TYWLS Alumna Shows Leadership Through Community Service
Each year, nonprofit organizations around the country celebrate the incredible contributions and impact of their volunteers during National Volunteer Week (April 18 – 22). As an organization dedicated to advancing equity in education and helping our students realize their full leadership potential, we are excited to spotlight TYWLS alumna, Michelle, who developed a lifelong passion for volunteering and community service while she was a student at TYWLS Astoria.
Leadership is a core pillar of the Whole Girl Education model, and that includes helping students see how a commitment to the community can affect positive social change. Michelle, who graduated in 2020, took full advantage of opportunities to help others during her time at TYWLS. Among her commitments, she was involved with Coding Exchange, a student-led group that teaches coding and computer skills to students in underserved communities around the world. Michelle credits her time at TYWLS with instilling in her the value of community service. “During my seven years at TYWLS Astoria, I was exposed to the importance of volunteerism and community service and it has always been a huge part of my life,” says Michelle.
To this day, Michelle remains connected with SL Network and her alma mater, TYWLS Astoria. As a busy first-year college student, she took time out of her schedule to interview 2020 (Em)Power Breakfast honorees Dr. Joseph Shin and Dr. Gunisha Kaur from the Weill Cornell Medical Center for Human Rights. She also continues to moderate the Class of 2020 TYWLS Astoria Instagram account that she had initially set up so she and her classmates had a space to celebrate each other’s college and postsecondary decisions while typical in-person Decision Day celebrations were cancelled due to the pandemic. Now the Instagram account serves as a place for her and her classmates to stay in touch and share opportunities for giving back to the TYWLS community.
Following high school, Michelle went on to Adelphi University where she studies health sciences. There her love of volunteering carried on at college where she has served as First-Year Community Action Program Leader and is a member of Gamma Beta Phi, two organizations on campus that focus on community service. Being part of these student groups, Michelle has participated in several community service projects including making birthday cards for seniors at DOROT, working at Crossroads Farms, cleaning up a train station, making dog blankets for a local animal shelter, and cleaning up the waterfront at Freeport with Operation Splash.
Michelle also finds ways to expand her reach off-campus and has recently volunteered as a Sustainability Squad member during Global Citizen Live NYC. Currently, she is teaching English and mentoring Ukrainian students virtually through ENGin.
We are proud of Michelle, and all of our alumni, who use their leadership skills to create change in their communities and the world. Learn more about our Whole Girl Education model and our approach to developing tomorrow’s leaders.
Join us for our first Whole Girl Education Conference from March 16-18, 2023!
