Last week, Bryan Zhang, now in grade 7, joined up with seniors Luke Wu, Kevin Kim and Jason Lee and junior Cuebeom Choi recognized for a special performance at a benefit event for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at the Palo Alto Country Club. The Palo Alto Daily News gave the young musicians a special “Thumbs Up” in its Dec. 4 edition.
—-
This story originally appeared in the spring 2014 Harker Quarterly. Bryan Zhang, grade 5, recently received a certificate from the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in recognition of his philanthropic efforts. Four years ago, when the Los Altos resident was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, his nurses brought him a stuffed teddy bear, which he found very comforting. Zhang began thinking about all the other sick children at the hospital and wondering whether they also received such gifts to help ease their hospital stays. He donated some of his own souvenirs, then, with his parents’ help, formed the World Toys for Children Foundation to support the hospital with donations that “educate, inspire imagination and comfort sick children.”
After being diagnosed as a freshman with hypothyroidism – a disorder in which the thyroid gland fails to produce sufficient thyroid hormone, causing fatigue, lack of focus and other symptoms – Samantha Madala, now grade 11, became determined to help prevent health problems from interfering with children’s education.
To that end, Madala founded Healthy Scholars last year to raise awareness of health issues that could stymie education. In December, Madala and her team trekked to Varni, India, to perform screenings for medical problems that could be obstacles to learning. Healthy Scholars worked with organizations in India, including the Lions Club, NICE Hospital and LEAD Foundation, to offer blood pressure tests, individual medical consultations, dental exams, vision and hearing tests and more to nearly 600 schoolchildren.
“Students who exhibited symptoms such as intense fatigue, inability to concentrate, memory loss, weight gain, cold intolerance, irregular menstrual cycles and dry skin were referred to bloodwork,” Madala said. “During the screening process, I also interviewed and helped identify girls who were suffering from hypothyroidism, like me, and had yet to be diagnosed.” Healthy Scholars paid for the necessary blood tests with funds provided by donors and other charitable organizations.
Those with impacted hearing were treated to ear cleanings with an ear wax removal device provided by Clear Ear, whose president Lily Truong is also on the Healthy Scholars team. The Meghna Institute of Dental Sciences offered free dental cleanings to students with dental problems. “Ultimately, students received thorough physical examinations, with emphasis on symptoms that can impact learning, and were connected to affordable or free treatment options. For many of these students, our screening was the first physical health exam they had ever received,” Madala recalled.
That same month, Healthy Scholars kicked off a fundraising effort, raising nearly $4,000 via fundraising website Crowdrise. An additional $25,000 donation enabled Health Scholars to stage more screenings. Madala is planning another trip to Varni in early June. Stateside efforts are also on the agenda. “We also aim to hold a similar health screening camp for at-risk Native American youth in Montana.”
Healthy Scholars also is looking into the possibility of partnering with Stanford University’s Medical Scholars Research Program, which would provide the opportunity to conduct medical research at screenings. An iPhone app designed to help maintain ear, nose and throat health – with a focus on ear and thyroid problems – is also in the works.
More information about Healthy Scholars and its current activities can be found at its website. Healthy Scholars is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, so all donations to the organization are tax-deductible.
This spring saw an amazing number of important outreach efforts at both Harker’s lower and upper schools. At the lower school, grade 1 students broke a new record raising funds for animals living at the Humane Society. Additionally, a number of grade 5 girls took it upon themselves to help sew items for local charities, and a grade 5 boy started a foundation providing sick children with comforting toys. Meanwhile, happenings at the upper school included a freshman serving as a featured speaker for an organization that seeks to eradicate child labor; a senior receiving an award for her advocacy work on behalf of the hearing impaired; and two juniors working to improve the lives of women in poverty. Read on for a more detailed overview of all of these outreach efforts, each one significant in its own right.
Grade 1 Students Raise Money, Create and Collect Items for Shelter Animals
Grade 1 students at the lower school recently completed their annual community service project for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. The entire first grade student body worked to improve the lives of the shelter’s displaced rabbits, dogs and cats by collecting monetary donations as well as buying needed supplies and making toys for distribution to the animals.
