Being a member of the University of Mary Washington varsity swim team, I have the opportunity to participate in numerous and varied community service events around Fredericksburg. Some of these service events included free swim clinics for local children who cannot afford lessons, shoe drives, and the Adopt A Child Program. These programs help out the less fortunate in Fredericksburg. It is hard to believe the staggering amount of poverty that is in the local area of Fredericksburg. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be involved in a free swim clinic with the Stafford Junction organization. This particular event helped me to realize the necessity of community service in our own community. After participating in the free swim clinic community service event I then decided to take a closer look into student athletics and how they participate in community engagement. I have acquired many new experiences with these community service projects, and with each new service experience, my patience and compassion for others has grown exponentially. Experiences such as this are both life changing and character building in many ways. Here is the rest of my paper. Research Paper 1