Ananya Kesarinath, 12

Question: Where did your passion for volunteering stem from and how did it grow?

Ananya Kesarinath: “I think it just started in sixth grade, when I went to middle school I really wanted to join this club [Leo Club] and help people out. And then during COVID actually, I feel like when I ran for president it definitely accelerated even more because I saw that at first the engagement was low, so I wanted more people to get involved.”

Q: What’s the best part about Leo club?

AK: “I think the best part is it’s easily accessible to anyone, this year we don’t even have club fees and also we have a lot of opportunities online and in person so either way you still have a chance to volunteer and get hours.”

Q: What’s a challenge you had to face recently with this club?

AK: “One challenge was definitely trying to reach out to more members online because I didn’t really know what their home situation was like or if they could volunteer. So that was hard at first, but definitely if you keep coming up with new opportunities it’s easier to reach a broader audience.”

Q: What do you hope to leave behind when you graduate?

AK: “I hope to just encourage more people to do community service, like not just for college applications and the volunteer hours, but also out of the goodness of their hearts. Especially during COVID I just hope to motivate more people to help out in our community.”