“It was pretty sweet to get Ziplock bags filled with dollar bills and coins. Every bit made a difference … We also collected over 50 bags of food, toys, rabbit hay, treats, collars, leashes, blankets, sheets and towels. We also raised over $1,250. A new record!” reported Cindy Proctor, a grade 1 homeroom teacher who helped oversee the project.
To learn as much as possible about the Humane Society – an 80-year-old independent, nonprofit animal shelter – the children toured the nearby Silicon Valley facility. Following the fun and informative outing, the students decorated a bulletin board with photos of themselves and their animal friends. They also made pet blankets and toys for donation.
Parents played a role as well, as the children were encouraged to earn extra money for the Humane Society at home by doing small jobs around the house.
“The animals will be really happy because they will feel special when they receive all their gifts,” observed grade 1 student Angelina Burrows, who said she spent time cleaning her room to help raise money for the shelter effort.
Her classmate, Stefan Maxim, said he did “a bunch” of extra jobs to help raise money as well, including watering the garden, washing the car and “even washing the house!”
“I want to express our gratitude for the support of the entire Bucknall campus. This grade 1 donation drive was a huge success!” enthused Proctor.
Grade 5 Student Honored for Philanthropic Work at Children’s Hospital
Bryan Zhang, grade 5, recently received a certificate from the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in recognition of his philanthropic efforts there providing young patients with comforting toys.
“This hospital means a lot to me, and the patients there deserve the service and toys. I am delighted to be helping the Lucile Packard’s Children Hospital,” said Zhang.
Four years ago, when the Los Altos resident was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, his nurses brought him a stuffed teddy bear, which he found very reassuring. Upon returning home, Zhang began thinking about all the other sick children at the hospital and wondering whether they also received such gifts to help ease their hospital stays.
He had a lot of souvenirs from countries he had visited while traveling with his parents and decided to donate them to children at the hospital – an idea he shared with the staff at the hospital. They were very receptive to the suggestion. Soon after, Zhang’s parents helped him carry his vision even further by forming the nonprofit World Toys for Children Foundation, whose mission is to “support Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital with donations that educate, inspire imagination and comfort sick children.”
Now, thanks to Zhang and his parents, many sick children at the hospital will benefit from the cheering effect that new toys can bring to young patients.
Grade 5 Students Spend Presidents’ Break Volunteering for Sew for Love Program
Five fifth grade girls shared the joy of volunteering during a fun community service project called Sew for Love, an event consisting of sewing needed items for local charities.
Nilisha Baid had heard about the opportunity via her Girl Scouts group. She had met the Sew for Love organizer at other Girl Scout events and been wanting to volunteer herself. So she decided to ask some of her classmates to join her at this year’s 12th annual Sew For Love, which was held on a weekend over the Presidents’ Week break.
There, she and some of her friends (fellow grade 5 students: Ankita Kundu, Advika Phadnis, Pramiti Sankar and Arushi Saxena) joined other volunteers who were working in shifts on projects together.
Whether busy at the sewing machine, scissors cutting, hand sewing or threading, Sew for Love volunteers were able to combine their efforts to produce some 871 items in just two days. Completed items included child and adult quilts, pet beds, tote and drawstring bags, fleece hats, bean bag chairs, and small “Pocket Love Bears.”
Reflecting back upon their volunteer work, Baid and her Harker pals agreed it was a very rewarding experience to learn to assemble and sew a variety of items for a worthy cause. And, as an added bonus since the event, all the girls have now signed up to be Girl Scouts together, where they are sure to continue to enjoy further shared communal outreach efforts.
Grade 11 Students Work to Help Empower Impoverished Women and Children
When grade 11 student Ashwini Iyer was in seventh grade she went off to Tanzania, Africa, with her father and a school teacher to help orphans there learn math and English. It was that firsthand experience, she said, that planted the seeds for her current volunteer efforts striving to empower poverty stricken women and children from around the globe.
“Ever since then, I have been trying to find ways to give back and help those who are not as fortunate without having to travel too far,” said Iyer, who is the founder and president of Harker’s Rising International Club. The club is one of several local chapters of an international nonprofit by the same name whose mission to help end world poverty
On March 30, Iyer, with the help of schoolmate and club vice president Roshni Pankhaniya, grade 11, hosted a home-based fundraising event attended by about 60 Harker students and parents, as well as neighbors and family friends. All proceeds from the house party, which totaled $4,226 (with more donations expected to flow in from people who could not attend but wanted to donate) went directly to the Rising organization.
