People's lives are changed every day by their actions and experiences. Last summer, I participated in a community service project, an experience that opened my eyes in many ways. I was a volunteer at County Memorial Hospital. During my time as a volunteer at the hospital, I was able to meet patients and staff from all over the world and learn about their life experiences. Listening to all their stories, I really appreciated everything I have. One experience I will always remember is the day I was running errands and had the opportunity to meet a very special patient. She was a sweet woman from Mexico. We were having a friendly conversation when she asked me why I chose to do community service at the hospital. I explained to him that I planned to one day major in the medical field and that I was working on getting community service hours. We started talking about the education systems of our countries. During our conversation, I learned that only select people had the opportunity to receive an education in his native Mexico. She told me about the poor education system and the extreme poverty that is weakening Mexico. As a U.S. citizen, I have a variety of education options. Mexicans must fight to have access to education. It made me realize how lucky I was. Going into this volunteer experience, I was hoping to gain knowledge about the different careers the medical field offers, but I got much more than that. I learned that community service is about making an impact on the lives of others in my community. At the end of my volunteer service, I decided to specialize and am now striving to become a medical assistant. In this role, not only do I get to treat patients, but I also have the opportunity to change their lives. I will be able to see for myself the diversity of cultures from around the world.