year, serving along with a…
After
It’s 11:15. The long-awaited dance is over and the last of Enloe’s finest has finally filed out of the venue’s…
What Charity Ball Means to Me
From my time of first coming to Enloe, Enloe Charity Ball has amazed me in the way that they are…
Gratitude, Privilege, and Honor
It’s almost been 3 years since I was given the privilege and honor to have stepped foot through Mr. Lewis’…
Voice
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades…
Giving
Throughout my life, my parents have always told me the importance of giving. That providing support and help to people…
Adversity
We have all been dealing with adversity for the past year and a half. Covid-19, the pandemic that has raged…
Full Potential
Ever since I went to elementary school in downtown Raleigh, I have been exposed to people, specifically kids, who are…
Change the World
As a child, I was told by my parents, teachers, and mentors that I could change the world. I believed…
Greatness and Perfection
I’ve forever aspired to be great. Perfection, the irrational basis of human action, is the first thing in my mind.…
EHS CLASS OF ’16 ELLIE CHAPPELL GRADUATES FROM ECU
Today, we are honoring Ellie Chappell, ECB’s 2016 Senior Class President. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020 was…
EHS CLASS OF ’16 CHRISTINE LONG GRADUATES FROM NC STATE
Today, we are honoring Christine Long, ECB’s 2016 Student Body President. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020 was…
EHS CLASS OF ’16 EMMA O’BRIEN GRADUATES FROM ECU
Today, we are honoring Emma O’Brien, ECB’s 2016 VP of Service. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020 was…
EHS CLASS OF ’16 KEVIN CAO GRADUATES FROM UNC
Today, we are honoring Kevin Cao, ECB’s 2016 VP of Governing Procedures. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020…
EHS CLASS OF ’16 ISABELLE WILLIAMS GRADUATES FROM UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Today, we are honoring Isabelle Williams, ECB’s 2016 VP of Finance. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020 was…
EHS class of ’16 Lyric Lin graduates from UNC
Today, we are honoring Lyric Lin, ECB’s 2016 VP of Publicity. Due to COVID-19, the graduating class of 2020…
Enloe Charity Ball Fund Grants Emergency Relief to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
Dear WCPSS Families, Enloe Charity Ball is proud to announce that our fund with the North Carolina Community Foundation has…
LITTLE MOMENTS
I had a surreal moment this past Thursday where everything seemed to click into place. The picture in front of…
A REFLECTION
I don’t even know where to start. Enloe Charity Ball has raised over $1 million. In my four years alone,…
WHY WAIT
Why wait to make a change when you have time today? Enloe Charity Ball goes live today @ 7 pm.…
COMMUNITY
Through my work with Enloe Charity Ball, I have learned tremendously about what community is and what a sense community…
THE ART IN CHARITY BALL
You can’t spell Charity Ball without Art. Why the word Art, you may be wondering? Why not Cat or Rat…
COMPLEXITY
One of the many reasons that I have been excited about SERP being the recipient of Enloe Charity Ball 2019…
MARGINALIZED
Raleigh is a fast growing city. What were once low income neighborhoods are being torn apart and built into cookie…
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT IT
I am continuously asked the questions, “Mackenzie, why do you base your life around Enloe Charity Ball? Why are you…
FOUNDATIONS
The best part of Charity Ball is that its impact does not have a finite stopping point. So much of…
THANKFUL
During the Thanksgiving season, we are always told to be thankful, mostly for the things we have. My parents take…
BENEFACTOR TURNED BENEFICIARY
I joined student council just one year ago. After flying through the first two years of my high school tenure,…
SMALL STEP
Unemployment, world hunger, homelessness are all issues that affect millions of people around the globe. Millions. Such problems are constantly…
SHOW UP
