There are not that many things that I am passionate about. Which, to be completely honest, is quite a shame. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines passion as, "a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something." Of course, you can’t just say you’re passionate about something. You have to actively find it.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I had this friend who had a little brother named Paul that was going to be a freshman. Well, as luck would have it, I ended up being in a class with him along with a few of my other buddies. The very first week, my friends and I decided to befriend him. Of course, not everything works out perfectly. One of Paul’s friends told him to stay away from us because we were, “bad influences.” That struck a nerve in me. I thought to myself, “ Am I really a bad influence?”

Thinking back on that day, he was kind of right. I am a pretty bad influence on people. Not something to be proud of really. Since then, I've always wondered to myself, am I a good or bad influence? Do I make good kids do things they normally wouldn't? And you know what? That sucks to think about. We all want to make a good impact in the world, and according to this guy, my impact would be leading people astray. Well, I’m not just gonna sit there and prove this person right. I will do something about it and make him eat his words.

On campus, I am part of a club, Project Kids Network. I originally joined this club because I had some friends in it, and I needed service hours, but now I am an active member of the club’s executive board. Project Kids Network coordinates volunteer programs that serve the youth in developing countries as well as local volunteer programs such as One Way Farm (OWF). "One Way Farm Children's Home is a non-profit organization located in Fairfield, Ohio, caring for the abused, abandoned, neglected, troubled youth, and children with disabilities and developmental disabilities in the State of Ohio without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin."

That is where I found my passion. Growing up, my childhood was not the greatest, and in comparison to the kids you meet here, it would definitely be ideal. You don't get to choose your family, but you do get to choose your friends and the people you hang out with. As a club, Project Kids Network coordinates biweekly trips to One Way Farm. On these trips we do many activities with the children of OWF, but mainly we are there to just hang out with these kids and be good role models for them. What these kids experienced in their lives is not something that can be easily forgotten, which is why we show up. When we go there, we show them that there are people out there who care about them, that they are not alone in this world, and that they have a future in this world that abandoned them. Every time we come, their eyes light up and they get excited. And when we leave, they ask us when we will be there next.That is when you know that you have impacted their lives in a positive way.

Passion is something that fuels us, giving our lives meaning. It can help turn what others think is mundane into something fun and worthy. There are many ways to find your passion. There is no one way to do it. Join an organization, such as Project Kids Network (shameless self promotion), or anything really. These are the greatest years of our lives; don’t squander it. So, if you're reading this, guy who said I was a bad influence, it's time to start eating those words.