Virginia Cinnamond

Volunteering has always been a part of my commitment to my community. Giving of my time, talents and fundraising skills to benefit individuals and/or organizations is a calling rather than something I feel I’m required to do. However, I had an experience in my senior year of high school that changed the way I look at those opportunities for growth.

High school began for me like it does for most incoming freshman, with feelings of fear, stress and concern about where I would fit in. I tried sports and made the volleyball and tennis teams, I tried student council and was voted class treasurer, but I still felt like something was missing. The most inclusive place I found was show choir, a place full of students talented in voice, dance and theatre. We performed at regional competitions, put on musicals and plays and rehearsed for hours together over our four years of high school. We were a very tight-knit group and thought we all knew each other pretty well.

At the end of my senior year we were putting on the musical Hairspray, and as we arrived to rehearsal this fateful day, we were told one of our classmates had committed suicide. This person I had performed with for four years, this person who was destined to be a star in his own right with his operatic voice and his flair for the dramatic role onstage. This person who I never realized had been possibly dealing with more than the common stresses and pressures high school students face. How could none of us have known what he was going through being together so many hours each day?

This was the moment my views on volunteering changed to “acts of kindness.” As I walked those same halls the next few weeks up to graduation, I noticed there were plenty of classmates raising money for suicide prevention or encouraging friends to walk alongside them for the “Out of the Darkness” charity. Counselors were still on hand for guidance and support. My focus turned to the closest friends and family of the life lost. I wondered, after the funeral was over and the final hugs had been given, who was still checking in on these lives left behind.

My “act of kindness” became clear. I have continued for the past year, even while away at college to check in on them. Whether it is simply a text to say, “Hey, how is your day” or an offer to go for a walk or out to lunch, I realized the significance of such a small act. I used to think those who have experienced tragedy would rather not be reminded of it, but that is not the case for most people. Although I never knew her prior to this tragic event, reaching out to his mother, as uncomfortable as I felt, was significant. She began treasuring our talks, not only could she hear stories over and over about him, but there was someone willing to take the time to listen to her tell her stories over and over as well.

An act of kindness doesn’t have to be a huge commitment with a charity or organization; it can be a somewhat small gesture that creates a big impact. Something as simple as considering someone else’s pain and loss, can fulfill your desire to help someone. Maybe your act of kindness to someone lonely or depressed can potentially prevent another suicide from happening. By reaching out to someone you otherwise would have felt uncomfortable approaching or awkward talking to, you could be saving a life.

Virginia Cinnamond - $2,000 Margaret O. Patterson-Bailey Scholarship - Sophomore, Michigan State University