CONNECTING LEARNING TO LIFE AT EVERY LEVEL.

Every Friday, the eighth grader teaches children between the ages of 3-5 the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). She also visits assisted living care facilities every month to spend time, read, and sing to the residents. Cyncere is part of the International Thespian Society; Ray of Hope Christian Church as a hospitality volunteer; School Safety Patrol; and an active member of Free Spirit Mentor Group. She also volunteers her time during the summer to work with struggling students who need tutoring. “The most valuable lesson that I have learned is to not be selfish, to give my time to benefit others as well as helping others with their needs.”

Maura O’Sullivan, 16 Grady High School

The junior is codeveloping a nonprofit, The Branch Out Initiative, focused on providing environmental education and outdoor recreation to kids with developmental disabilities and their families. Her passion and interest began when she was 12 and volunteered with FOCUS + Fragile Kids and the Ellis Center. She served as a one-on-one aide for campers at Ellis’ Camp ImpAACt, which serves kids and teens with multiple disabilities and complex communication needs. In freshman year, Maura began a service project focused on creating sensory-friendly events for kids with sensory processing disorder and related conditions and their families. The project, which was called SenseAbility, began through No Barriers’ Global Impact Challenge, which her team won. The team received a $5,000 grant and presented their project at the national No Barriers’ 2018 Summit. Through SenseAbility, Marua coordinated Maker Faires for special needs kids and their families at local schools and trained theater groups to make productions more sensory friendly. This experience inspired Maura to develop the nonprofit organization to address an unmet need in this community. “In my time working with nonverbal students, I’ve learned that language transcends words, and everyone has something to say,” she said.

With Los Niños Primero (LNP), a kindergarten readiness program for Latinx preschoolers, the senior has logged over 300 hours of service. As a fluent Spanish speaker, she has been actively involved in the program for four years. She has been selected for three years as one of 10 Teen Ambassadors who reflect the values of LNP within the organization as well as in their community. As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she created a campaign to address the issue of organ donation with teen drivers at Atlanta Girls’ School and beyond. “Through my volunteer work in and out of my local community I have developed empathy and respect for intellectual and cultural differences in regard to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status,” she said. “Throughout my time with Los Niños Primero, the students constantly show me the power of forgiveness and inclusion. Watching them put these practices into action at such a young age reminds me to employ them in my own everyday life, and gives me hope for the future.”

The junior is a dedicated member of Young Physicians Initiative (YPI) and has been volunteering at the Grace Village Clinic in Clarkston for two years. The clinic works to provide free healthcare for refugees and migrants in Clarkston. She is also a member of the school’s Amnesty International Chapter, where she organized the “Longer Table Dinner” for the migrant community in Clarkston. Emma joined Global Nomads Group during her 9th grade year and helped with a project to bring awareness to sex trafficking in Atlanta. She’s also vice president of the student council and a leading member of the Feminist Club. Most recently, Emma participated in a service trip to Ghana this month where she interviewed NGO workers who help trafficked girls escape poverty. “Knowing that everyone deserves preventative healthcare, no matter their background, is a lesson I want to take with me into my future career. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to volunteer at Grace Village Clinic, and for the opportunity to use my time helping others.”

The senior’s focus on activism, sustainability, and citizenship has seen her serve as Georgia’s representative for the Student Worldwide Sustainability Protest, which organized last year’s Youth Climate Strike. Kendall also curated a nonprofit art gallery at the Center for Civil and Human Rights to unite performers, painters, sculptors, and poets to discourage the idea that young people need to be isolated from one another. She worked on this project for months in partnership with the City of Atlanta. In terms of future projects and endeavors, she is integrating her love of community gardens and sustainable initiatives with yet another partnership with Atlanta native musician and artist, Raury, to create a community garden and art center in Stone Mountain. This long-term project will inform her Lovett senior capstone project in the spring as well. “Through volunteering, I’ve learned the importance of showing up consistently. I’ve found strength in compassionately serving others and following through on my commitments, regardless of how tired I may be from school. I have learned to prioritize volunteer work and creating opportunities for people to come together. The service work that I have had the ability to do has exposed me to not only the realities and injustices of the world, but the solutions.”

The senior designed a video game called “Race,” creating the concept, characters and animations to highlight marginalized groups and promote inclusion in the video game industry. He was recognized for his achievements last spring when he received the Rochester Institute of Technology Creativity and Innovation Award. Along with his involvement at school, including serving on the Student Council and co-leading the Student Culture Club, Robert Luke initiated a project and has volunteered his time over the last year at Campbell-Stone Assisted Living Facility creating a fundraising calendar for the residents. “It may seem counterintuitive, but once you really become a dedicated volunteer towards a specific program or project, it can often take real patience and perseverance to make the difference you are committed to. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes, and the nuances to contributing to social change involve hard work, dedication, and resilience, inside of the honor of seeing a job through.”