I’ve struggled with my role in Charity Ball for over two years now. It seems like most people just naturally…
GRASSROOTS
Wake up at six. Go to school. Do homework. Go to sleep. This constant cycle of waking up, knowing that…
THE FORGOTTEN
Raleigh is lauded as a city of wonder, expansion, and development. It is a city where one can start a…
SUPERHEROES
For the longest time, I have been a fan of super heroes. They could do things that normal humans simply…
DETERMINATION
“If you want it, and the more you keep hearing you can’t have it, you just go out and get…
FACES
Up until this week, I was failing at being a Charity Baller. While I was wholeheartedly involved in my role…
IMPACT
One thing I have learned from my role at Southeast Raleigh Promise is that community organizing is not easy! It…
MAGICAL
I can describe the entire Enloe Charity Ball process in one word: Magical. I discovered the magic of Charity Ball…
THANK YOU JAKE
“Being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pressure.” Brene Brown A few days ago,…
COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK
Imagine this: there’s 5 minutes left in the game. You’re down by 5 points and the other team has the…
BETTER THAN YESTERDAY
I look forward to the moment that the check is revealed on December 7. The 2019 Enloe Charity Ball check,…
WITH THE END IN MIND
The room was flooded with students. Dresses of red, blue, gold, and silver filled the dance floor while everyone waited…
SO MANY REASONS
As a society we are often resistant to attempt change, not because we do not think we will have an…
COMPASSION
Tens. Hundreds. Thousands. Walk past like there is nothing but dust. When I was in fifth grade, I traveled to…
PASSION
I have always loved to fight for what I believe in. My passion cannot be contained, and I needed an…
JOURNEY
Last year was the start of my journey as a member of Enloe’s Student Council. Throughout the course of this…
PERSEVERANCE
Perseverance. Obstacles. Challenges. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been struggling with a speech impediment: stuttering. Even though…
INTENTION
As I work with my team in planning a fundraiser, or going canvassing, or sending email upon email and making…
EXCITMENT
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi Service is…
LEGACY
Ever since sixth grade I’ve slowly become attached to Enloe Charity ball. My brother, Richard, was a freshman when he…
EIGHTEEN
On this past Wednesday, October 30th, I have turned 18. When I woke up, there was no change — no…
THE NEW KID
Right as I entered my first year of highschool, I wanted to help people and I wasn’t quite sure how.…
JUST A MINUTE
“I have only just a minute, Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it. Didn’t seek it,…
SPEAK
My dad once told me, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak; no one pays attention to that. But when…
Home
As I reminisce about my time in high school, my mind is consumed with memories of all that Enloe has…
Something About the Light
There is a light that shines within us all. No one will ever see this light; no one will ever…
Give it Your All
I’ve been playing the game I love which is football all of my young life. This game has provided me…
Greater Than Ourselves
It was a cold Wednesday afternoon when I found myself on State street, an affluent, arguably-gentrified neighborhood near Enloe. Each…
Thank You Akul
It was a cold and rainy November afternoon. “Shotgun!” I called excitedly, although Akul and I were the only ones…
Apples to Apples
Apples to Apples is a card game where you try to match a ‘red apple card’ which features a noun,…
18 Candles
I’ll never forget my 15th birthday. My friends, classmates, teachers, and peers all gathered side by side in our formal…
A Dream
I had a dream last night… My dream was set to the night of Charity Ball. Not only was the…
Defying the Allegory
Earlier this year, my Civilizations and Culture class was assigned a project where we all had to become a pseudo-philosopher…
Why I’m here
When I chose to run for Student Council my freshman year, I never knew the way it would make my…
Are You Gonna Make It?
