West Ranch fosters an environment of personal growth and development, allowing students to become go-getters, trailblazers and changemakers. One way students embody the Wildcat motto of “rigor, relationships, and relevance” is by donating their time to partake in and support community efforts. Students such as Jeremiah Chun, Josh Kim and Ashmita Goel strive to make a difference on a larger scale through their dedication to volunteering with various organizations.

Jeremiah Chun

   Jeremiah Chun, a West Ranch junior, teaches aspiring students how to code through a school club called STEM For Kids. As a student teacher, Chun dedicates an hour a week to teach the coding language Python to middle schoolers at Rancho Pico Junior High.

   Chun began his STEM For Kids journey two years ago. He explained, “I have always been interested in the field of computer science and my brother was a co-founder of this club, so he encouraged me to join. I decided to join because I was very interested in coding.”

   Every week at Rancho Pico, Chun exposes students to the basics of coding in order to develop their skills and expand their minds. Chun recognises the importance of technology, so he hopes that “through coding, people are more aware of the STEM field and its applications.” 

   By teaching Python to young students, Chun is not only able to spread his passion for and knowledge of coding on to the next generation, but he also witnesses the direct impact his volunteerism has made. “I really like helping the kids because teaching foundational information is very important in the field of programming, and I like the teaching aspect of seeing them grow over time,” Chun said.

   Throughout his experience with STEM For Kids, Chun has had the opportunity to watch his students advance and flourish under his guidance. And as for what he hopes will come from this program, Chun said, “I hope that the kids are able to grow developed minds to have a good foundation of coding and subskills.”

Josh Kim

   For two years, senior Josh Kim has maintained his once-a-week schedule of volunteering at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. What motivated Kim to start at Henry Mayo was a desire to help during the panic of COVID-19. 

   “During the pandemic, I was frustrated that everything was going downhill and I couldn’t do anything, so I applied to volunteer at Henry Mayo,” Kim explained.  “It’s been a good experience so far.”

   For his weekly shifts at the hospital, which last four hours each, Kim “perform[s] basic hospital tasks that don’t require medical knowledge. So for example, changing heart monitor batteries, restocking patient rooms, bringing down stuff to the lab and more tasks like that.”

   Kim’s actions benefit more than just the patients at Henry Mayo. By taking over the smaller tasks, Kim allows for many of the nurses and staff to take a break from their already cluttered schedules. In fact, due to his regular presence and willingness to lend a helping hand, Kim said, “I’ve made close bonds with the nurses that I regularly work with.”

   Even after the lockdown orders were lifted and COVID vaccines were administered, Kim continues to show up week after week to finish his shift. To him, helping out at Henry Mayo is more than just a task, because, as Kim shared, “Volunteering gives me a sense of purpose, a reason and it has helped guide me to the career that I want. I hope that I’m helping the patients through the little things, such as wheeling them out, and that I make a difference in my community.”

Ashmita Goel

   West Ranch junior Ashmita Goel has always enjoyed books and reading, so she jumped at the opportunity to volunteer for the Valencia Library as a member of  the Teen Advisory Board (TAB). As she put it, “I’ve always loved the library. I had done some of the activities [the board] planned and I found it fun, and I always wondered who planned them. It’s fun to now be on the other side of it.”

   The Teen Advisory Board helps plan and host events at the local library for the community to partake in. To gauge what activities teenagers will find interesting, Valencia Library’s TAB group focuses mostly on appealing to older students from around Santa Clarita. As Goel said, “we help by planning out and choosing events that take place for teens.”

   Unlike many volunteering opportunities that cater to individual work, being on the Teen Advisory Board requires collaborating with peers. “I like working with the people there. [I like] to give back, I think it’s fun to plan and make friends. I think it’s always good to spread joy,” Goel commented.

   By bringing ideas and events to life, Goel hopes to encourage students of all ages to utilize the library for its resources beyond just books. “I hope that other younger kids have fun and that they can enjoy what the library has to offer. That they’re not thinking it’s just for reading, but that there’s also activities like arts and crafts that are done there,” Goel said.

   The Valencia TAB plans for a plethora of different events, whether it is the annual summer reading program or intermittent workshops for activities such as stargazing and origami. There’s something for everyone at the library, and as a part of the Teen Advisory Board, Goel hopes to unlock the creative side within all of us.