In 2017, Julia founded Double Play ATL, a nonprofit organization developed to help underprivileged youth obtain the necessary equipment to play organized sports, which has since collected nearly 5,000 pieces of equipment and put 90 percent back into the community. Since then, Double Play has grown to involve sustainability projects as well. She’s also made time to volunteer her time at Threads, Atlanta Food Bank, Agape, L’Amistad, Atlanta Children’s Shelter, My Sister’s House and many more. As co-president of ECO (Westminster’s sustainability club) and partnering with Madewell, Blue Jeans Go Green and Nike, Julia helped her school and community by recycling jeans, athletic shoes and gear. She’s also a researcher at Georgia Tech with an interest in brain health whether it be concussions, mental health or wellness. “At the end of the day, service is about forming genuine connections with others through your work. I think that this kind of interconnectedness is what makes service so special and memorable.”

Ari Hawkins, 17 KIPP Collegiate High School

The senior credits her experience as an American Explorer, a leadership development program of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, as the engine that has propelled her philanthropic endeavors. In 2019, Ari received the Game Changer Youth Award for her philanthropic and community service activities and was the keynote speaker at the B’Fly Girl Scholarship Gala. In 2018, she was selected for the Atlanta Zoo Teen Volunteer program, where she served over 200 hours in teaching wildlife environment to visitors and worked with the Summer Safari Campers. Ari also uses her birthday as a fundraiser to feed the homeless. These events provide feminine hygiene products and personal care packages, and feed hundreds of homeless people in Woodruff Park. She’s also volunteered with Hosea Feed the Hungry, Trees Atlanta, Hands Across Atlanta, Impact Church and Urban Sprout. “I’ve learned three valuable lessons: to appreciate the small things, to love boldly and courageously, and to understand another person’s journey. We often get caught up in our lives, but giving back reminds me that the world is bigger than me.”

The sophomore began volunteering with the nonprofit W-Underdogs, whose mission is to lift up disadvantaged kids by helping rescue animals. James has been with W-Underdogs since he was 12 years old and has helped save hundreds of animals as well as mentoring other youth in the program. Every weekend when most teenagers are going out with their friends, James goes out to different neighborhoods to deliver food and doghouses to those who need help with their animals.

Emily began helping others in the 7th grade when she organized a clothing, book and toy drive for students at Lomas del Rio school while serving on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Since then, the junior has logged over 500 volunteer service hours as a tutor and mentor at Buckhead Church, Los Ninos Primavera, Camp All American and Woodson Park Academy. Emily participated in GivingPoint’s Social Innovators Academy, where she started a group called Smart Brown Girls at Woodson Park Academy. Through the club, she mentored a group of 5th grade African-American girls focusing on issues of self-esteem, self-image, leadership and challenges associated with living and learning in underserved communities. She also raised money to purchase clothes, toiletries, school supplies and backpacks for students at the Academy. She also recently organized a volunteer project with her volleyball team to raise money for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. For her volunteer work, Emily was recently awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. “A person shouldn’t volunteer because they have to, but because they want to serve someone else in their community. The love to serve others makes the service more impactful and has a greater impact on the people or organization you are serving.”

A dedicated member of Woodward’s theater program since 9th grade and a longtime volunteer at the Jesse Draper Boys and Girls Club, Lexi began brainstorming ways to share her passion for theater with the kids she tutored. Last year, she created an after-school and summer theater program for kids ages 6 to 16, recruiting other Woodward students to help her teach improv and tech classes. Her program also promotes academic success, healthy lifestyles and leadership. The senior developed a framework for her program that will ensure it continues long after she graduates. Passionate about equal rights and criminal justice reform, Lexi landed an internship with Baltimore’s Department of Juvenile Services and wants to work for the Equal Justice Initiative after earning her degree. She honed her knowledge as a member of Woodward’s Service Leadership Board by investigating and offering solutions to the inequities and injustices present in the school community. “In order to be genuinely helpful to others, we must be ready and willing to provide service in response to the goals that the community has voiced, rather than believing that our way of problem-solving is the most effective.”

A busy senior at AJA, Tali’s list of volunteer initiatives and efforts would never fit this space, but highlights include sitting on the board of the Leadership Development Program for nonprofit Creating Connected Communities (CCC), which serves underprivileged children around Atlanta. Tali oversees CCC events including spring and fall festivals and afterschool programs. She’s also a member of the Teen Leadership Council for the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House (ARMH), where she raised enough money through school and synagogue fundaisers to host a family at the ARMH for an entire week. Tali also volunteers at the Childrens Hospital and at the Jewish Food Bank. She was selected to participate in the MLK ADL Summit, which educates high schoolers on tolerance, acceptance and non-violence. With plans to become a pediatric cardio-thorasic surgeon, Tali’s advice for others who want to volunteer is simple: “Even the smallest acts of kindness make the biggest difference.”