Serving and Connecting

Serving and Connecting

Saints Serving and Connecting

BY DAVID YEE
Director of Service Learning and Community Engagement

We’re back, but we never stopped making a difference! 

As the constraints of the past two years ease and we enter back into the world with more confidence, our students have started moving their efforts back out into the community. The number of student clubs dedicated to keeping our neighborhoods clean, going to student conferences like Model UN, or raising awareness of environmental and social causes has grown with the possibility that students can meet and work with people beyond the walls of our school. As a result, the relationship between our school and the community around it is strong and vibrant.

The commitment that our students have to making the world a better place did not cease during the pandemic. They were on the ground level, packing meals for people who did not have access to food, providing social interaction over Zoom or in-person to those who needed it, and more. One of those enterprises (highlighted in the fall 2021 issue of The Saints Life), senior Danielle Pascale’s “Reach for the Stars” after school program, is even looking to expand and establish chapters at other area schools. She and her co-leaders, Gigi Smigel ’23 and Kalli Dinos ’24,  presented to our Middle School Diversity Conference, an event that draws middle school students from across Virginia and the DMV. They told their stories and challenged those in attendance to work with each other to create opportunities to make a positive change in their communities. Though these students faced the enormous challenges posed by the pandemic, they never shrank from the challenge.

They were not alone amongst our students. This piece highlights six seniors who took time over the last four years to use their passions and talents to make the world around them a better place. 

Matthew Mantey ’24

A Cleaner Bay, One Cleanup at a Time

Matthew has always been enamored of the Chesapeake Bay. As a kid, he and his family enjoyed the outdoor opportunities that the bay provided to fish and be on the water, and generally, to appreciate the wildlife that it hosts. Naturally, he gravitated towards the opportunities the school provided to learn more about the bay. He credits his Lower and Middle School teachers for continuing that conversation, and he relished in the opportunity to travel with other Middle School students on the Chesapeake Bay mini-course led by science teachers Robert Davis and Kelley Gorman.

Still, over time, he started to notice the threats to the bay’s health. He noticed the amount of trash on its shores, and he began to fear for the long-term safety of the ecosystem. In our conversation, he told me that he was thankful to have had the opportunity to travel on the Chesapeake Bay mini-course with his peers, but he was convinced that more people at our school needed to see the bay’s watersheds to understand what needs to happen for the bay to thrive. 

Over the past two years, amidst the pandemic, Matthew has worked to share his story and message with his fellow students. He has led dozens of cleanups of local Chesapeake Bay Watershed sites, including Dyke Marsh Preserve and Holmes Run Stream, providing his peers the opportunity to see the issues first-hand—and the ability to do something about them.

In his own words…

What drew you to work with the Chesapeake Bay?

Growing up in and around the bay, I’ve noticed the steady decline in health and wellness in the bay. When I got to Upper School, I joined this club and eventually became co-leader and as of last year, the leader.

What is your most memorable moment?

Leading my first stream cleanup last year, just as we were coming out of quarantine. It was a great time! There were a lot of people because it was the first one and people wanted to know what it was all about and log some service hours. It was an overall good experience to lead something like that—and be the head of it.

What is your main takeaway?

That the watershed of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay is struggling. We hear that every day, but to go to see it and experience it and try to help it, is a whole different level. Some of my friends have said, “I didn’t realize how bad the state of the river was until we went to clean it,” and so it’s really impactful to go and do the work to actually fix the problem.

What piece of advice you have for others?

Sure, you can get the information online that the Bay’s water quality has gone down by whatever percent, but actually seeing it is a whole other thing. I believe it further  encourages people to go out and serve the community. I did that, and then other friends asked, “Hey, do you want to help out at the food pantry?” or other things. I learned helping could pique my interest into helping more. Going out and doing the work helps ten times more than just reading about it on your phone.

