Juniors in high school are not typically aware of what exactly it is they want to do after high school. There is a plethora of questions to answer: Will you go to college, or get a job? What college will you go to? What job do you want? These questions are seemingly overwhelming, but junior Lina Al-Tahhan already has an idea of what she wants to do after high school.

“[I want to go to] the UMKC six-year medical school. However, I’m also interested in the traditional medical school path, so I could do a more research-based study,” Al-Tahhan said. “I really enjoy the sciences, but I also really enjoy helping others. I feel like the medical field combines the two.”

UMKC, which stands for University of Missouri Kansas City, is a very competitive program, according to Al-Tahhan. For this reason, she has been involved in several volunteering activities in order to help her resume.

“They want experience in the medical field,” Al-Tahhan said. “I feel like volunteer work benefits me as a person, in addition to making my application look more impressive.”

She recently volunteered at an event that raised money for Multiple Sclerosis, an “autoimmune disease that attacks the brain.”

Junior Alysha Bell helped Al-Tahhan at the event, where participants biked to raise money to combat Multiple Sclerosis.

“Basically, we prepared and served food to the racers, as well as provided encouragement, even if we weren’t as good as the cheerleaders they had had the year before,” Bell said.

Bell finds Al-Tahhan’s involvement in charity events inspiring.

“The amount of effort she put into organizing the event and making it run as smoothly as possible was amazing,” Bell said. “By doing volunteer work, [like Lina], you are giving back to the community, as well as engaging in it.”

Al-Tahhan finds that volunteering has not only helped her gain experience for her application to UMKC, but has also helped change her.

“It makes me feel better to see that I made a difference in the world,” Al-Tahhan said. “I think volunteers are important to not only make the world a positive place, but to provide assistance to those who maybe otherwise would not receive help.”