Hayden Ko, a tenth-grade student from Stuyvesant High School, has a commendable history of community involvement. His extensive volunteer work includes serving meals at a local soup kitchen for the disabled, conducting STEM lessons for inner-city kids, and participating in violence prevention initiatives.
On a similar note, Gia Kim, an eighth-grade student at De La Salle Academy, also started her volunteering journey at a tender age. She found her calling in designing thoughtful cards for children in hospitals and the elderly. During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim expanded her initiative to thank first responders with personalized cards and signs. She also contributed her creative flair to decorating cards that went out with food relief packages. “I may have been young, but I knew I had a role to play in supporting those in need,” Kim recalls.
Both Kim and Ko are part of the youth advisory board for Amplify Teens and volunteer with several programs, including their local chapter of the Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club, an initiative born out of Sandy Hook Promise.
This summer, they chose to utilize their free time not for leisure but to serve their communities. Ko elaborates, “We designed projects that fused our personal interests and concerns with community service.” A seasoned swimmer, Ko initiated a project to raise awareness about swimming and water safety.
Likewise, Kim, an avid rock climber, developed a campaign to inspire more girls to explore climbing, emphasizing its potential to enhance confidence, strength, and coordination.
While volunteering, both Ko and Kim have emerged as influential role models. They’ve been successful in encouraging their friends and younger family members to participate in volunteer work. They’ve also spent considerable time educating younger students about the significance of service, demonstrating excellent mentorship in their communities.
Their unwavering commitment to their communities has won them youth leadership awards and the esteemed President’s Volunteer Service Award. However, they maintain that their service is driven by something greater than recognition or charity. “Utilizing our skills to make a difference, no matter how small, is our main objective,” says Ko. Kim supplements this sentiment affirming, “The satisfaction derived from helping others makes every bit of effort worth it.”
The projects spearheaded by Hayden Ko and Gia Kim underscore the transformative potential of service learning, positively impacting both the volunteers and the communities they serve.
