Service
I have dedicated over 100 hours of my high school career to serving my community through many different clubs and organizations.
Here are a few of the organizations and events that I am passionate about serving.
American Red Cross ~ Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish ~ Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson ~ Lions Clubs International ~ Sunrise WALKS Association ~ Soup Angels ~ South Orangetown Central School District Red and White Club ~ People to People
Reviving TZ Blood Drive
I was very passionate about reviving the TZ Blood Drive because it has always been a big way for the community to come together, and give back. In the past, the TZ Blood Drive has been recognized within the district and even the state. Tappan Zee High School has been named a New York Yankees High School Blood Donor Championship team repeatedly. Since 2018, the TZ blood drive has suffered from inactivity, which was compounded by the pandemic. By hosting the blood drive again this year, I am hoping to continue this legacy and help those in need.
I’m so grateful that the Student Organization was willing to aid me in hosting a blood drive. I have been anticipating the return of the blood drive for a long time, and being the one to initiate and carry out this event, has been such a fulfilling experience. As someone who has been in Student Organization since my freshman year and is now the president, I’m so glad to have the opportunity to plan and execute the TZ Blood Drive.
Girl Scouts STEM Day
During October 2023, I planned and hosted a Girl Scouts STEM Day for local Brownie and Junior Girl Scout troops. I used Spike Prime Lego robots to teach the girls about engineering and programming. The girls also learned about testing, creating prototypes, and collaboration. Through participating in this event each Girl Scout received their Robotics programming patch.
I’m passionate about executing this event because it gives the younger Girl Scouts an opportunity to learn about STEM. Specifically, in a way that isn’t just catered to girls. This part is extremely important to me because I want to show the young girls that STEM is for everybody. Growing up, I received many “science for girls” toys such as a do-it-yourself makeup kit. This really limited my perception about what science was, especially because there was always the perspective that only boys were interested in science and math. I’m glad to have had this opportunity to make such an impact on these girl’s lives.
Girl Scouts Service Unit
I’ve had so many fun and amazing experiences as a young Girl Scout such as canoeing, camping, and sleepovers in battleships. Which all would not have been possible if not for the volunteers, which were mostly older Girl Scouts. This really motivated me to take any opportunity to give back to this community, through helping out at their events. Recently, I volunteered at a Girl Scouts World Thinking Day, where I taught the girls about the status of our environment, and how to remedy pollution and climate change. I’m very passionate about this act of service because I see myself within those little girls that I’m volunteering. I want to make their experience as a Girl Scout even better than mine was.
STEM Outreach
Being a part of my high school’s robotics team I have a lot of opportunities to teach young kids about STEM. I was never really introduced to STEM in a fun way when I was younger, so I’m glad that I’m able to introduce kids to STEM now. Most recently, I volunteered at the STEM night at Clover Stadium, which houses the local minor league baseball team. I taught kids how electricity and electric currents work, through a small activity, consisting of conductive tape, and LED lights. I’m very passionate about this act of service because I wish I was introduced to STEM sooner. I’m hoping that by volunteering at these outreach events, kids, specifically girls, will want to explore STEM pathways now and in the future.
Volunteer Coach
During the summer going into my freshman year of high school, I volunteered to be a coach for my local church’s (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Catholic Youth Organization), 3-week basketball camp. The camp consisted of kids grades 3 through 8. My role was to teach these kids crucial skills needed for basketball in a camp-style setting. Additionally, I coached 1 (and sometimes 2) teams, each consisting of 10-15 campers. I coached these teams in unofficial tournaments, reinforcing the skills they learned during the drill-session of the camp. As a coach of a young team, I frequently had to reassess the skills of each team-member each day, and determine how those skills will benefit the team. Furthermore, I made every effort to guarantee each camper got the same amount of playing-time during the tournaments.
I’m very enthusiastic about this particular act of service because I used to play basketball for the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish. The administrators and coaches of the Catholic Youth Organization in Rockland had dedicated 5 years to ensure that my experience as a player was immaculate. So, I wanted to give back to that community and I got that opportunity volunteering as a coach. This act of service made me feel even more fulfillment than any other community service that I’ve done. The experience of being a coach taught me patience, strengthened my communication skills, and reminded me the importance of giving back to a community that gave me so much support.