In addition to selling arts and crafts made by women locally and in developing nations, they hosted several guest speakers including Rising’s CEO Carmel Jud and Saratoga city council candidate Pragati Grover. Jud and Grover discussed the topic of women empowerment and the importance of teaching impoverished women around the world how to run their own sustainable micro-enterprises.
Iyer originally met Jud at the Khaled Hosseini Harker Speaker Series event held at the upper school last year, which she was covering for journalism. “As we talked, I explained my experiences, and how much I wanted to give back to my community, and she told me to contact her to see if I could get involved in her organization,” recalled Iyer.
Iyer then began her volunteer work with Rising International by working with Jud and two students from other high schools to organize a successful large scale fundraiser at the AMC 14 theaters in Saratoga, as well as their own private home parties.
“Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed with grades and college applications, but we have to remember that many of these women and children would give anything for these worries. Since we are so blessed, I believe that it is our duty to help them and share all that we have,” said Iyer.
“Growing up in Silicon Valley we are in a relatively sheltered environment and I find it really important for all of us to realize that the world isn’t as perfect as it seems. I saw Rising as a wonderful way to bring attention to the cause,” added Pankhaniya.
Zina Jawadi, grade 12, received Harker’s Community Service Spotlight Award at a recent Monday morning school meeting. At the gathering she was given a $200 check from the upper school community service program, which she in turn donated to the Hearing Loss Association of America’s (HLAA) Walk4Hearing event to help promote awareness about children with hearing loss.
The community service spotlight awards are given several times during the school year. They were created to celebrate and honor outstanding community service by upper school students.
In her acceptance speech at the meeting, Jawadi explained that HLAA is the largest national nonprofit support and advocacy organization serving people with hearing loss, with 200 chapters and tens of thousands of members.
A couple years ago Jawadi, who herself has hearing loss, became the youngest board member of any HLAA board nationwide. Shortly after, she was nominated and unanimously elected HLAA-CA secretary. And, she was recently voted HLAA-CA vice president. Among her work for the cause, Jawadi has organized and spearheaded youth events, conventions and fundraisers. She also has been asked to serve as a guest speaker on behalf of the organization.
Previously, between her freshman and sophomore years, she launched a used hearing aid collection in the Bay Area on behalf of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, an effort which she has continued by signing up 29 audiologists and hearing aid dispensers, and collecting more than 600 hearing aids for needy people with hearing loss.
During her speech, Jawadi noted that she used to be inspired to do community service because of her hearing loss. However, she said her source of inspiration has since changed as she is simply grateful to be able to serve people with disabilities, who she believes face more socioeconomic and educational barriers than all other minorities combined.
“Zina was selected to receive our community outreach award because of her passion for community service,” said Kerry Enzensperger, director of community service and activity director.
“She has turned in over 500 hours of community service but continues to volunteer without turning in hours because she so loves what she does! In fact, if she did turn in her hours she would be over 1,000 hours of community service,” said Enzensperger.
Grade 9 Student Presents Alongside Celebrities at Free the Children’s WE Day
Harker freshman Arjun Subramaniam recently joined celebrities and prominent activists in addressing an audience of more than 16,000 children from various California schools gathered at the Oakland Arena for an event called WE Day.
The event, held on March 26, was sponsored by an organization called Free the Children, which works to eradicate child labor in developing nations. After being introduced by actress Selena Gomez, Subramaniam took to the stage to speak about his work with the nonprofit organization. He then presented a short segment, telecast live, on the story of a young child laborer called Iqbal Masih.
Masih’s story had originally inspired the founding of Free the Children by a man named Craig Kielburger back in 1995. Kielburger was only 12 years old when he gathered 11 school friends to begin fighting child labor, laying the seeds for the organization.
Today, Free the Children is an international charity and educational partner that believes “in a world where all children are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change.” The organization works domestically to educate, engage and empower youth to become active local and global citizens.
Subramaniam said he first got involved with Free the Children after reading an article about child labor and being upset to learn that kids his own age and younger were being forced to work up to 15 hours a day and denied an education.
