Code of Ethics

As a volunteer at an organization, you are expected to abide by certain standards set by the organization.
Oftentimes there are gray areas and each individual must have a firm understanding of their own morals,
ethics, and standards in order to make the right decision. Having a well-thought-out code of ethics is also a
critical component of growing up, as it will shape the steps you take as you navigate life.

Choose 5 major ethics/values that you find most important -- here is a good list to start your thinking. This is a
set of moral principles that guide you as a person, things that you believe critical to your own success and
well-being as well as the well-being of society as a whole.

Please address each of the following with one paragraph for each, and leave the questions above each
response. This is not an essay, so it won’t follow the traditional 5-paragraph structure.

What are the five values that you find most important and why?
The first value that I find the most important to me is integrity. The reason for me choosing integrity is because
it is important to do the right thing especially when no one is looking. The second value that is important to me
is honesty. The reason for me choosing honesty is because it is important to be honest especially towards
yourself and other people. The third value that is important to me is boldness. I chose this value because it is
important to be bold in life especially when it comes to certain scenarios where you have to be bold. The fourth
value that is very important to me is kindness. The reason I chose this value is because it has a huge impact
on the people around you and it is important to be kind to people. The fifth value that is important to me is
spirituality. I feel that it is important to know that there is a God and to know that there is an all mighty powerful
being much stronger than us humans.

What influences (i.e. parents, religion, society, etc.) have helped form your view of ethics and morals?
The first person that helped me from my view of ethics and morals is my mother. I chose my mother for this
because she is a very kind and honest person. She also told me to be honest and kind towards others, which
is very important. Another influence that helped me from my views and morals is my uncle. The reason for
choosing my uncle is because he showed me that it is not cool to be selfish and be more thoughtful and kind
towards others. Another influence that helped me from my view of ethics is my grandfather. I chose my
grandfather because he is a kind soul who was nothing but kind and selfless. The way he is as a person
inspired me to be more selfless and kind.

How do you expect those values to impact your choices throughout life? Predict some possible
challenges you may face, considering your goals after high school, and how your values will shape
your decisions in response to those challenges.
I feel that these values will impact my choice throughout life in a positive way. The possible challenges I will
face after high school will be career wise. The reason for this is because I don’t know what kind of business I
want to own. I feel that my values will guide me in the long run of life and I will find a career that will make me
successful. This is the reason why I believe my values will impact my life choices especially when i graduate
high school.

Define civic virtue and what makes a “good citizen” in our society. Why is it important to have civic
virtue and what are the benefits to society?

The civic virtue is to be a good person in a governmental society. I believe what makes a good citizen in a
society is to help others around you. In order to be a good citizen especially in society, you have to help others
around you and you can be selfish. Donating to charities is another good example of what I believe is a good
citizen especially in society. It is important to have civic virtue because you can inspire other citizens in society
to be a good citizen by demonstrating thoughtfulness and helpfulness. The benefits in society is to show
people that being a good citizen can help others want to be a good citizen too.

Describe a specific example of an ethical dilemma that you have experienced and how you handled it.
This can be something you are proud of or something that you regret. Reflect on your choices, your
reasoning, and what you would do differently in the future.

I have an example of an ethical dilemma. This ethical dilemma happened when I walked in Ms V room during
the third period. She didn’t have a third but she was busy cleaning up the mess from her home ec class that
was in second period. I felt bad because it seemed like a lot of cleaning, and she was by herself. So I either
could have chosen to sit back and watch her clean by herself or help her clean the mess in her class room. I
chose to help her clean the mess in her classroom because the mess could be cleaned faster and it would help
Ms V on not stressing to hurry up and clean her room. I am proud of the decision I made.

Why is it important for each individual to have a code of ethics?

I feel that it is important for each individual to have a code of ethics. The reason for this is because people who
have a code of ethics will make society a better place for everyone. When people have these codes of ethics it
shows that there are good people in the world which is very important. Moral ethics would have a huge positive
impact on the world to be more nice to people or make society a better place. These are my reasons for
individuals to have a code of ethics.

What has this assignment taught you?

This assignment has taught me that having a moral ethics code is very important. I feel that this assignment
got into great detail by going over a code of ethics and asking me very specific questions. I think this was a
good assignment to reflect on certain things in life. This assignment was very helpful because it also reflects on
people morally. This was a good assignment.