David Whitman
Myself Third Spirit of New York 2004 Scholarship Winner
Susan E. Wagner High School
Kingsborough Community College
"David has a fine, thoughtful, insightful intelligence which is always hungry for new ideas or new approaches to old ones. His response to literature is intensely personal, constantly seeking themes and applying them to his own experience and philosophy. No project or assignment, regardless of difficulty or tedium, was ever undertaken with less than total effort and dedication and always with a mature appreciation of its purposes and aims. On a purely personal level, David is remarkably unassuming for a young man of such talents. He speaks of his own sense of a need to do whatever must be done and his drive to avoid failure with no real awareness of how special his initiative."
—H. Barry Blank, Teacher of English
Work, Volunteer, and Extra-Curricular Activities
- Volunteer, Clove Lakes Nursing Home
- Volunteer, Cora Hoffman Center of Staten Island (United Cerebral Palsy Assocs.)
- National Honor Society
- Key Club
- Student Government
Excerpts from David's Essay
Freedom is something most Americans take for granted on an everyday basis. People infrequently stop and think about all of the liberties, we, as citizens of the United States of America, are blessed with. Being an American does not only give me a sense of pride, but also a feeling of appreciation and respect for all of the magnificent things that this country has to offer. Unfortunately, many Americans are unable to enjoy the various freedoms of our country due to mental and physical disabilities. It was this awareness, and my intense desire to give back to my community, which led me to begin volunteering at The Cora Hoffman Center of Staten Island, a branch of the United Cerebral Palsy Association (UCP).
When I traveled with a select group of clients into the Staten Island Mall (part of their community inclusion program), I felt firsthand what it was like to be stared at, mocked, and ridiculed. When we sat down to eat, people moved away from us. Upon us entering the elevators, mothers removed themselves with their children in a frightened panic. I realized that in the past I was guilty of the same apprehensive stares and frantic gestures. But by getting to know those who are feared because they are misunderstood, I was able to see what was really there: a human being, just as good as you or me, living with a disability.
Not only have I learned a great deal about myself and what it means to give back to my community and those in need, but what a life-altering and uplifting experience spending my time there really was. I have been truly changed from volunteering at United Cerebral Palsy. I have realized how lucky I have been to be able to do all the things I always have taken for granted. [Not] until you see things from another person's perspective do you really begin to appreciate all the simple things in life. At the end of the summer, every step I took I cherished, every breath of air I inhaled I savored, and every moment thereafter I appreciated with new eyes.