“Are you gonna make it?” This is a question my fellow student council members and I get asked on a…
Dungeons and Dragons
Imagine if you could suspend your disbelief to take any narrative to the limits of your imagination. If you could…
Community
Two hundred thousand Up in the air We’ve set our goal We’ll make it there But though the money…
Different is Just Different
For a long time, society has been conforming people to stick to what is “normal”, to not be different. We…
So it’s Thanksgiving
While Thanksgiving is a time for family and gratitude, I think we can all agree that it can be overwhelming…
Purpose
Everyday, I wonder what my purpose is. The mere 17 years I’ve been on this Earth haven’t been nearly enough…
Believe
“Why won’t he talk to us”, “Why is he making those faces”. My five-year-old self would think. I always would…
Forgotten
In our society, the ability to achieve success is defined by one’s privilege: whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or ability.…
The Blackberry Moments
As I sit and reflect upon the past four years of high school, I am overwhelmed with emotion. Don’t get…
Fire
My friend asked me, “So what the h*ll went wrong?” Faint screams echoed through my mind as I reflected on…
After
This Charity Ball season, I have been reflecting a lot on ‘after’: How are my former students doing after high…
This Moment
If you know me, then you know I love the concept that every unique aspect of the current moment will…
Remember the Cookies.
Walking into my very first Friday Fun Night at IGNITE, I had no idea what to expect. Here I was…
Time
I notoriously have a horrible concept of time. I assume that I live about 20 minutes away from everything, which…
For Diane
Imagine waking up in your comfortable, loving home only to leave and go into uncertainty. Imagine persevering through bullying on…
A Story That Endures
Everyone’s life is its own individual perspective on the same story. We’re connected by our daily interactions and the fundamental…
Reflect
As a senior, I reflect on the past years I have gone through at Enloe and see the process unfolding…
ASTROWORLD
On August 3rd, Travis Scott released his third studio album “ASTROWORLD” which shook the entirety of his rap fan base.…
Vibrancy
On October 1st, I sat with my knees to my chest and fingernails bitten so badly, they were bleeding. My…
Younger
In our society, our role models and biggest influencers are generally those who are older than us. I always believed…
Interact
In third grade, I volunteered to work with my peers on the autism spectrum at my school, helping them interact…
Be Proactive
Towards the beginning of this year, at one of the first few meetings we had as a whole student council,…
Noblesse Oblige
The idea of more fortunate people caring for those who are less fortunate is described in the French phrase “noblesse…
Charity Ball Poem
It’s a cold, snowy night near the end of Fall And all of Enloe is preparing for Charity Ball The…
Impact
The word “impact” is defined as having a strong effect on someone or something. It’s so ubiquitous of a word…
Responsibility
The first time I heard about Student Council at Enloe, which was from a friend, I immediately knew that I…
Overcoming the Doubts
One of my favorite movies of all time is the Disney movie, Ratatouille. The movie is about a talented rat…
Creating a Better Future
I’ll never forget the first time I met the leaders of Enloe Charity Ball. Last spring, several dozen people from…
Why I Believe in Charity Ball
The first thing that popped into my mind when I first applied to student council was Charity Ball! I’d always…
A Game of Clue.
Life is like a game of Clue. You start out with cards that are handed to you by chance, sometimes…
Opening My Eyes
This has been it! My very first charity ball season and already I have seen the power a small…
Utilitarianism
As I throw myself into the wave of my fourth year working on Charity Ball, it is easy to look…
Principles
I would like America to look like the fall semester at my public high school. Fall is Charity Ball season,…
Success
One of the best feelings you can get as a student is to do well in school. Being an Enloe…
Unite with IGNITE
At the core of Enloe Charity Ball is a strong and supportive community, seeking to make a meaningful impact in…
Hurricane Relief Sensory Kits
To bring comfort to individuals with autism affected by Hurricane Florence, the Autism Society of North Carolina is asking our…
Thank You Carmen
It was a cold and rainy November afternoon. One of those days where you want to lay on your couch…
Dear Jesse & Dakota
A few days ago I found myself in a familiar situation. It was Sunday night and my family was wrapping…
A Childlike Spirit
The first time I visited the Oak City Outreach Center was at the end of the 2016-2017 school year to…
Building with Purpose
Building with a purpose is something that I strive for everyday in my professional career. As a Project Manager with…
BEAT IT
“Beat It” is the name of a song released by Michael Jackson in 1983. In the song, Jackson pours out…
Commitment. Action. Inspiration.
