Since my Freshman year, I have been highly involved in Operation Smile, a student club at Delbarton which raises money for children all over the world who have cleft lips and palates.  It has been one of the most rewarding and exciting activities I have experienced at Delbarton.

Throughout our lives, the ability to smile has seemed to be a natural action, as it is essentially is an innate reaction to the events around us. But what if this were not always the case? What if I were to tell you that a large number of children throughout the world cannot simply smile? That is exactly what Operation Smile addresses. Around the world, thousands and thousands of children have cleft lips and palates, which prevents them from accomplishing simple tasks such as smiling and vital tasks like eating. However, this affliction also impacts the emotional well-being of these children, as they are often outcast by their community for possessing this “devilish” condition. Even worse, those with cleft lips and palates do not have the opportunity to receive medical treatment for the disorder, as they lack access to safe surgery. This is where Operation Smile steps in; the funding we provide brings safe surgery to them. More specifically, Operation Smile ships teams of doctors, nurses, and volunteers to third-world countries to treat those afflicted with cleft lips and palates. By doing this, Operation Smile can significantly change the lives and livelihoods of the people with these conditions.

Joining Operation Smile has truly been a great decision during my time at Delbarton. Understanding that what you are doing is improving a great number of lives outside of this country has proved to be incredibly fulfilling for myself and the other members of the club. In addition to being a member of the club, I have also gone to the International Student Leadership Conference for the past two years. In general, the ISLC is a convention of people involved with Operation Smile all over the world, where we brainstorm and discuss how to further the development and progress of the organization. Without a doubt, by going to these conferences I have furthered by participation in the club, and have met people from all over the world, such as Panama and Vietnam.

Overall, I would highly recommend joining this club to anyone at Delbarton, whether it be a seventh grader or a junior. Unlike many other organizations out there, Operation Smile gives you the opportunity to have a significant impact on the world around you.  Please, feel free to contact me with any questions about Operation Smile.