Charlotte Heimbach ’24 

Finding Ways to Help People Find Refuge

When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, people in our area knew that we would have a unique role in assisting people escaping for political or social reasons to find refuge in a new life. While the U.S. government worked with local nonprofits to provide support to Afghan refugees facing shortages of material resources and housing, those same organizations found it hard to provide the comfort of a community to those who needed it desperately. As US News and World Report documented in its August issue, caseworkers from even the most reputable social organizations were unable to provide a human connection as they were stretched too thin to check in on basic needs. 

However, in our school community, several students rose to the occasion to fill in the gap. Charlotte was one of the first students to raise her hand and say that she wanted to lend support in any way that she could. She founded the club “Saints Supporting Refugees” and sought ways to support those resettled in our community. She teamed up with our Book Buddies Club, an organization dedicated to promoting a love of reading at an early age, and Historic Christ Church’s Refugee Ministry to create a Saturday “Learn and Play” hosted at our Lower School. This program provides the young kids of resettled families the opportunity to be kids by playing on the playground, reading in our library, working on arts and crafts, and more, while giving the parents an opportunity to socialize with each other and engage with Christ Church’s case workers. Together, they provide a caring community for the children and their families in the program.

In her own words…

What drew you to this experience?

Initially, it was the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. I wanted to do something to help and offer support for the new members of our community. That is what inspired us to begin the Saturday Sessions. The friendships I have built with these children and genuine fun we have together are what continues to draw me to this experience. I love seeing the smiles on their faces, hearing about their weeks, and running around the playground with them; they are always the highlight of my week. 

What is your most memorable moment?

When the children open up to me. I will never forget the time when one of the young boys began to tell me his story while we were on the swings.  Unprompted, he shared his experience with me of coming to the U.S. It was hard not to cry hearing everything that he endured and knowing that he is only 10 years old. I am honored that they trust me enough to confide in me and feel comfortable being vulnerable. 

What is your main takeaway?

This experience has shown me the importance of making connections. While playing with and reading to kids for two hours a week seems so small, it has built friendships that will always be remembered. Just being there to listen to or play with them creates a space where children can feel supported, valued, and welcomed in their new community. 

What piece of advice you have for others?

When you work on completing your service hours, try to find an experience that is meaningful to you. As a result, the experience will not only help a cause, but it will also profoundly impact you.

MANAV SABHARWAL ‘24

Seeing The World Through Travel—and Stopping to Do Something About It

Manav is connected to India and its people through his family. Not only does his family travel there once a year, but his mother, through her Sikh beliefs, instilled in him a conviction that one must do good deeds in the world to make it a better place. This led him to see his family’s annual trip as more than just a family vacation. He saw it as an opportunity to engage in good deeds himself.

As they traveled to the State of Karnataka and the City of Bangalore, he met the president of Sahasra Deepika, an organization whose name translates to “a thousand lights” and seeks to empower young girls and

women to live lives with the social, political, and economic rights to which they are entitled. They do this through a series of schools that admit students whose families work in labor and garment industries, often in single-parent households. Manav spent time working with and mentoring these young girls, and found himself floored by the vision and dreams these girls have and by how much they valued Sahasra Deepika in realizing those dreams. To this day, he still has keepsakes that remind him of their stories displayed in his room.

With the onset of the pandemic, his opportunities to engage with Sahasra Deepika in-person stopped but he did not let this deter his progress. Instead, he used the belief he’d fostered in the power of education to found an online tutoring service that cultivated skills, knowledge, and confidence in STEM. Using the knowledge he gained in Bangalore, he met with experts including professors at George Mason to develop a curriculum for second through eighth grades, and he recruited fifteen college and high school students to serve as tutors. The profits from this program (and also from teaching tennis lessons) went to support Sahasra Deepika’s efforts.

He did not stop there. He went on to serve as a fundraiser for the organization, raising $1500 from a local physician’s group and founding a 501(c)3 to support his fundraising efforts. He launched a GoFundMe that raised over $20,000 through a careful email campaign. For all of his efforts, in October 2021, he represented Sahasra Deepika on “The Today Show” to recognize International Day of the Girl. 

In his own words…

What drew you to this experience?

On my family’s yearly vacation to India in 2019, I was introduced to Sarva Rajendra, the current president of Sahasra Deepika (“1000 lights”),  a nonprofit that houses and educates 80-100 orphan girls in Bangalore, India. 

