October Saturday Summit
This October, Scholars volunteered with Samaritan’s Feet, a local non-profit. The mission of Samaritan’s Feet is to provide shoes to people worldwide who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. This October, Samaritan’s Feet reached a milestone, donating their 10 millionth pair of shoes!
Together, Charlotte LAUNCH Scholars packed over 100 boxes with more than 20,000 pairs of shoes to be sent to places as far away as Hawaii and Africa. The time and effort given by our Scholars and parent chaperones is truly appreciated by the WFU Pre-College Team and by Samaritan’s Feet International.
After this volunteer opportunity, we asked two Scholars to reflect on their goals and share their experience in the Wake Forest College LAUNCH for Leadership Program thus far.
Leah Green
What do you discover?
I discovered like-minded peers in College LAUNCH. I have found a small group that never fails to be entertaining, and when we get together for summits I always look forward to seeing them again. I have discovered that fostering long distance connections is worth it. Even though these relationships have to be maintained with consistent communication and somewhat awkward monthly reunions, I am happy to call my new peers my new friends too.
Why do you prepare?
I study ahead of time to achieve good grades. I pursue every opportunity and resource that interests me to get into a college suited for me and make advances toward my future career in marketing. I put almost everything on my calendar to hold myself accountable because my memory is not as good as it should be for someone my age. I prepare to set myself up for success.
How do you impact?
I impact my peers by supporting them through Black Student Union. I impact my community by establishing partnerships between local businesses and my school’s DECA chapter. At home, my impact is trying to set a quality example for my younger siblings to follow. Just two weeks ago I impacted people in need with College LAUNCH when we volunteered with Samaritan’s Feet.
Charles Michael Horton
I have been a member of the Wake Forest College Launch Program for a couple of months. During my time, I have already learned many things about myself, others, and the world that will help prepare me for the future. Each Saturday, I find something that I can improve on to make me the best I can be. As the program continues, I look forward to finding more things to make me better to not only improve as a student, but as an overall person too.
What do you discover?
Being a member of the College Launch program helps me discover more about the world. I learn about others that may not have the same opportunities as me and their struggles. I am also able to learn more about myself. This helps me gain multiple perspectives about what is happening in the world and prepares me for college where I will be a member of an ever more diverse community.
Why do you prepare?
I prepare so I can be ready at any given moment in life. Being behind or procrastinating is not a good feeling as a high schooler, and it causes stress and can lead to bad work product. However, gaining preparation skills now will help me excel through high school and be better prepared for college. With the College Launch program, I am able to hone my preparation skills to better prepare me for success and the ability to impact society in a positive manner.
How do you impact?
I impact by going above and beyond in many aspects of life. One aspect of life specifically that I impact is basketball, where I do the “little things” such as talking, hustling, and playing my hardest every play which results in many positive plays on the court. By going above and beyond every possession, I can positively impact my teammates and our team. In addition, I apply going above and beyond in my daily life as well. By doing the “little things” like complimenting someone or greeting everyone you see you can positively impact someone’s day as well. Going above and beyond to make a positive impact may not always be about making the biggest play or doing something big for someone; going above and beyond to make a positive impact also includes doing the little things too.
Discover, prepare, impact are the pillars of the College LAUNCH for Leadership Program. Learn more about the College LAUNCH mission and how our program inspires students to learn, achieve, understand, network, commit, and help.