From an early age, my parents and teachers have repeatedly taught me about the concept of giving. I first began volunteering at various places, including schools, homeless shelters, cultural events, Highlands community events, and many others. However, as I grew older, I discovered that volunteering is more than just helping others. When we volunteer, we shape the kind of community we want to live in. When we volunteer, we make changes to our community that will benefit not only us, but also the future generations of people who will grow up here, as I have.
Notably, when I was 12, my older brother, Nicholas Chin, and I flew to China, where we had the opportunity to volunteer at a school summer camp to teach English with students from Huntington University. As a Chinese American, Mandarin was not one of my strong points, but from the experience, I learned that language should not be a barrier when it comes to helping people.
Coming back home, I began volunteering with Chinese Heritage Club, the local club in the highlands that celebrates traditional Chinese culture. I have helped in many of their events, including the most recent Mooncake festival in September. This past summer, I also volunteered at the University of Washington to help teach English to students from China and will continue doing so for many years.
Currently, I am a sophomore at Issaquah High School. I have been involved with music ever since I could remember, starting out with piano. Now, I have played the string bass for many years. I play with both the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Evergreen Philharmonic. Sports is also a very important part of my life. I have been passionate about sports from a very young age, specifically basketball, as I play for Issaquah girls basketball team.
I enjoy volunteering and look forward to continuing to give to my community in this way.
Photo (top): Volunteer of the Month Angelina Chin (far right) poses for a volunteer group photo at Highlands Day 2018.
