By Sanya Bery ’17, Staff Writer

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Before you close the tab as you’re probably overwhelmed by a Ghandi quote, read one more sentence. Community service is not as hard as it seems. In fact, it’s one of the most satisfying activities you can do for both yourself and others. There are tons of faculty members and students that do amazing things for their communities and others here at Newark Academy. This past year, the Community Service Council has been spotlighting students for the service they have done over the summer or throughout the school year. Erin Eagle’17, a first-year Community Service Council member, explained that the Council’s goal is “to inspire others to take their passion and use it for many service opportunities out there.” The spotlights highlight the various types of service students and faculty members are doing and how easy it is to get involved.

The process for finding students was as follows: first, during advisor group, students wrote what community service they participated in and nominated friends who did service work, as well. The Council then read the surveys and hand-picked a group of people with unique and interesting projects. Community Service Council member Brittney Tong ’16 noted, “While the council was reading the surveys, we sorted them into different categories; for example, ‘Innovators’ was a category for students who created their own program.” After the students were selected, Community Service Council members interviewed them and created flyers. A later Morning Meeting honored a handful of these students. Yet one presentation was not enough to represent how much outstanding service occurs at Newark Academy.

This article is dedicated to just a few of those whose involvement in community service stands out as superb.

#1: Olivia DeLamielleure ’17 and her adventures in Ghana and Laos

In the summer of 2013, Olivia traveled to Ghana to work in an orphanage that specialized in fostering abandoned children. In the villages, many believe that once a child’s father dies, the child is cursed also. To escape this “curse,” families often break apart, leaving children to fend for themselves. For three weeks, Olivia worked to help these children and provide them with a home and the

basic utensils needed for survival. That mind-blowing experience moved her to explore Laos in the summer of 2014. In three weeks, Olivia worked in two small villages where she taught the local children English. She also helped build a school center that the village could use for future schooling. Finally, she built a road up a mountain so supplies could be brought up and down into villages. Reflecting on her experience, Olivia said, “I was able to travel and experience a new culture while doing something beneficial for the community I was living in. It was truly a great experience and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go to Ghana and Laos.”

#2: Matt Thekkethala ’15 in Bangalore, India

Over three years ago, Matt Thekkethala started his own non-profit foundation, Learn for Life. After volunteering for a week at Sneha Care home, a school for HIV positive children in Bangalore, India, Matt Thekkethala’15 decided he wanted to make a difference. He continues to return every summer and teach math, geography, and drama, as well as coordinating after-school games and activities at the school. Recently, he has been interviewing and looking for motivated teachers in order to help re-model the education system. Thekkethala started raising money for this school in minor ways, but throughout his three years, his volunteering expanded to raising awareness on a large scale in the form of a documentary that he filmed, directed, produced and edited with the help of a Bangalore filmmaker. Matt truly loves what he does and believes that education is a “solution to many of the world’s problems, like violence, terrorism, and discrimination.” He commented, “There’s a heavy stigma around HIV positive people in India, and I think with a proper education, these kids can overcome that stigma and find a place in the workforce so that they have the same chance to be productive people as everyone else.”

#3: Chris Pyo’17 in Kenya and China

Like Olivia, Chris Pyo’17 goes on mission trips over the summer with his family and different members of his church. He has visited

 Kenya, China, and Panama. In Kenya, he and his mother directed a local children’s choir in the slums. After his inspiring trip to Kenya, Chris visited China and taught English to college students. In Panama, he assisted running a Bible School program at a local school. He stated that he loves going on service trips because: “While I face a variety of challenges on every trip, my view of and perspective on the world expands and increases greatly with every experience I have. Becoming a global citizen through my passion for service has changed my life for the better.” Over three summers, Chris visited three different areas and helped underprivileged children with education, which is something that he values highly.

#4: The Brother and Sister Dynamic Duo: Zach and Sydney Persing’15

As Brittney mentioned, students were spotlighted within many categories. One of them, a sibling category, shows what great things a family can accomplish. Mark Dempsey ’16 and Claire Dempsey ’18 were discussed in Morning Meeting, and twins Zach and Sydney Persing ’15 were also chosen for their long-term volunteer work at Care One Nursing Home. They were introduced to the facility when their grandma became a resident seven years ago. Volunteering gave them the ability not only to spend time with their grandma, but also to give back to a place that took care of their family. Throughout the years, the Persings have completed many minor tasks such as helping prepare meals, talking to the residents, and manning activities. These small actions add up to make a world of difference.