Pinewood has recently awarded 15 students the Presidential Service Award, a national award that recognizes students who have volunteered their time in order to make a difference in their communities.
The winners include 8th graders Tiffany Li and Elliot Wong; freshmen Taeho Bajikar, Adam Xu, Jia Lee, and Andrew Pak; sophomores Rishi Chen, Riya Srivastava, Claire Wu, Mia Mihojevich, Sean Sirhan, and Cherry Chen; juniors Jake Reynders and Braxton Kimura; and senior Gabby Yang.
Manyof this year’s winners devoted their time to educating teenagers on how to code, tutoring, and providing food for underprivileged communities.
Chen spent time in the Dominican Republic laying concrete for the small communes in the suburbs and building homes for the disadvantaged. Chen describes how the trip was a hands-on experience that he’ll remember for a lifetime.
“It was really meaningful to me, as the trip was the most direct out of all the other services I did,” Chen said.. I got to see a side of the world I haven’t really seen.”
On the other hand, Xu spent time helping students learn how to code and differentiate between the many coding languages. Xu believes that all teenagers should know the basics of computer science and all that it has to offer.
“My goal is to give people free access to computer science programs, especially to those who don’t have computer science programs in their schools at all,” Xu said.
This mission aligns with the vision of the faculty and staff, who see this award as an opportunity for students to step out of their comfort zones and volunteer their time to make the world a better, more educated place.
On the other hand, Dean of Students Jennifer Bates sees community service as a great way for students to find something they are truly interested in.
“I found that some students found their passion through community service, as some even took initiatives to make an impact in their community, through the Pinewood Scholars Program,” Bates said.
Associate Head of School Kyle Riches shares similar sentiments, as he has seen students put their community service ideas into action here at Pinewood. Most notably, multiple students have partnered with companies like Rise Against Hunger, a non-profit food organization that provides food for underprivileged communities, to help local families in need.
“I think bringing these ideas to life is what sparks a fuel in others at Pinewood to make their community a better and safer place,” Riches said.
This year’s award winners represent Pinewood students’ dedication to leaving our local communities better places than they found them. Their commitment shows the school’s call to action through service and belief that small actions can lead to meaningful change. Bates describes how community service can shape someone throughout their lifetime.
“Not only is community service great to give back and rewarding in itself, but it also develops leadership skills that will carry on in their career,” Bates said.
