FLYCLOSER SEMESTER 1 REFLECTION

Through extensive service in the name of our community, both National Honor Society and Tennis are greatly impacted by the work they are doing in Bardstown and Nelson County. By exposing all of us to these opportunities to help the people around us, everyone in our extracurriculars has been positively transformed. As with the Angel Tree initiative, helping others in need not only provided a joyful heart to the people receiving the assistance, but also instilled true Christmas spirit in the hearts of the students giving out of their own hearts to make someone else's holiday season a little bit better. Also, simply providing a positive environment for the students to be in, such as regular meetings and meaningful discussions, the students are given the opportunity to connect with each other and not just benefit NHS or Tennis, but also help each other and become a more caring person to themselves and others.

As much work and effort has been put into Semester One, there is always more that can be done. Personally, I hope to collaborate with my community partner more and work with him to settle a date that will work for both of us; this includes not only serving in the church, but also increasing the visual appeal of it through landscaping, painting, and cleaning. I also hope to greatly focus on philanthropies with National Honor Society next semester. By increasing the service opportunities we have, we will not only be able to fulfill National Honor Society's mission, but the Tennis Team will also be able to do more than simply enhance their skills. They will be making an impact in their community that will last long after many of the students have graduated and moved on with their Future Stories.

FLYCLOSER FRIDAY REFLECTION 12/01/17

Over the past week, I have worked with my fellow SOC members to CARE for people in the school, in our extracurriculars, and in our community. As a representative of both Tennis and National Honor Society, I have double the responsibility and am required to collaborate twice as much in order to arrange service events and fundraising for both and this can often be overwhelming. However, none of this is solely about me. As a member of these clubs, it is my responsibility to work with others to act for the betterment of others; by doing so, we also benefit ourselves. We are able to use our values to change ourselves into a better us, devoted to the CARE of others. Our sympathetic and service-oriented hearts are turned toward the people that can use our help, and we offer up our hands to do whatever work they may require.

For Thomas Nelson Tennis and National Honor Society, we have made connections with Parkway Baptist Church. I have effectively connected with Matt Flanagan, the Minister of Families and Public Connections and have collaborated with my fellow SOC members on developing a course of action devoted to most effectively serving the church. As previously stated, there are many opportunities the tennis team has the capacity to serve in, including painting, cleaning the kitchen, and building food boxes for families in need during Christmas time. While this may seem like there is limited opportunity to serve, keep in mind that these are only seasonal opportunities and specific to Christmas time. When spring comes, we will have access to many more service opportunities that could greatly benefit Parkway Baptist Church.

In the next week or so, I hope to solidify a date that I can use to gather the tennis team together to serve in our full capacity at Parkway. While National Honor Society may not be serving Parkway in particular, the whole point of NHS is to serve the community around them. Although I don't have a service project lined up, we are still very dedicated to serving, particularly with the Ronald McDonald House in Louisville and also contributing to clothing and toy drives. Serving there is already settled, and now it is only a matter of deciding when. However, no matter how long it takes, we will always remain dedicated to serving our community to the best of our ability.

FLYCLOSER FRIDAY REFLECTION 11/17/17

Over the past week, I have worked with my fellow SOC members to CARE for people in the school, in our extracurriculars, and in our community. Modeling an example blog post, we have worked fervently to discover the best course of action that we can take to have the biggest impact in our community. It is our responsibility to not only act for the betterment of others, but by doing so we also benefit ourselves. We are transformed into a better us, devoted to the CARE of others. Our sympathetic and service-oriented hearts are turned toward the people that can use our help, and we offer up our hands to do whatever work they may require.

For Thomas Nelson Tennis, we have made connections with Parkway Baptist Church. After connecting with Matt Flanagan, the Minister of Families and Public Connections, I have collaborated with my fellow SOC members on developing a course of action devoted to most effectively serving the church. Some of the many opportunities the tennis team has to serve include painting, cleaning the kitchen, and building food boxes for families in need during Christmas time. These are only seasonal opportunities, and when spring comes, we will have access to many more service-oriented landscaping opportunities and many other outdoor activities that could greatly benefit Parkway Baptist Church.

In the next week or so, I hope to solidify a date that I can use to gather the tennis team together to serve in our full capacity at Parkway, dedicated to serving our community to the best of our ability.

2018 Tennis Schedule

Come out and support our Generals! Click here for the 2018 Thomas Nelson Varsity Tennis Schedule! Good luck Generals!