“Being a volunteer has taught me leadership, quick thinking, and communication,” said Leiana Wong, a junior at Armijo in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Wong is an older sister to a younger brother.

At Armijo, Wong can be found in a variety of student led clubs. As an officer of Stitchers’ Club, she teaches crochet techniques and helps organize activities to donate crocheted crafts to disaster based projects, hospitals, and other charities. “Stitchers’ Club has been a fun way to merge creativity with service,” she said.

In addition, Wong is an officer for the club Art with a Purpose. As officer, she helps set up art activities where high schoolers teach new crafts to young children. “My favorite activity so far has been rock painting,” said Wong, “We taught it at the Fairfield library and many kids participated.”

As an active member of National Honor Society and Armijo Key Club, Wong spends her weekends and after school hours working on community projects and events. Recently awarded Member of the Month by Armijo Key Club, Wong said, “I really liked volunteering through Key Club for Meals on Wheels– we made many Christmas cards and put together toiletry bags for homebound seniors.”

Wong has also taken many opportunities to explore her interests in science through her volunteer experience. Every week, she helps lead scientific labs and hands on activities for 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) at the Leaven located in the Fairfield Signature apartments. “Doing fun science labs brings me back to when I was a kid,” said Wong, “I hope that I can pass on these good memories to the kids I teach.”

In the future, Wong aspires to study biotechnology at a four-year college and she is open to a wide variety of career options. As a final message, she said, “Volunteering has exposed me to a lot of new people and interests– don’t hesitate to start early!”