What is your most memorable moment?

During my visit, I interviewed a few of the girls and asked them what their greatest wish was, and one girl’s response remains engraved in my memory today. I honestly expected them to talk about financial stability or family, but without a moment’s hesitation she said, “Sahasra Deepika to be a part of my life, in every life!” 

Initially baffled by her response, I eventually saw the impact education and a tight-knit community had on her, and I knew I had to honor that. I launched my own 501(c)(3) with the goals of education for all, medical care for all, and community creation and empowerment. 

What is your main takeaway?

Throughout my work with this nonprofit and my interactions with the girls at Sahasra Deepika, I have learned that adversity was not a disadvantage to these girls. They had aspirations just like anyone else to become doctors, teachers, engineers, and even the prime minister of India. 

What piece of advice do you have for others?

They’ve taught me to never be set back by my own adversities, and I hope to share that with the rest of the world.

To learn more about Sahasra Deepika, visit: sdie.org.

CODIE CAMPBELL ‘24

Seeing the Power of a Family Tradition of Service

To hear Codie explain why she decided to work with the Appalachian Service Project (ASP), an organization dedicated to providing safer housing to Americans living in Appalachia, one would think it inevitable that she’d end up helping–not out of desire, but out of inertia. As the youngest member of her family, she has seen her brothers, parents, even aunts and uncles take part in the tradition of serving this organization and its needs.

However, the mission of the ASP extends beyond the provision of basic needs. As the organization states on its website, it seeks to help people establish “meaningful, long-lasting relationships with homeowners, fellow volunteers, and staff.” Their goal is to create a sense of community around

the people involved, not just to provide labor for repairs, and Codie did just that. What started as a familial tradition to serve turned into a close relationship between her and the matriarch of the family she served, Sherlene. The highlights of Codie’s time centered around Sherlene, the stories she’d tell, and the generosity she exhibited.

Accomplishing this type of relationship is not a forgone conclusion. Codie recounted other members of her group who closed themselves off from this personal impact. In the end, for her, it took a perspective change to see this family tradition as more than doing work–she learned to see the power of seeing people beyond the service and she wants to do more.

In her own words…

What drew you to this experience?

This is something that many people in my family have been doing for a long time and they wanted me to experience it. After all of the pictures I had seen and stories I had heard, I knew it was something I wanted to try. 

What is your most memorable moment?

When I was painting the door frame to Sherlene’s house. She was sitting next to me in a rocking chair telling me all about the people in her family and pointing out things from them on her walls, including very small woven bowls that were extremely intricate and beautiful. Within just a week, this woman felt like family and I could talk to her about anything. Because she was so welcoming to our group and felt comfortable sharing her life with us, it was a really fun and memorable week. 

What is your main takeaway?

How grateful people can be for a bit of help and how they can show that gratitude in so many different ways. 

What piece of advice you have for others?

You can change people’s lives with just one simple act, but the relationships that you make in doing that can change your life. My ASP group spent a week working on a woman’s house, and yes, we gained a lot of skills and did a good service, but the most important part was the relationship we created and the good times we shared. 

COOPER HARDING ‘24

Seeing Home Through a New Lens

Cooper and his family have lived in Northern Virginia for quite some time, but when prompted to say where home is, they will inevitably say New Orleans. From their fandoms of New Orleans sports teams to the Fleur De Lis displayed prominently on their belongings and spaces, it’s clear to anyone around them that their house may be in the DMV, but in many ways, their hearts are in the bayou. 

This is why Cooper jumped at the opportunity to serve as a student leader when SSSAS students traveled to New Orleans this past summer. Not only did he want to share his love for New Orleans with his peers, but he also wanted to lend a hand in lifting a community that means so much to him.

Through our school’s partnership with Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder—an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for students to grow in ethical leadership by working side-by-side with exemplary community organizations and their leaders—Cooper was able to support those who live in New Orleans and see it in a completely new light. 

