The Texas Children's Junior Volunteer Program has taught me that a servant leader recognizes that she is equal to those who are in need and she is always actively listening. Additionally, a servant leader does not cower away from uncomfortable moments, but rather leans into fear and allows herself to be vulnerable with others. During my time at Texas Children's, I was very nervous to communicate with the Spanish-speaking families because I was not fluent in the language and I did not want to have any miscommunication. Ultimately, I reminded myself that I was there for the sole purpose of bringing comfort and joy to these families, and a language barrier should not prevent me from carrying out my service. I leaned into my fear and spoke the best Spanish that I could, and the families were immensely grateful for my attempts to make them feel valued and welcomed at TCH.

        The best moment of my time serving at TCH was when I personally hand-delivered a gift to a girl in the Legacy Tower. It was her birthday and a family relative had dropped off a huge teddy bear, which I had the honor of delivering to her. The bear was almost as big as me, which made it quite difficult to carry across the hospital, but it was all worth the smile she had on her face when I brought it into her room. I had never seen a child so radiant and excited for a gift that I had delivered before and I was equally excited to give it to her. This moment was my favorite of my whole experience at Texas Children's Hospital because it reinforces the fact that the smallest kind acts that I did made a huge impact on that girl's day. It made me so happy that she could experience so much joy and love on her birthday and I hope to continue to make small impacts on other people's lives beyond Texas Children's Hospital.