With the Charity Ball 2017 only days away, I am overwhelmed with memories of the incredible experience of Charity Ball.…
What It’s All For
It was a warm, sunny November morning at downtown Raleigh’s Oak City Outreach Center, and my fellow student council members…
Big Moves
Ever since I was a little girl I always enjoyed being a part of groups working to make change. Students…
The Time is Now
In a position of comfort, it is easy to say nothing is majorly wrong with the economic, social and political…
Priorities
“In life, it is important that you prioritize. A hundred years from now, it will not matter how much money…
Be a part of the Change
It’s that time of the year… Time to try our absolute hardest to raise thousands of dollars for charity. Time…
Growth
I remember serving as an assistant principal at Enloe Magnet High School thirteen years ago when a student, Rachel Escobar,…
Perspective
On a cold night in February, my volunteer group and I assisted at an event benefiting the local people who…
Hospitality
Urban Ministries experience with the Enloe Charity Ball 2016 was nothing short of amazing. It’s less about the money than…
It Which Must Not Be Named
It’s the terrifying concept of advantage and disadvantage, rich and poor, academic and misguided. As a society, we never dare…
Privileges
In a world that’s so fast-paced, it’s easy to loose touch of all the privileges we have. However, when the…
On the Ball
If you ask the majority of adults in Raleigh to describe typical high school students, many responses might contain words…
Basic Rights
Every Thanksgiving my family gathers around the table, in front of more food than we could finish in a week,…
Seconds and Cents
I’m 17 years old, and in the eyes of most people around me, a kid. My peers and I aren’t…
The Family
Being a freshman in student council was a little overwhelming in the beginning not gonna lie, but with all the…
Volunesia
Volunesia.(n) that moment when you forget you’re volunteering to help change lives, because it’s changing yours. Whenever I volunteer, I…
Making the most out of Every Situation
On October 21st, I visited the Oak City Outreach Center for the first time when it was open and alive…
Music to my Ears
Music is a very complex art form. There are many different moving pieces to it. Every instrument and every sound…
Stranger Things
“Stranger Things” first aired in July 2016. The hit science-fiction thriller tells the story of 3 adolescent boys and their…
The Feeling
“We’re not interested” That’s the sound I usually get from going door to door. After giving them the spiel, most…
Imagine
Imagine not knowing whether or not you would have a meal during thanksgiving, let alone any dinner, or a bed…
The Fifth Season
To everyone, there are four seasons in a year — spring, summer, winter, and fall. But the students of Enloe…
Pride
The students of Enloe High School have always taken pride not only in being part of the community but trying…
A State of Qualia
Imagine trying to explain to someone who’s been blind their whole life what red looks like. You could say that…
Looking Back
It has been about 2 and a half months since I left my sheltered Raleigh bubble for the potentially more…
The Art of Charity Ball
I came across a video on Bustle earlier this year, even before we chose the beneficiary of our 13th annual…
The Charity Ball Spirit
Charity Ball isn’t just an event giving back to the community, it’s a spirit. Freshman Retreat Sitting around the conference…
13
13 years ago, I was a freshman at Enloe High School and, 13 years ago, I attended the first Enloe…
Test Post
Testing.
