SATURDAY 24th-

As I sat anxiously awaiting my next task from the director of volunteers at Second Helpings, aimlessly staring at the computer screen, I realized that this organization I was helping was technologically years behind. So I decided to take action!

First off Second Helpings is multimillion dollar not-for-profit that recuses and prepares food from restaurants around the city of Indianapolis and has done this for the past 15 years. Sitting there I pondered the idea of how such a large company, who helps so many people every day, could be 10+ years behind in technology. It got me thinking. Here I am, doing menial data entry, (which for them is very important) while I could instead be redesigning there website, improving there social media influence, advertising for them, or helping them move into the 21st century in-general.

So when Mary Parks, the director of volunteers, called me to give me my daily assignment, I proposed some potential ideas that would ultimately transpose Second Helpings in to a 21st century business. These first raw ideas are what I believe is just the beginning for them. 

My original idea is simple: redesign the site so it can be easily understood by all visitors. The site as it sits now is confusing, filled with text hyperlinks and ambiguous descriptions. The challenge to this project is that there is an incredible amount of raw information on the site that is vital to the site that needs to be condensed into a streamline website. The webmaster at Second Helpings is no longer with the company, so there is no one who knows what they are doing running the website. It takes an awareness of visual design, as well as knowledge of psychology of web design to produce a great website. I happen to be skilled in both, and are more than willing to help them. 

Beyond the website Second Helpings must become more digital in everything aspect of its operation. In future meetings, I propose the idea of keeping tickets electronically and giving there delivery drivers iPad Minis, to keep track of who get what food. Second Helpings tagline is “transforming lives through food” I would like to “Transform Second Helpings through technology”

I had a great day today helping the people at Second Helpings. I helped them advance their website, as well as start a new project. I am glad to give my knowledge of technology to an organization who is making a difference in the community.

Up bright and early to get my volunteer on at Second Helpings.

A friend and I are currently developing a web based mobile application to track trips, calculate, fuel, and total costs. Not sure the name yet, that will be the last thing.

Yesterday I helped a local organization called Blessings in a Backpack. This is a charity that is spearheading local childhood hunger in my community. Every Friday, children who are on Center Grove Schools’ discount lunch program have the opportunity to take home a backpack full of food. My friends and I helped Blessings in a Backpack stuff the bags for the kids. It was a great experience and hope to do it again sometime soon. 

Tuesday I joined a group at Center Grove called CGAOM. We discuss/debate todays social issues. All of the discussions are student driven. The purpose of this group is open our minds to new ideas while further developing our personal value system. Each person has different views on the topics we discuss and anyone is always welcome. There are few groups in high schools today that dare to go where we go. We bring up import issues that are sometimes sensitive, but must be discussed. CGAOM is not religiously, politically, or socially affiliated with any one group. The goal of the group is to explore new, different, and opposing ideas with the intent of growing and opening our minds. We strive to understand and grasp this crazy thing we call the universe. 

Yesterday, once again, I shadowed Dr. Kesler at IU Medical Center. This time I joined him in the O.R. as he performed surgery. We operated on three cases. The first case Dr. Kesler removed a benign tumor from a woman’s right lung. They sent the sample to pathology to confirm that it was benign. The second case was headed by Dr. Thomas Birdas. He removed lymph nodes and 1/5 of a woman’s lung that was ridden with cancer(this is a lobectomy). The third case was a patient that had a perforated stomach and underdeveloped entrails. Dr. Kesler’s job was to reconstruct his esophagus. I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing experience. To be so close to an actual surgery is astonishing. This experience reconfirmed my passion to become a surgeon. 

Today I signed up to help with Seconds Helpings. They are a local based company that takes food, prepares it, and distributes it to local social services. I signed up to help in the kitchen as well as help them with digital design, videography, photography, and writing/editing. I hope by doing this I can not only positively affect the poor, but  also get my friends involved too.  

I am pleased to announce that I will be helping former Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Tarik Glenn with his DREAM Alive foundation and their Christmas celebration called DREAM Christmas. This will happen Monday December 12.

I completed a job shadow on November 16. I shadowed Dr. Kenneth A. Kesler, a thoracic surgeon at I.U. Medical Center in Indianapolis. It was an eye-opening experience that showed me an inside look into the medical world. It was a clinical day, so we reviewed patients files and discussed the option of surgery. At the end of clinicals, we visited post-op patients that are still recovering in the hospital.