2018 Glammy Finalist Blog Series: Gisell Munoz, President
Today on GG Insider, Glammy Finalist Gisell Munoz of Asheboro High School is being featured! In her essay, she discusses how she was able to grow as a leader, spread the mission of GlamourGals to her high school community, and show that manicures and makeovers really are just half the story. Originally posted on 07/31/18.
What have you have learned from being a leader of your chapter? Describe one instance where you went above and beyond your responsibilities as a leader.
Having been Vice President my junior year, and President my senior year, one of the most important things that I have learned is that no matter the size of the chapter, younger volunteers are always looking up to you. As [a] leader, you have to set the perfect example [for] underclassmen, because eventually one of them is going to be in the same position that you are in right now.
The Asheboro High School GlamourGals chapter was never in a situation where we had to fundraise, but I did, however, help with recruiting new members. With co-leaders, I helped guide them with what their responsibilities would be, what to expect, and how to be a good example to the other GlamourGals volunteers. Our GlamourGals chapter really enjoys having makeovers, and whenever a holiday is coming up, we love to have a party for the seniors at the makeover. I have helped plan these makeovers, as well as helped get any materials needed. As [a] leader, I wanted to make sure that we could get as many of our volunteers at each makeover that we could. To make sure we could have all of our gals there, other members and I offered and gave rides to our younger members or members that could not drive, so that they did not miss out on an amazing experience.
Throughout my GlamourGals experience, I heard many people say “Oh, GlamourGals sounds like a girly club,” and after hearing comments like this, I tried to invite other members and organizations from Asheboro High School to our makeovers, to show them that GlamourGals is much more than just painting nails and doing makeup. When I served as Vice President, I invited a health science teacher from the school, who also serves as the Nursing Fundamentals teacher, which is a class that allows seniors to get their CNA while in high school. When she attended our makeover, she was impressed with the GlamourGals organization, and the connection we have built with the Cross Roads seniors.
This year, I also invited a couple of band members and the Asheboro High School Cometonix Acapella group, to play and sing for our December makeover. While the acapella group was unable to attend, the small band group attended, and a few members were also impressed with what GlamourGals does, and two of the band members even gave manicures to a couple of ladies. I have also tried to explain in depth to interested people, that GlamourGals is more about the connection you are building with our communities seniors, than the makeover, and how being a volunteer in GlamourGals truly makes you feel good in the heart, teaches you many different qualities, and you can even learn some life lessons from the seniors. GlamourGals has taught me many different leadership qualities and has helped me build a stronger connection with my community, something that I am very grateful for.
How have your experiences as a GlamourGals volunteer shaped your aspirations and future career goals?
Since I was a little girl, I always said that I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up. Having been in GlamourGals these past three years helped me assure that nursing is what I wanted to major in while at college. I was reassured after I realized how many ladies do not have family members to visit them or help them, and the nurses working at the nursing home are sometimes all they have. This made me realize that I wanted to continue to help others after college and serve them. Spending time with these lovely residents at Cross Roads has allowed me to obtain more experience and knowledge on important professional qualities that are needed in the nursing career, such as service, patience, ethics, and communication skills. Before GlamourGals, I did not have the best patience or communication skills, skills that are very important in the nursing career, especially when the ultimate goal is to make sure your patient receives the best care. GlamourGals also made me realize how much I enjoy serving others, and it is the reason that the bible verse of Acts 20:35 is one of my favorite verses, “It is better to give than to receive.” GlamourGals is the perfect example of this verse, because after volunteering, I feel very content with what I did, and know that I made others happy makes me happy. In college, I plan to start a GlamourGals chapter to continue this amazing journey. After graduating college and starting my career, I hope to visit less developed countries and help treat those that are not able to access medical attention, and I will use the qualities that GlamourGals helped me learn to reach this goal.