The Pursuit of Selflessness
“In the history of mankind, there has never been a people who’ve strived harder or done more than we Americans…
The Intangible
I held my phone up to my right ear and cleared my throat. “Hello?” “Hi, my name is Michelle Gan…
Wake County
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King…
Bigger Than Ourselves
Charity Ball is a dance that Enloe High School hosts every year in the month of December to celebrate student-led…
Slow it Down
Sometimes, we get ahead of ourselves. In the modern age, our lifestyle is so fast-paced that we tend to shift…
More Than Me
There is a single concept that has been most notable to me throughout Charity Ball season. It is that Charity…
When Reality sets in
We often take the things we have for granted without realizing it. When our heater is broken, we get upset…
So Surreal
Senior year: bittersweet and so surreal. How in the world have I already been a high school senior for 48…
A Step in the Right Direction
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” -Coretta Scott King To…
Kid Things
I remember sitting in the conference room last year at our Fall retreat and hearing a reflection from Etan Seebaluck…
Creating an Environment
When I found out that our 2017 benefactor would be Raleigh Wake Partnership to end homelessness, I was ecstatic. For…
Making a Difference
Before last year, I didn’t really understand that I could make a difference in people’s lives that I didn’t know.…
Join Us
Through a shared vision and common goal, Charity Ball has grown into what it is today: an opportunity to inspire…
Over and Out
“The goal of a nonprofit is to shut down.” That’s what Peter Morris, Director of Urban Ministries, told myself and…
Tracy’s Story
This is my first time going through this. I was in a relationship. The person I was with decided to…
For Them
When I say the words “Enloe’s Twelfth Annual Charity Ball,” I am not just focused on an evening of celebration…
Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy
Urban Ministries of Wake County is enormously grateful to have been selected as the 2016 beneficiary of the Enloe Charity…
11 Years Undefeated
As Charity Ball season draws to a close, and all 65 members of student council are attempting to make that…
Proud to be All In
Many years ago, a few individuals with an immense passion for service and a strong drive to change the world…
Us, Them, We
India. Honduras. Italy. Nigeria. Haiti. These countries are all thought to be filled with poverty. Who knew it would exist…
The Bigger Picture
For the past four years, I have heard about Charity Ball and the huge amount of money student council has…
Challenge
I like to challenge myself. I take multiple AP classes, I have a job, I try my hardest to provide…
Experience the Magic
Before joining student council, I saw the passion and enthusiasm council members before me had for the event, and I…
Dreams vs. Reality vs. Hope
December is a magical month. It starts the countdown to Christmas and Winter Break. It starts the countdown to being…
Our Shot
“Hamilton” first came to Broadway in August 2015. The astounding musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the founding…
Blown Away
I had the privilege and joy of working with the Enloe Charity Ball Team in 2015 when I was Executive…
Home
Home. Home is the foundation of life. Home is where memories are made. Home sets the path for a person’s…
Inkblots
Over the past three years I have been fortunate enough to watch some incredible people do some incredible things at…
Pieces of the Puzzle
Four years ago I entered the halls of Enloe High School with absolutely no idea of the magic hidden inside…
Our Greatest Gift
I think our greatest gift to our community is that we’re a place where volunteers give back. The story is…
Family
As far back as I can remember, my parents have stressed the importance of giving back to others. “However much money…
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
“Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la la la la la laaaaaaa.” Ahh Charity Ball season; the…
Behind the Scenes
Last year on December 12, I sat in my room scrolling through Instagram when I came across pictures from Enloe…
Accountability
There is a Jewish song that says “I can be counted on, so I’m accountable. Count me in today.” “I…
Everywhere You Go
In the spring of 2016, I was in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was beautiful, a city on one side and clear…
People not Process
As Manager of Eligibility Services at Urban Ministries’ Open Door Clinic, my day is filled with routine and organized chaos.…
All In.
As many of you know, the hashtag for this year’s Charity Ball is #AllInForUrbanMin. We voted, and decided this one…
Envisioning the Future
In 7th grade, I experienced the most special day of my life: my Bat Mitzvah. Although it was an incredibly…
Visionaries
Urban Ministries and Enloe High School have a lot in common. Both organizations have a vision, believing wholeheartedly that we…
Happiness
We all wish we could have more things. More shoes. More clothes. More money. I have to say that I…
Ask & Answer
It’s already November 18. Charity Ball season is more than halfway over. During these past few weeks, I’ve been continually asking…
Hero
Imagine, on a dark, cold winter night, the moon shines as a family shivers. Hungry. Freezing. Sick. Having to choose.…