By Jack McDermott

Online Managing Editor

“It doesnt matter what it is you’re doing as long as you’re doing something,” Klimek said.The bulletin board in the Service Club Room is always full with plenty of service opportunities, ranging from spending time with the elderly to doing yardwork.  This variety helps allow anyone to help, no matter their interests.  Senior Patryk Klimek found his niche in pediatric care and has done over 300 hours of service throughout his four years at Prospect.

Klimek loves to volunteer and has been helping since he was in middle school by tutoring, but he also is very interested in going into pre-med for college.  He was able to combine these two interests by volunteering at

 Oak Mill Pediatrics in Niles, ultimately leading to him doing the most hours of service out of everyone in Service Club.

Klimek was never alone in his desire to help; his mother has always acted as a strong influence for him to volunteer.

“My mom’s a really, really caring person so she encourages us to go help. She doesn’t make us, but she definitely encourages us,” Klimek said.

Klimek’s mom would often encourage him to volunteer for entire days and that is how he gained his love of helping others.  However, helping others has ended up coming back to reward Klimek as well.

During his freshman year, Klimek discovered that for every 70 hours of service you get half a credit, and ever since

“(Volunteering) actually helped me out a lot for colleges because I got an extra $5,000 each year just for doing Service Club.  I thought that was pretty cool because all you’re doing is volunteering and you are basically getting paid,” Klimek said. then he has attempted to get all his credits this way.

Similarly, there are many scholarship opportunities to apply for, as in an entire binder full of them in the College Resource Center, and it looks good on college applications.  Klimek took advantage of this and applied for a scholarship given by the Parent-Teacher Council (PTC).  These scholarships and credits will help Klimek pay for the University of Tampa.

Service Club itself, on the other hand, does not give out any awards for volunteering the most.

“We don’t give any big awards out because we want people to help because they want to, not to win some award,” David Jacobson, teacher-advisor to Service Club, said.

Instead, Jacobson believes the reward for doing service is the friends that one makes and the good feeling one receives while helping others and the community.

Klimek has cashed in on all three of these rewards, including gaining a friend, Gina George.

George has gone on about 20 service events with Klimek and knew him since freshman year but really became close through service club, especially after both being chosen to be on the executive board for Service Club.

George would describe all the people on the executive board as trustworthy, responsible, and very involved in service.  Because Klimek is on the board, he has to be a role model for younger students in the club and attend all the meetings as well as some club-wide service opportunities like the canned food drive.

George really enjoys volunteering and hopes to help others for the rest of her life, yet even she looks up to Klimek’s drive to do good, and according to her, the reason he helps is very simple.

“(Klimek) wants to give back to the community and is a very loving and generous person,” George said.

Punching in the time card

Freshman year: 17 hours (all service club)

Sophomore year: 144.5 hours (63.5 service club, 81 Oak Mill Pediatrics)

Junior year: 98.5 hours (61.5 service club, 37 Oak Mill Pediatrics)

Summer into senior year: 18 hours (all Oak Mill Pediatrics)

Senior year so far: 7 hours (all service club)