Gabe Lugo - What I Care About

As cliche as it may sound, the thing I care about most is helping others. Some may say that's really vague. I feel like it needs to be in order to describe what I care about. My professional lives and personal lives have been shaped by this passion for quite some time. That's not to say that I'm without my moments of selfishness, but at least those moments of selfishness are usually followed by at least some degree of guilt. What I care most about in helping others is their growth, success, and wellbeing. As a young kid I was a boy scout, safety patrol, and I organized food drives. When I got a bit older I volunteered with the special olympics, and generally did as much as I could to help the less fortunate however I could. In my personal life, I spent a lot of time trying to help people who were dealing with personal and family issues. I brought my great satisfaction to make people feel better about their lives and about themselves. Now, as an adult I'm still continuing to help others whenever I can. I spent time volunteering with an after-school program at a local church, and I even enlisted in the military a few years ago. The military thing didn't work out, but that wasn't my choice, I was injured in training and was medically discharged. In lieu of a military career, I decided I would rather help people in the public safety field here at home. I am going to graduate with a  degree in emergency preparedness soon and I hope to work in emergency management so I can help with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. I think that helping people in need is my calling, and I can't think of a field where you do this more than in disaster relief. My inspiration for this career choice came from a young age. One of my earliest memories as a child is the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Hurricane Andrew was one of the most devastating natural disasters in US history, and I lived in Tampa, Florida at the time which was directly hit. My family barely made it out, but I remember some of the details and I remember seeing how badly my neighbors and our community had it. It's pretty crazy to have that as one of your first memories in your life, and it has stuck with me to this day. I can't think of a better way to fulfill this life passion than in the career field I've chosen for myself, and I think that it really embodies my passion for helping others.