“While perusing the Web for organizations that were targeting this issue, I came across Free the Children, and their mission shared many parallels with my interests and passion,” recalled Subramaniam, noting that, by chance, the organization’s only office in the United States was just a few minutes away from his house.
Last year Subramaniam brought a Free the Children representative to speak at the middle school. Shortly after, he and a couple of friends set up a fundraiser on campus to help raise money for the cause.
“I have also talked to leading figures in the child labor movement in India, including Kailash Satyarthi, whose organization has rescued hundreds of thousands of child laborers and successfully petitioned the Indian government to change its child labor laws,” he said.
Speaking at the recent We Day was a transformative experience for Subramaniam. “Everyone there has inspired me to keep being part of the fight to eradicate child labor,” he said.
The beginning of March officially heralded Jump Rope for Heart season at the lower school. On March 7, K-5 students took to the blacktop in an annual effort to raise money for the American Heart Association.
Donations were still rolling in after the jumping activities ended. As of March 14, students had raised $4,012. Grade 3 student Rohan Gorti personally raised $1,610 through online donations. Lower school students, who had been collecting donation pledges for some time, spent the day on a variety of stations set up to celebrate their efforts.
They had a field day jumping rope, high jumping onto soft mats, doing the limbo, leaping over makeshift hurdles, crawling through obstacle courses, shooting baskets and participating in other fun activities. Some teachers got in on the action too, by helping to turn a rope, supervise the jumpers for a class period and jumping alongside them.
“Thanks to all of our P.E. staff for the work done on the jump day and to all of our students who collected donations and turned them in!” said Jim McGovern, who works in the lower school’s athletic department and helped organize the event.
On March 14, the Harker community united for the eighth-annual Harker Cancer Walk. The symbolic effort, held on the middle school field, netted more than $12,000 for Camp Okizu, a record-breaking total.
“It was an unprecedented amount. We have never cleared the five-digit figure before, but this year we … shot past it like a rocket. That’s enough to send as many as 15 children to Camp Okizu, which makes me so delighted, I can’t keep from smiling!” enthusedMichael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher. He had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his mother due to cancer.
Students, parents, faculty, staff and family members from all of Harker’s campuses walked in support of Camp Okizu, which for more than 30 years has provided peer support, respite, mentoring and recreational programs for those affected by childhood cancer.
“This very special summer camp provides the facilities of a hospital, while also providing wide open countryside and camp activities to the children and their families. It’s a place where campers can run, swim, kayak and just be a kid. It costs roughly $700 to $1,000 to send one child to this camp,” reported Schmidt.
Participants wore ribbons and music played throughout the event. To supplement direct donations, volunteers sold T-shirts, water bottles, Jamba Juice, baked goodies, temporary tattoos and wristbands.
In a special activity following the walk, all of the advisories made gifts for camp members. Harker students diligently prepared some 150 wooden photo frame decoration kits for use by campers and their families.
“Eight years ago, we started an event at the middle school called the Harker Cancer Walk. It brought the entire campus together in the name of cancer awareness. Cancer is a disease that is vast and, in one form or another, touches nearly everyone. It can be a heart-wrenching experience when neighbors, co-workers, friends and loved ones are struck with this potentially devastating diagnosis,” said Cindy Ellis, middle school head.
Ellis explained that prior to the event, advisories had been busy decorating the “biggest Cancer Walk poster ever created.” The result of the collaborative effort – a poster that was 8 feet tall by more than 30 feet wide – hung on the gym wall from March 10-14.
“Harker was good enough to let me start this event after my mom passed away in 2006 and it has been used as a healing process for me and many others over the years. I’m honored to keep up the tradition,” said Schmidt.
Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra Foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for young cancer patients to enjoy regular camp activities and social events. The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means unity. For more information about the camp, go to: http://www.okizu.org/about.
On March 14, the Harker community united for the eighth-annual Harker Cancer Walk. The symbolic effort, held on the middle school field, netted more than $12,000 for Camp Okizu, a record-breaking total.
“It was an unprecedented amount. We have never cleared the five-digit figure before, but this year we … shot past it like a rocket. That’s enough to send as many as 15 children to Camp Okizu, which makes me so delighted, I can’t keep from smiling!” enthusedMichael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher. He had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his mother due to cancer.
