Tamara Kharazishvili
Myself Third Spirit of New York 2004 Scholarship Winner
Forest Hills High School
Queens College
"Tamara has volunteered many times over the past year and a half. It has become clear that she is motivated by and dedicated to service. Whenever there is a call for a volunteer, Tamara is always there. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she serves as a leader on the service events we do. Tamara Kharazishvili is a good student and a responsible young woman. She is respectful, mature and maintains good relationships with others. She is one of the most motivated, committed students I have had in the program over the past eight years. She will continue to work hard to achieve her goals."
—Carrie Sanchez, Academy of Public Service
Work, Volunteer, and Extra-Curricular Activities
- Tutor and Volunteer, Queens YMCA
- Treasurer/Secretary, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
- Student Government
- Artist/Photographer, Yearbook
- Member, Academy of Public Service
Excerpts from Tamara's Essay
Coming to America from a small town in the Republic of Georgia left me amazed at its free and democratic society. I felt a glowing sense of joy that I had arrived in a place that is brimming with open-mindedness: one that accepts my culture, my religion, and my background. As I've gotten older, I have never grown fully content with myself. Somehow I did not believe I was showing my gratitude to my country.
I began wanting to give back to the community, in some way. My first volunteer experience began at the Queens Central YMCA. I started doing what I could do best, which was tutoring young kids and helping them with their homework. There was something wonderfully rewarding about the experience. Perhaps it was the child's face full of satisfaction that made me realize I had actually helped someone. Perhaps it was the tingling feeling I got inside, knowing I had brought happiness to someone else. I had made a difference in their educational development. I stayed and volunteered at the "Y" for two more years until I got into the Academy of Public Service at my high school.
This experience has made a stronger person out of me, and has made me jump at the opportunity to help. I feel proud of myself that I have done as much as I have for my community, that I have helped as much as I could. When I first got here nine years ago, I never thought I would be this involved. Now, I feel that a day is not worth spending if it isn't spent doing something that improves the world just a bit.
Certain things happen in life that change your perspective completely, and you begin to realize what life is all about. For me, it's not about getting straight A's, because I can deal with B's. It's not about looking perfect; it's about feeling perfect. It's not about being happy, but making someone else happier. This is how I see life, and I want to spend the rest of mine around people who will appreciate me enough to welcome me and take my helping hand.
