PERSONAL GROWTH     Because I founded SOX IN A BOX at a very early age, the question I am most often asked is how volunteering has affected my life. I would tell anyone and everyone, especially young people my age, that volunteerism can enrich one's life in ways that one did not think possible and that working as a volunteer will absolutely change one's perspective in how he or she views the world. There is no question that one can never again be the same person, but that he or she will become a better person!!!     On a personal level, my volunteer work has allowed me to meet and work with everyone from clerics to educators to corporate sponsors to orphans to street people. My contacts with people who run other non-profits have taught me about the amazing dedication of so many selfless people in this world, and have provided me with the motivation to never give up on my dreams, integrity, or principles. Running a full-time business on a shoestring budget in high school has taught me responsibility at a very early age and the true meaning of feeling that a person's work is never done. Learning to inspire others and to speak in front of large groups has been one of my greatest accomplishments since I was essentially a shy person before I started SOX IN A BOX.     My biggest level of growth has probably come from my personal interactions with needy people. Initially my visits to orphanages and shelters made me feel guilty about all that I have and the disparity between my own life and those of most impoverished children. I felt helpless when I encountered people who had experienced suffering beyond anything that I could have imagined. However, after visiting needy people so often in the last few years, I have learned about the incredible courage of the people who face adversity. I am constantly amazed by the way people have made the most of what little they have, and live for each day in the best way that they can. As a result of these experiences, I have become a more content, compassionate, and caring person who is so appreciative of what I have and of the opportunity to live in one of the greatest countries on earth!     There have been so many unforgettable incidents connected with my work with SOX IN A BOX. Perhaps, one of the most memorable and symbolic ones took place when Goldman-Sachs, a major investment-banking firm, shipped our charity a huge box with the contents of a company sox drive. The fact that Goldman-Sachs, a company that lost sixty-seven employees in the World Trade Center 9/11 tragedy, took the time to send us socks is a testimonial to the belief that we are all on this planet to help each other! The donation by Goldman-Sachs is also a reminder that some of the most generous people in life are those that have known the most despair. Through donors like Goldman Sachs and through all the people that our charity tries to help, I have learned the greatest lesson of all: THAT THE HUMAN SPIRIT CAN DEFINE WHO WE ARE AND GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE THE MOST OVERWHELMING OBSTACLES! I have also learned that the will to survive is a powerful human emotion and that we must do all we can to support people in their desire for a better life. For this reason, I will continue my dream of providing needy people with socks and inspiration for as long as I am able!