{"id":36016,"date":"2017-02-21T09:20:30","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T16:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/practice-makes-purpose-kaplan-sbas-share-memories-about-boys-girls-clubs-of-america\/"},"modified":"2017-02-21T09:20:30","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T16:20:30","slug":"practice-makes-purpose-kaplan-sbas-share-memories-about-boys-girls-clubs-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/practice-makes-purpose-kaplan-sbas-share-memories-about-boys-girls-clubs-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Practice Makes Purpose: Kaplan SBAs Share Memories About Boys & Girls Clubs of America"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Practice<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what can happen when you practice with a purpose.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Last month, <\/span>we talked about how practice is good for you<\/span><\/a>\u2014and how it\u2019s even better when it\u2019s free, helps others, and promotes a purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why <\/span>Practice with a Purpose<\/span><\/a>, launched by Kaplan Test Prep and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, helps you get free practice options from the leader in test prep while also helping those in need access free test prep for their academic futures.<\/span><\/p>\n

First there\u2019s the practice<\/span><\/h2>\n

By participating in the free practice options we offer, you can get a good sense of where your strengths and weaknesses lie on one of the most important exams for your future. Practice as much as you want\u2014for free!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026 And then the purpose<\/span><\/h2>\n

Every practice option you take will help raise funds for scholarships given to kids in the <\/span>Boys & Girls Clubs of America<\/span><\/a> (BGCA)\u2014an organization providing safe and engaging spaces for youth to learn and grow across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaplan\u2019s Student Brand Ambassadors (SBAs) share how their time being part of BGCA has shaped them into the people they are today. Here\u2019s what they have to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

To feel like a kid again<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

My involvement with the Boys & Girls Club in San Diego was through my fraternity. We volunteered there, spending time with the kids. We organized games for them to play, did things like Zumba and dancing\u2014or basketball. Mostly, we wanted to do playful activities and just talk to them. The organization itself welcomed us with open arms, as they always love volunteers who are enthusiastic about helping with the kids. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>I always feel like I can learn something from volunteering or community service. That is why I am a huge proponent of Boys & Girls Clubs. My time there reminded me of what happiness really is. Getting caught up in all the requirements of a pre-med curriculum can get you extremely stressed and can make you forget about the little things. For example, studying for the MCAT and taking a full course load at school at the same time was tough on me, and I felt like I was always tired, and overall not my complete self.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Working with these kids reminded me how easy it is to have fun and be happy. They uplifted my spirits when I was with them. I felt like I absorbed their childhood spirit and I became more myself again. They reminded me of how to stay true to myself when life becomes busy or when you don’t have as much time as you used to have to cut loose. They reminded me that I am a kid at heart and to never forget that. They reminded me that it’s always important to have fun.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2014Vishal Tharani
\nStudent Brand Ambassador, Kaplan National Student Brand Ambassador Program
\nUniversity of California San Diego<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To provide a valuable service<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

At the Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana (Kentucky and Indiana combined), I helped watch kids in the classrooms after school. We would do art projects, make bracelets, and read books. It was really fun seeing that kids loved going there after school, and I loved seeing the staff so focused on keeping the kids engaged\u2014and out of trouble.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>I became involved with BGCA because I had to complete 20 service hours in high school involving a social justice issue. A friend of mine and I decided to do BGC of Kentuckiana (BGCK) together. We saw very quickly that the kids were really special. Many didn\u2019t have as much consistent guidance as other kids in their peer groups, having parents that worked late.<\/span><\/p>\n

The staff at BGCK would tell us how important it was to set a good example. These kids\u2019 parents needed to make sure their kids had a safe place to do their homework and just hang out until they got home from work\u2014something I think is very important. The price was also right for a lot of these families, which was also a big appeal for the parents who sent their kids there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone needs a person to push them in the right direction, and that’s why I think these kids are so deserving. BGCA is a safe place where kids can go after school, stay out of trouble, and get the appropriate guidance on their journeys in elementary and middle school.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

I felt like I was making an impact when the kids would tell me about their lives, and when I could give them advice that they could relate with. My favorite part was playing basketball with the kids (even though the eight-year-olds were 20 times better than me) because I could see that a lot of them were planning to continue playing in high school and were thinking about college. It was a great experience!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2014Delaney Adams
\nStudent Brand Ambassador, Kaplan National Student Brand Ambassador Program
\nUniversity of Alabama<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To learn respect and sportsmanship<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

I played baseball and flag football in the Boys & Girls Club league for about five years. Here, I not only learned how to play these sports, but I learned about the values of teamwork, hard work, and good sportsmanship. This league stressed those values tremendously, and made it a point to teach us at a young age how to be respectful athletes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

I loved my time at the Boys & Girls Club because I met a ton of lifelong friends, and had a wonderful time playing sports in a safe, friendly environment. The values and lessons I learned from playing there are ones that I still carry with me throughout my life.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2014Kenji Martinez
\nStudent Brand Ambassador, Kaplan National Student Brand Ambassador Program
\nFlorida International University<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Start doing yourself\u2014and someone else\u2014some good today with the practice option of your choice. Don\u2019t just practice; <\/span><\/i>practice with a purpose<\/span><\/i><\/a> with Kaplan and the Boys & Girls Club of America.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America<\/p>\n

At the more than 4,300 clubs across America, Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe and engaging place for every young person who enters its doors to build the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to be successful. Learn more at <\/span>bgca.org<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

The post Practice Makes Purpose: Kaplan SBAs Share Memories About Boys & Girls Clubs of America<\/a> appeared first on Business School Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s what can happen when you practice with a purpose. Last month, we talked about how practice is good for you\u2014and how it\u2019s even better when it\u2019s free, helps others,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,558,243,940],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-kaplan-blog","category-blog","category-gmat-prep-gmat","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36016\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}