Volunteering is known to be a source of joy and fulfillment in life. It’s important that when volunteering, you aren’t only trying to get hours for college applications, but you’re doing it because you’re passionate about contributing to the world. With over 500 hours of volunteer work under her belt, senior Julia Eastman has always had a place in her heart for helping kids; she helps ensure their access to education and books, and also to creative outlets like art.
“[Volunteering] always makes me feel good. Everyone always says it’s a dopamine boost. I’ve always really enjoyed it and it makes you feel better in the end,” Eastman said. “It’s always been a part of my life, so it affects my routine. It’s incorporated into my life, and most of the time I don’t even realize it.”
While Eastman spends so much of her time volunteering, she is also a dual sport athlete, balancing her time with both tennis and soccer. She has been working with non-profits since 5th grade, sparking her love for volunteering through doing mandated hours for the Dual Immersion program at her elementary school.
“We had to get at least 10 hours of volunteer work. So that was my first experience doing it. Since then I’ve been doing it every year. Then I started the National Charity League in 6th grade, which is an organization that promotes philanthropy and leadership for women,” Eastman said. “It’s the same 30 girls, and we meet together, we run meetings, and then I can also do philanthropy with them.”
Eastman works with multiple organizations, including Surf Rider, Indivisible Arts, St. James (her church), and Access Books, which she volunteers with most often. This work entails book repairing, shelf painting, and organizing spaces, all leading to the refurbishment of libraries for kids. Eastman loves working with children and plans to be a teacher one day.
“I’m most passionate about the kids,” Eastman said. “So a lot of the philanthropy work that I do is with kids or for kids. With Surfrider Teach and Tests, I’m teaching other kids. [With] church, I’m teaching those kids, and Access Books is literally building libraries for kids. So a lot of [my volunteer work] is child focused.”
Eastman has also received various awards for her work from the National Charity League, including a President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Silver Level. According to Eastman, the recognition for her volunteering is nice, but it’s not what truly drives her work and dedication, the kids’ happiness and the fulfillment it brings to her life is. Another thing she loves is the community volunteering has brought her. Senior Madeleine Harmon has volunteered at Surfrider with her since their freshman year.
“She’s just the sweetest person. She brings us such good energy. She’s able to have a conversation with a brick wall. She is so nice to be around and whenever you volunteer, she makes the experience better,” Harmon said. “We’ve become friends through volunteering together and it’s been great being able to build a relationship with her. She’s a nice person.”
According to Harmon, she and Eastman mostly advocate for environmentalism and public health together. Both of their passions towards these subjects have brought them and others together to create a community based on their love for the environment and empathy for people in need.
“For a lot of these organizations I work with the same people, so I’ve been able to build connections and friendships with them,” Eastman said. “Being able to find connections that way is really important.”
