Summer volunteers

Even though school's out, some students still find a way to stay busy - and not by flexing those thumb muscles on a remote or video game controller.

Andrea Quiroz, executive director of Odessa Links, said she's seen an increase in teens wanting to give back to the community by volunteering during the summer. She added that the Texas Scholars program is a "perfect program for youth, because once they volunteer, if their hearts are in it, they come back year after year."

Volunteering during the summer isn't only convenient for students, but for organizations as well.

"It's important to have volunteers because our regular drivers have their vacation time - (summer's) time for them to have a break," Margaret Burton, executive director of Meals on Wheels said. "It's also good for students because they don't have to worry about volunteering during school."

Burton said the Texas Scholars volunteers learn the importance of volunteering for their community.

"It's a chance for young people to see how the elderly live," Burton said. "So many of them don't understand how some of our citizens live."

In addition to being an introduction to new things, Quiroz said volunteering can also prepare someone for a career, which is what Vanessa Cortez, a senior at Odessa High, considers her volunteering as.

Cortez volunteers at Odessa Day Nursery, which is the same place she went for day care.

"It's nice coming back," she said. "It also helps me with school (Texas Scholars), and I have fun."

Cortez helps tend to the children with matters like nap time and playtime. Although the Texas Scholars volunteer requirement is only 20 hours for high school seniors, Cortez said she gets more than 100 hours each summer.

"I enjoy it, otherwise I wouldn't be coming back," she said. "It also helps me to decide if I want to do this as my career."