Non-profit organizations survive through fundraising and collaboration between compassionate individuals, in order to bring about change. Such organizations, like The Pangea Network, rely especially on the passion and innovation of young women, who exhibit a desire to change the world. Because of this, The Pangea Network understands the importance of shining a light on the motivated young women who put forth tremendous effort, selflessness, and perseverance in making Pangea’s efforts possible. This week’s spotlight shines on high school student, Alexandra Trevino, who writes about her experience in organizing and collaborating with her classmates to raise funds for The Pangea Network.
My name is Alexandra Trevino, I am sixteen years old and I go to Humble High School.
It was important for me to raise money for the Pangea Network because I feel that all people, especially young women, should have access to education. Jada Moore, Chelsea White, and Shirliah Brown brainstormed with me to find ways to raise money and we found the perfect opportunity through Valentine’s Day. Our student-initiated fundraiser was “Valentines for Education” and we sold pre-packaged Valentines goody bags. We had two choices available: “I’m Hot for You” and “I’m Sweet on You”. The hot one consisted of a bag of hot Cheetos, two Blow Pops, a drink, and a handful of Hershey’s Kisses. The only difference from the hot one was that the sweet option had a pack of Oreos instead of a bag of hot chips. Students paid $3.00 and chose their bag option and wrote a personalized message and had the Valentine delivered on Valentine’s Day. It went very well and we sold 141 bags in total and collected $450 from the Valentine’s sales, as well as from other donations.I am so proud of this fundraiser’s success and hope to work closely with The Pangea Network in the future. This is just the beginning of what I see as becoming a very close partnership. Knowing that the money being raised is going directly to funding Lesley’s path on continuing her education, makes me feel very happy. It’s not just the quantity that matters, but rather the quality of time, care, and dedication that one gives in the service of others. I hope to grow alongside the Pangea Network and help make a difference in more people’s lives through them. I’d like to give a special thanks to Mrs. Stacey Hamlet, our Service-Learning Coordinator for mentoring us and for Ms. Nicole Minor, as well as Ms. Elizabeth
Turner, for keeping up a correspondence with me.
Volunteering begins with humility and compromise, and Miss Trevino and her team instill in us a confidence that the next generation can understand the importance of stepping outside of their own experiences, in order to appreciate the needs of others. The Pangea Network extends their warm thanks and appreciation to Alexandra and her partners, and hope that their willingness and ability to see the value in volunteering becomes an inspiration to more young women their age.
