I believe that I seek excellence through service. In the spring of my freshman year, I got my dog, Daisy, certified with the Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dog . As a certified dog handler, I am able to bring Daisy to libraries and nursing homes. Since Daisy seems to have a real connection with young children, we have made a name for ourselves in local libraries encouraging literacy among children. Daisy and I are part of the “read to a dog” program designed to encourage children to read aloud and become comfortable with books. This past summer, we expanded outside of the libraries and went to a day camp with a couple hundred kids. Here, we taught kids what therapy dogs do, and how they help our community. Not only do the children look forward to seeing us, but we love going and watching them become more comfortable readers.