ON THE MESA
Mark Metherell '87
Memorial Service Challenge
Mark Metherell '87 was an inspirational figure to all those who knew him. A loving husband and father who always had time for others, he often spoke of helping those less fortunate. In 2008, Mark tragically passed away while training Iraqi special forces, and in 2009, his friends, classmates, and family created the Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge. He was previously involved in the public service program while at Cate, and the grant in his honor awards two service projects for nearly $5,000 each. Despite COVID-19 greatly affecting the program the last two years, students have still been able to make an impact. With volunteerism, the potential to benefit others, vision, and sustainability as the primary criteria for selection, this year’s recipients were Ella Chen '23 and Lindsey Laurence '23.
Activity Room Renovation for Migrant Children in China Ella Chen '23
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CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2022
Due to Hukou schooling restrictions, migrant children in China can’t go to high schools in their adopted cities and have to go back to their rural hometowns. Schools in rural areas in China are underfunded and under-resourced, but the environment is much more competitive than schools in urban areas because colleges reserve fewer spots for rural students. One of my goals for my Metherell project was to better prepare migrant children academically for their return to their hometowns. I tried to do this by adding Chinese and English books (purchased and donated) to the rooms, recruiting more high school volunteers to tutor, and increasing the frequency the rooms are open (although this can’t be achieved right now because of COVID-19). Another one of my goals for this project was to cultivate the personal growth of these migrant children by focusing on their mental health and social skills. By adding board games and sports equipment and hosting movie nights, etc., a group of volunteers and I converted the three library rooms into a communal space for the children to socialize after school and on the weekends. This ensures that the students are not only focusing on their studies, but that they are also mentally healthy. Developing their social skills will help them integrate more easily back into the high schools in their hometowns – this is important because migrant children’s parents often have to stay back in their adopted cities for work, so the children may have to face this change alone and in a city they’ve never lived in.