Students, parents, faculty, staff and family members from all of Harker’s campuses walked in support of Camp Okizu, which for more than 30 years has provided peer support, respite, mentoring and recreational programs for those affected by childhood cancer.
“This very special summer camp provides the facilities of a hospital, while also providing wide open countryside and camp activities to the children and their families. It’s a place where campers can run, swim, kayak and just be a kid. It costs roughly $700 to $1,000 to send one child to this camp,” reported Schmidt.
Participants wore ribbons and music played throughout the event. To supplement direct donations, volunteers sold T-shirts, water bottles, Jamba Juice, baked goodies, temporary tattoos and wristbands.
In a special activity following the walk, all of the advisories made gifts for camp members. Harker students diligently prepared some 150 wooden photo frame decoration kits for use by campers and their families.
“Eight years ago, we started an event at the middle school called the Harker Cancer Walk. It brought the entire campus together in the name of cancer awareness. Cancer is a disease that is vast and, in one form or another, touches nearly everyone. It can be a heart-wrenching experience when neighbors, co-workers, friends and loved ones are struck with this potentially devastating diagnosis,” said Cindy Ellis, middle school head.
Ellis explained that prior to the event, advisories had been busy decorating the “biggest Cancer Walk poster ever created.” The result of the collaborative effort – a poster that was 8 feet tall by more than 30 feet wide – hung on the gym wall from March 10-14.
“Harker was good enough to let me start this event after my mom passed away in 2006 and it has been used as a healing process for me and many others over the years. I’m honored to keep up the tradition,” said Schmidt.
Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra Foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for young cancer patients to enjoy regular camp activities and social events. The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means unity. For more information about the camp, go to: http://www.okizu.org/about.
On March 14, the Harker community united for the eighth-annual Harker Cancer Walk. The symbolic effort, held on the middle school field, netted more than $12,000 for Camp Okizu, a record-breaking total.
“It was an unprecedented amount. We have never cleared the five-digit figure before, but this year we … shot past it like a rocket. That’s enough to send as many as 15 children to Camp Okizu, which makes me so delighted, I can’t keep from smiling!” enthusedMichael Schmidt, middle school computer science teacher. He had the idea for the fundraiser following the passing of his mother due to cancer.
Students, parents, faculty, staff and family members from all of Harker’s campuses walked in support of Camp Okizu, which for more than 30 years has provided peer support, respite, mentoring and recreational programs for those affected by childhood cancer.
“This very special summer camp provides the facilities of a hospital, while also providing wide open countryside and camp activities to the children and their families. It’s a place where campers can run, swim, kayak and just be a kid. It costs roughly $700 to $1,000 to send one child to this camp,” reported Schmidt.
Participants wore ribbons and music played throughout the event. To supplement direct donations, volunteers sold T-shirts, water bottles, Jamba Juice, baked goodies, temporary tattoos and wristbands.
In a special activity following the walk, all of the advisories made gifts for camp members. Harker students diligently prepared some 150 wooden photo frame decoration kits for use by campers and their families.
“Eight years ago, we started an event at the middle school called the Harker Cancer Walk. It brought the entire campus together in the name of cancer awareness. Cancer is a disease that is vast and, in one form or another, touches nearly everyone. It can be a heart-wrenching experience when neighbors, co-workers, friends and loved ones are struck with this potentially devastating diagnosis,” said Cindy Ellis, middle school head.
Ellis explained that prior to the event, advisories had been busy decorating the “biggest Cancer Walk poster ever created.” The result of the collaborative effort – a poster that was 8 feet tall by more than 30 feet wide – hung on the gym wall from March 10-14.
“Harker was good enough to let me start this event after my mom passed away in 2006 and it has been used as a healing process for me and many others over the years. I’m honored to keep up the tradition,” said Schmidt.
Located in the Berry Creek area of the Sierra Foothills and mirroring a residential camp experience, Camp Okizu provides a safe place for young cancer patients to enjoy regular camp activities and social events. The name Okizu (oak-eye-zoo) comes from the Sioux language and means unity. For more information about the camp, go to: http://www.okizu.org/about.
