Every year at Westhampton Beach High School, students are required to complete ten hours of community service. Because of the repercussions that come with not completing the requirement, the school and community is very committed to making sure students at Westhampton Beach High School are aware of all the community service opportunities offered to them. Currently, the school recommends 50 community service opportunities in the area that are open to high school students.

There is no doubt that students at Westhampton Beach High School have a lot going on, between sports, clubs, test prep, homework, and balancing personal life; it may seem like there isn’t enough time in the day to fit in any other activities. However, as it is known, being a student at Westhampton Beach High School comes with having to complete a minimum of ten hours of community service per year. Ten hours is not a lot, and community service is a great way to give back to the community and add value to the lives of the students and to the lives of those they are helping. However, if a student doesn’t know where to go or what to do to start earning their hours, this easy process can become very intimidating and turn into a daunting task. It is important as a student and member of the community to understand and be informed about all of the community service opportunities available to them.

No matter how it is viewed, there are always benefits in community service, even if it is not personally satisfying to some, the person or cause that is being helped will be thankful for the assistance they received. Sometimes though, that is not enough reason for students to like and enjoy the community service experience. For these students, the quick ten hours can turn into a struggle of having to go to a place they don’t want to be at and that will really cause the student to build up a lot of negative feelings towards community service in general. Luckily for students like these, there are plenty of opportunities that are fun and very social, where they can be with their friends and have a really positive experience, Junior, Jessica Norwood knows that the community service requirement can be difficult for some to complete and said  “the requirement can be annoying for some people, if they’re really busy and just don’t have the time,” but it doesn’t have to be. Norwood did the 30-hour famine with her friends last year and agrees that it is something many of her fellow peers might enjoy too. Norwood said, “That was really fun because we did a bunch of activities and slept over at the school, it was a lot of fun, and I am going to do that [as community service] from now on.” Community service doesn’t have to be painful, as long as students pick activities they generally enjoy, whether it be a specific club they’re in or an activity in the community, there are great opportunities everywhere, students just have to look.

Assistant Principal, Mr. Bookamer said that “students should look at what interests they have,” because “[community service] opens up pathways to careers, so if you are involved in certain service in high school and you find something that you really love, that you become passionate about, it can lead you into a career field that you may never have thought of before.” Community service is a great way for students to expand their horizons and experience things they may never have tried on their own. One of the best resources for information regarding community service opportunities happens to be on the district website, with opportunities in health care, animal care, fire/ambulance, civic organizations, and museums, students are bound to find something they’re interested in. Not only can community service be a great learning experience, it also can act as a key aid when students have to choose what career they wish to pursue in the future, hopefully their experience with community service can help narrow down their choices.

At Westhampton Beach High School, students are given amazing opportunities every single day; some of these opportunities are disguised as mandatory responsibilities that many of them may feel no moral obligation to complete with 100% effort. However, if students put an incredible amount of effort into the things they’re supposed to do, the results will be incredible too, not only for them, but also for their school and community.