As he learned, and the effects of Hurricane Katrina have exemplified, New Orleans and those who live there are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Organizations like Common Ground Relief, founded in the Lower Ninth Ward to provide services to vulnerable residents of underserved communities in the city, have shifted their mission to work on preventing future climate catastrophes. Cooper and his peers had the opportunity to learn about the complex political, social, and racial story that led to New Orleans’s current vulnerability, and to lend a hand in making it better by reestablishing Louisiana’s natural abilities to resist the effects of sea level rise. They planted marsh grass, tended to urban farms, rescued native iris bulbs that can be replanted to prevent soil erosion, and gained an appreciation for the Lower Ninth Ward.

In his own words…

What drew you to this experience?

Well, with half of my family being from Louisiana, I was super interested to dive deeper into a topic that I wasn’t necessarily educated in: Louisiana’s ecosystem. I didn’t realize how threatened it was and I wanted to learn more.

What is your most memorable moment?

Being in the swamp of Lake Verrett in the water with an alligator, say, 20 feet away from me as I’m trying to plant bulbs. That was the biggest step outside of my comfort zone. 

I also loved the ethical leadership opportunities and objectives we had. I loved spending time with my group visiting the city, seeing big landmarks– that we were doing something really good during the day followed by something really interesting in the evening. 

I  also hadn’t been to the Lower Ninth Ward. It was fascinating being in a hostel there and seeing a house across the street that was beaten down by Hurricane Katrina and had never recovered. After always hearing about Katrina, going down to New Orleans and seeing the lasting effects first-hand when we were working in the urban gardens was a major reality check for me, and it was a great learning experience to see what other areas of the world are struggling with. Working in the urban gardens not only felt beneficial for the environment, but also for the people of the Lower Ninth Ward.

What is your main takeaway?

I learned a lot about climate change and how it affects the people. I don’t think enough people are concerned about this issue and its effect on the community.

What piece of advice do you have for others?

Before doing service, people should take two steps back and think about what service means. It’s not just going in and doing the work. I think learning is more than 50% of service. Yes, you’re doing a lot of good by doing the work, but by learning as much as you can, you’re able to apply your experience to other opportunities. 

WILLIAM WOODRUFF ‘23

Learning How A Government Serves its People

Will found multiple ways to serve his community during the pandemic. To speak to the food insecurity many in our community felt, he packed bags of food for our partner, ALIVE!, one of Alexandria’s most trusted nonprofits. He also pitched in to help Matthew keep the bay clean.

However, when the opportunity to serve our country’s government came his way, he could not pass it up. Though it’s easy to miss in the daily buzz of political news, our senators and representatives do more than make headlines on speeches and big policy items. Their mandate includes serving the day-to-day needs of their constituents as well, and as Will learned, the staff behind those who sit in the chambers of Congress is tasked with servicing those needs. 

As an intern for Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, Will saw what a complex task this is, and he learned to love those moments in an office when he could be genuinely assisting people beyond the large-scale political ramifications of doing so. He learned the power of personal moments in a system that seems, at times, wholly impersonal. 

In his own words…

What drew you to this experience?

I have always had an interest in politics, and this experience was a very good introduction to that world. This was an amazing internship that gave me an opportunity to serve as well as gain great experience to prepare for the professional world. I was particularly drawn to this service opportunity because it was an interesting chance to serve in an unusual way. I have spent a lot of time in North Carolina, so serving there gave me a chance to connect with people outside of our community.

What is your most memorable moment?

There were multiple memorable moments. A big one being all of the connections and friendships I made, from co-workers and people on the Hill to constituents in N.C. who called daily. I really enjoyed helping people with their issues and providing them with positive solutions. For example, it was nice to have someone tell me they weren’t getting their Veterans Affairs benefits and by the end of the day by working with them and VA the problem was resolved. Really making a positive change in someone’s life felt good and I could see the work that I was doing. These people were very grateful for even the littlest things I helped them with.

What is your main takeaway?

This experience provided me with a much better understanding of all walks of life and introduced me to many different people. By working for a Senator, I was serving an entire state and able to deal with many different issues. It really helped me understand how fortunate I am.