While many students find themselves exhausted after a jam-packed day of school, sports, and social life, Margot Ebel ’27, finds time every Thursday to volunteer at the local service organization, Aaron’s Place.  

Established in 2004, Aaron’s Place is a day program for children and adults living with developmental and physical disabilities. Ebel, who volunteers at the Greenlake branch, said, “The location I volunteer at is a house with only adults. There are two houses next to each other and the one I volunteer at has around eight residents and four teachers” 

A typical volunteer shift for Ebel includes playing cards, board games, reading books, solving puzzles, and drawing with residents and teachers. 

When Ebel started volunteering at Aaron’s Place, it took some time to get acquainted with the environment and people there. “I was a bit intimidated at first mostly because I didn’t have a lot of experience working with people with disabilities,” Ebel said. 

Despite this initial apprehension, through consistency and openness, Ebel grew to be more comfortable and was able to deepen her relationship with the people she works with. 

“My biggest takeaway from serving at Aaron’s Place is that there is so much more to someone than meets the eye. After visiting several times, I got to know the residents and teachers more personally and learned how kind and welcoming they are.” 

From her experiences volunteering at Aaron’s place, Ebel is able to take the values she has learned and apply them to her daily life. “The residents, especially, have taught me to appreciate the little things in life, whether it’s winning a Jenga game or receiving a compliment, I’ve learned that every moment matters and shouldn’t be taken for granted.” 

Prep students not only challenge themselves in the classroom and on the sports field, but also in their dedication to serving with organizations throughout Seattle. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be difficult, however Ebel discovered a newfound sense of joy after doing so. 

“At Aaron’s Place I’ve realized how much I love volunteering and serving others. I enjoy helping others because it makes them feel good, and it’s also rewarding for me to know that I’ve made someone’s day a little better.”