Reported by Cassie Tammy Wang
Greater Princeton AYLUS (GPA), NJ Branch, has many talented members. Since December 11th, 2018, we started to feature some of them on our web page, so all GPA members get to know each other. Hopefully, it would also help with more constructive and collaborative teamwork among GPA members in our volunteer activities! So here comes one of our team leaders Raymond Lin:
Self-Introduction Provided by Raymond Lin:
I am an 8th grader at West Windsor-Plainsboro Thomas Grover Middle School (TGMS). I joined the Greater Princeton AYLUS for many reasons, the foremost being that I think this would be a nice way to spend some of my free time meaningfully.
I love reading a lot. I love Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Throne of Glass, Warriors and most recently, Rangers Apprentice. Other than reading, I have many hobbies, a lot of which can be put into use while volunteering. For example, I am on my school’s Science Olympiad team, and I attend “Road Scholar” map reading event. Using skills that I have learned through this event, I can participate in the United States Geological Survey National Map Corps volunteering more efficiently. Also, my Science Olympiad friends and I want to host introduction presentations in library conference rooms for incoming 6th graders who are interested in Science Olympiad but don’t know how to get in.
Free tutoring is also possible, I can invite my friends in the Science Olympiad team to teach with me about various events. Other kids in the GPA who like science can help as well. I think that free tutoring is a great type of community service, as it can help parents who want to send their kids to take lessons but aren’t financially prepared. It is also good because the kids we teach will understand us better than they may understand any adult and vice versa. Furthermore, I take writing classes and most of us in the GPA can write well enough to teach a younger student or to write a paper for a certain organization.
In addition, I have an interest in nature and doing good for our planet. I have done a bit of stream cleanup activities before, but not too much. I feel that many of us may also have an interest in conservation, so we can participate in stream or beach cleanup activities and recycling projects together.
I participate in a Toastmasters – a public speaking club, so I am able to give presentations or act as a host during our “Music from Heart” performances and other on-the-stage volunteering projects. Our very first activity is a new year’s performance at Merwick Care and Rehab Center, and I look forward to participating in more performances in the future.
In addition to liking science, I enjoy programming in my free time. I am not sure what I can do with this skill, but I hope that it will come in handy soon. Perhaps some of the other programmers in the GPA and I could open a “Scratch” tutoring session to introduce younger kids to the world of programming and give them something to do in their free time.
Within GPA, every member brings different things to the table. I bring science, nature, programming, and public speaking skills, while someone else may bring art, dance, violin, and acting skills. We are a group of people with different interests, passions, and ages, but all of us can work to make Princeton and New Jersey a better place by working together through volunteering.