The fifth-annual Kicks Against Cancer boys and girls varsity soccer games raised more than $5,000 for children who attend Camp Okizu, a camp for cancer patients and their families.
“Camp Okizu provides peer support, respite, mentoring and recreational programs to meet the needs of all members of families affected by childhood cancer. The amount raised this year will help send five children to camp this summer,” reported Dan Molin, upper school athletic director.
The recent games were also a huge success out on the field. “Boys varsity started the double-header with a 6-0 victory over Pinewood. The girls also won by the score of 6-0 v. Summit Prep,” enthused Chris Collins, who works with Molin as an assistant.
The upper school’s Davis Field was the scene of the match off against Summit Preparatory High School and Pinewood High School. Grade 12 students Apurva Gorti and Julia Fink served as Harker’s boys and girls soccer captains, respectively.
The Kicks Against Cancer event got its start four years ago as a collaboration between the Class of 2010 and the varsity soccer coaches. Since then, the event has continued to serve as an opportunity to raise money for Camp Okizu, which runs week-long camp programs in Berry Creek.
This year’s fundraising efforts included a bake sale and T-shirt sale (the $12 T-shirts served as tickets to the games). The soccer teams also used long lunch periods leading up to the games as an opportunity to sell beanies, full-sleeve purple shirts, visors, bracelets and pens. Donations also were accepted during lunch periods.
As in previous years, faculty and staff were invited to pledge money for the number of goals the teams scored. There was even a silly half-time “butts-up” game in which students paid money to try and kick a ball at their favorite teacher’s backside. Game officials also donated their fees to the cause by officiating the games pro-bono.
In addition, the CIF/Central Coast Section website, http://www.cifccs.org/, is featuring the Kicks Against Cancer story and photo!
“The organization and leadership of the fundraiser was all student-driven,” said Molin.
To donate directly to Camp Okizu, visit www.okizu.org.
This story was submitted by Harker parent Heather Wardenburg (Frederick, grade 5).
Hundreds of families’ Thanksgiving feasts were made better by the generosity of the Harker community. The grade 5-sponsored food drive, under the leadership of longtime Harker math teacher Pat Walsh, collected 400 bags of food and $4,332.77 for the St. Justin’s Food Pantry. St. Justin’s Community Outreach Program serves about 2,900 people each month. Harker’s donations helped fill Thanksgiving baskets for 750 families. Walsh, who has been organizing the annual event for 30 years, was thrilled by the donations from the lower school community. “I never cease to be amazed by the generosity of the Harker Community,” he said.
Many thanks to the grade 5 student council for promoting the event, the grade 5 teachers and administration for their support, grade 4-5 division head Kristin Giammona for her help and support, lower school dean Ken Allen for his help in loading, unloading and driving the truck, and the wonderful parent and student volunteers.
Walsh’s enthusiasm and dedication to this program inspired all involved to make the Thanksgiving of these 750 families even better!
Senior Alicia Clark was awarded Harker’s Community Service Spotlight Award at a recent Monday morning school meeting. At the gathering, she received a $200 check from the Harker Upper School Community Service Program, which she in turn donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto.
The Community Service Spotlight Awards are sponsored by Harker’s outreach department and take place several times during the school year. They were created to celebrate and honor the outstanding community service completed by upper school students.
In her acceptance speech at the meeting, Clark explained that she began doing community service in grade 7 when she joined the National Charity League (NCL), a mother/daughter organization that helps less fortunate community members. Since then she has completed more than 500 volunteer hours with more than 15 organizations.
“Today, I have been asked to tell my story and talk a little bit about why I love community service,” said Clark in he speech. “I joined NCL to be a more active member of my community even though at the age of 12 I never could have known exactly what that meant. My first experience was making flower pens and cookies to put in a gift basket for Meals on Wheels. I grew up feeling very lucky and thankful for everything I had. I can’t imagine not having everything that my parents have worked so hard to give me. So, I just want to help others feel as lucky as I have always felt.”
Clark went onto say that community service can be a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family while also helping others in need. “You get to see for a moment how the world is so much bigger than you and how you have the ability to help your fellow humans. I can’t imagine my life without all of the organizations I have volunteered with and I really encourage those of you who have not had the opportunity to get involved in the community to start now,” she concluded.