A few years ago, Laura Chen said she would have felt helpless when her Syrian friend told her about that country’s bloody conflict, and the horrendous impact it was having on civilians’ lives.
But, as a member of R.C. Palmer Secondary’s Global Network club, Chen now said she has the confidence, and the skills, to spring into action.
“My friend (a Syrian refugee) didn’t want pity,” Chen said. “She wanted people to become aware and support the innocent civilians…. She was really upset that no one knew what was going on.”
So, as co-president of Global Network, Chen helped organize a campaign to not only inform students about what was happening in Syria but also raise $500 to help families.
Back when she was in Grade 9, pity would have been the only thing she could offer her friend. However, the Network club’s leadership training “really got me to be creative about the things I was passionate about — (it taught me to) put all your heart into what you care about.”
“Leadership is a way of standing up for others and starting a conversation,” fellow club member Sarah Chen said at the Richmond Student Leadership Showcase at the Aberdeen Centre on March 6.
Student passion was palpable at each of the booths that circled the mall’s fountain as part of the culmination of Education Week activities. A variety of youth groups, took part in the event organized by Jim Ling, the district chair of Rotary International’s Interact Clubs, which also had a strong showing.
