1. What did you choose to do for your final and why? I chose to do the giving tree final because during a time of giving it is always nice to give to someone in need. During a pandemic, when money is limited, I thought that giving a gift to a little boy in need would be helpful and heartwarming. Grabbing a small gift is an easy way to brighten someone's day and to check off something on their Christmas list. I know when I was little, I looked forward to getting my number one gift on my Christmas list. Having the opportunity to participate in the giving tree activity makes those kids hopes and dreams come true when they open up their gift on Christmas day.
2. Describe the process that you went about in getting your final completed. This year tags on the giving tree were more limited than usual. The process I went through to grab my tag went on for about a week because trees were always out of stock when I would stop by. Because trees were low on stock, I reached out to the Ag department to help put together tags, but because of school being on distance learning, I could not help. After a week of going to Tractor Supplies, the Ripon High main office, and ACE, Avery Redula text me asking if I needed a tag because there were two left on the tree at ACE. I said yes to the tag and got the opportunity to help a 12 year old boy in need. The options on this tag were a black sweatshirt, and remote control car. I took lots of time determining which gift he would enjoy more, and settled on the remote control car. I got his remote control car on December 15th 2020 at Dollar General, and I’m sure he will love it!
3. What was the emotional impact on you in completing your final? I feel like most people will look at a gift tag and see that a child asking for a jacket or car for Christmas doesn’t seem real. Kids only wanting big expensive toys for Christmas is a common misconception. In reality, this is not the case. I was excited to buy this 12 year old boy a new remote control car because something like a remote control car can create memories. When I was little, I remember every Christmas morning my cousins and I would always race our remote control cars through the orchard until they would run out of battery. Oddly enough, I bought this 12 year old boy the same exact car my cousin Rider had when he was little. I can still remember his giggle when the wheels would light up or when he would accidentally run into the walls with the car. I hope that this remote control car can bring the same type of memories and happiness to this little boy. My favorite part of this final was volunteering my time to help a family that may be low on income. Simply offering someone a smile, offering extra help, or wishing someone a merry Christmas can make all the difference in someone’s day.
4. Was this assignment valuable? I believe that this assignment is very valuable. I genuinely enjoy completing this final every year. This assignment teaches students that a school final can be more than filling out test answer bubbles and spending 10 hours of your life studying chemistry and spanish. This final shows the value of how impactful spending $20 dollars on an underprivileged child can be. Redirecting our focus from receiving during the holidays to giving is essential, especially in developing our leadership qualities outside of the classroom.