2411백유진

[백유진]

Last weekend, I participated in a volunteer activity to clean up the environment while jogging around the Hwangryonggang River to build my physical strength. At first, I felt overwhelmed because I did not know where to start looking at the randomly discarded trash along the road, and I was a bit tired from moving my body in the hot weather. However, as I picked up the trash corner by corner with my tongs, I felt my mind becoming clear and refreshed. Hearing words of appreciation like "Great job" from the residents passing by the clean road gave me great happiness and pride. By creating small but visible environmental changes myself, I deeply realized how valuable it is to practice actions for the public good.

In my everyday life, this experience also brought a big change to my attitude toward the people around me. Recently, while preparing for a school sports competition and a group assignment, there were some conflicts among my classmates, which made the atmosphere chaotic. Instead of ignoring the situation, I tried to listen carefully to my friends' stories and resolve the misunderstandings between them, remembering the power of warm communication I had experienced at the Hwangryonggang River. I encouraged my friends, saying, "The process of working together and finding harmony is what truly matters," and I realized that small mediations and kind words can firmly change the atmosphere of a community.

At the same time, I have also received meaningful help from others during a crisis. Not long ago, before an important group presentation project, I was put in a difficult situation where I could not finish my assigned role on time due to an unexpected problem. When my teammates saw me panicking, they stepped up as if it were their own work. One friend helped me with data research by filling in the parts I missed, and another friend gave me great support by my side, saying that I could make it until the end. Thanks to my teammates' dedicated help, I was able to finish the presentation successfully, and I felt that we can achieve a much stronger power together than when we are alone.

Through these experiences, I learned the true meaning of a 'living together' life. Giving help is a social practice that delivers the strength to stand up to someone, and receiving help is a process of learning humility and gratitude. I believe that a community becomes warmer when we become a support system for each other by filling in each other's shortcomings. In the future, I will continue to empathize with the needs and difficulties of others and be the first to reach out, contributing to creating a harmonious society.