A Student Who Cares

Since founding Laurel Springs, integrating a student’s interests into our learning process has been an integral part of our elective program. Our students have participated in numerous classes, activities and project which they carefully document in elective portfolios. Here are examples of electives pursued by our students: ballet, ice skating, tennis, gymnastics, opera, violin, computer courses, authoring a book, religious studies, travel, community outreach, and independent projects.

I have had the pleasure of reading many student elective portfolios and am inspired by their profound creativity, talents, and passion. Last week, I had the opportunity to review an elective portfolio that touched my heart. Laurel Springs’ student, Russell Lyons, chose to channel his personal passions into six inspiring community service projects. He donated over 108 hours and traveled over 10,000 miles to give back to the local and global community. During the school year, Russell participated in a Marine and Environmental Monitoring Program, Rustic Pathways, evaluating the health of coral reefs and mangrove swamps in Fiji. His next project involved volunteering for the San Diego Jewish Community Center’s Maccabi Games, a multi-day Olympic-style competition. Hundreds of youth and their coaches from across Northern America and Israel meet in an annual athletic competition. The games also sponsored a carnival for low income children.

Next, Russell joined seven-hundred-and-fifty students to participate in the North American Federation of Temple Youth in Washington D.C. During the convention, Russell took time to help prepare 40,000 meals for low income families living in New York. He also participated in a social justice retreat sponsored by the North American Federation of Temple Youth. They conducted three community service projects: preparing sandwiches for low-income families in Los Angeles, making paper cranes, which were sent to the Sasaki Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan, and drawing butterflies for the Houston Holocaust Museum’s Butterfly Project. Russell’s next project involved Operation Homefront, an organization that cares for our troops and the families they leave behind. Russell helped a military family whose father had been on three tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, and was leaving for a fourth. Russell met with the family, bought and wrapped presents for the four children, and baked brownies and cookies for them (which he personally delivered). His last project, Words Alive, encourages low income children to develop an interest in reading. Each year they hold a luncheon at which high profile authors speak about their books. Russell volunteered for they entire day, helping to decorate tables, distribute materials, carry boxes for booksellers, sell raffle tickets, hand out prizes and even make necklaces for the wrap-up meeting.

Russell demonstrated the heart and soul that is Laurel Springs. He demonstrated the passion that embodies our student body. He demonstrated that giving of our selves is a great gift, and that Laurel Springs students care deeply about their communities. Here is a quote from the first page of Russell’s amazing portfolio:

From baking to beading to buying
From Counting fish to counting sandwiches
From travel to teaching
From wrapping presents to writing summary
This was..
My Community Service Year.

Marilyn Mosley blog

A Student Who Cares

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