In trying times like today, it is more important now than ever, to integrate ourselves into the community. It does not have to be donating significant sums of money, but small day-to-day acts that can go the distance.

Last week, two of my friends and I came together to execute a presentation for the 12th-grade students of our alma mater. We narrated our own journeys post high school — how we got into college, the kinds of obstacles we faced, and the state of mind we needed to navigate around to reach where we are today.

We brought to light the importance of staying motivated, consistent with one’s efforts, and how to handle stress. By discussing ways to not spend all day on social media, we tried to address small, but real-time issues some 17-year olds might be facing. At that age, the dilemma of choosing the right college and course can be quite daunting. By just telling them that it would be alright, as long as they just figured things out one step at a time, they seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

We did not have any ulterior motives going into this session. All that we wanted to do was share our experiences and help some students push themselves out of the slump they might be in. We were so happy to receive the feedback we got from the teachers. They mentioned how perspectives coming from recent graduates like us, whom the students could relate to, invigorated in them a spirit of wanting to do more.

Life need not always be a give and take in a negative sense. As in this case, we gave them our insights and took away a wonderful experience. Your actions do not need to be big and mighty, they just need to help a few people around you. This way, one by one, we can all aim to make the world a better place to be in.

So, have you thought about how you can contribute today?