Guest post by Alexis Tisby
The NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee launched a global citizenship initiative in November 2016, and Alexis Tisby is one of the initiative’s global change ambassadors. She is from Lakewood, WA, and a senior at Harrison Preparatory School who has completed over 260 hours of volunteering and service in her community. In the future, she plans to major in computer science and minor in theater and art while obtaining her private pilot license.
She encourages others to join in on this global citizenship initiative and make global change. Local efforts count! As she shares, projects don’t have to be done on a global or international scale—the things you do locally can still contribute to making a global impact.
Alexis Tisby helping at the United Way Summer Reading Program and Book Drive. We encouraged kids to read during the summer.
I feel that I am a global change ambassador because I have done so much around my community. I have given my time, money, talents, and volunteer hours, beginning with when I first joined Girl Scouts. Since I was a young girl, I have been so passionate about helping people in my community. I have watched my mom and dad give so much of their time to the community and others through their jobs and at church—it has definitely rubbed off on me. Their love for people and the community has inspired me to do the same over the past year since I sent my application into NASSP to become a global change ambassador.
My parents have inspired me so much that I started a scholarship in my dad’s name, after he passed away three years ago. I wanted to honor him because he was a great dad and community member. The scholarship—called the Lieutenant Colonel John F. Tisby Scholarship—has helped some of the high school students in my community with some of their college funding.
I have also helped out in my church for nine years in the kids ministry, where I volunteer my time doing praise and worship, games, arts and crafts, and Bible stories. I absolutely love it and have seen it change small children’s lives. I have also been a member of the YMCA since I was 3 years old. It made such a difference in my life that I wanted to volunteer at the branch that I am a member of. I have been a counselor-in-training for their summer camp and, just this past year, a volunteer swim instructor for the swim class. It was so awesome to teach the kids safety and swim techniques.
Alexis helping to tutor new friends at the Eastside Boys and Girls Club
Other work that I’ve done with kids includes tutoring some at The Boys and Girls Club who were homeless at one time or live in low-access areas. I helped with reading and math, which was such a benefit to kids who were struggling in these areas.
Overall, being a global change ambassador has taught me the value of giving back to the community. It shows that being a leader makes a huge difference. It has been a life-changing experience making a positive difference in my community and around the world. I have no idea who the kids I’ve helped will become in the future, but these kids are our future.