Avery Swartz

Starting the Furnish for Good Youth Council with my friend Anne Carden has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at Latin. Furnish for Good aims to provide Charlotte natives with a fully furnished home directly out of homelessness. Through this initiative, I have realized that big change can not only be made by adults, but teens as well. Once a month, we would get together to host a donation drive, work at the organization warehouse, or build furniture — and I enjoyed every second. As co-chair of the Youth Council, it was extremely rewarding to bring teens from all over Charlotte together for a single cause. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing our hard work help real people in the Charlotte community — some of whom live within a couple miles of me. After departing to college, I still plan to stay involved with Furnish, for Good but I will definitely miss leading the Youth Council immensely.

Creating GoGo Rangers has not only shown me the joy of helping others, but also the self-growth that comes with it. Over the past few years, GoGo Rangers has matured alongside me. While working hard on building GoGo Rangers from scratch into a full-blown organization, I’ve realized the importance of being resilient and perseverant for those in need. Now, every time I see children learn more about national parks and environmental protection virtually through GoGo Rangers, I’m reminded of how important it is to share your passions and experiences with others. Whether they’re gazing at Old Faithful or marveling at giant sequoias, I am glad that I’ve sparked curiosity about national parks and inspired so many children to be friends with planet Earth.