It is Christmas morning and children everywhere are bursting with smiles at the new presents they have received. The happiness and joy they experience right after seeing the item on the top of their Christmas list under their tree is incomparable to any other feeling during the holiday season.
Sophomore Liam Jocson finds himself in a different situation. He is in the Philippines with his family, making himself and other children smile in a different way.
Many people, places, and communities need financial help that cannot be solved in a short time period. Jocson plays his role in the Philippines, a third world country in need by giving food to the homeless in the days leading up to Christmas.
“My family and I prepare goods for the homeless which include bread, rice, chips, and other nonperishable foods,” said Jocson.
His family has been aiding the Philippines for more than 30 years which has become a tradition in his household.
“When I help out, it feels great to see these impoverished people smile and be happy as they deserve to be because Christmas is such a special day,” Jocson said.
Volunteering takes time, energy, and hard work. However, the sense of community and humanitarian values Jocson gains from volunteering make his efforts worth it.
Jocson takes volunteering a step further than because “it’s the right thing to do,” but considers it as something he has to do to aid his home country.
“I volunteer because I want to make a difference in my third world country. I consider myself a self patriot and take a lot of pride in the Philippines,” Jocson said.
His willingness to benefit the environment around him ultimately drives his goals in life and help him develop personally by learning how to help and serve others.
He hopes to leave an impact that will last longer than one day, but one that will hopefully propel the lives of impoverished peoples in the Philippines in a more positive direction.
“It’s still sad to accept that after Christmas, those people will probably go back to their lives in poverty, but we hope that our acts of kindness will motivate them to possibly find jobs, or discover new tactics to support their families,” said Jocson.
His dedication to his country provide Jocson with strong leadership skills to be the sophomore class president.
“It’s really cool that Liam gives up to his holiday season to help people in need. His mentality of always wanting to benefit others makes him a really good president,” sophomore Patrick He said.
As class president, Jocson hopes to leave a legacy behind that will improve the future generations of Carlmont students by helping peers strive for a mindset to always help others which he has learned from volunteering.
