Roslyn High School seniors Ryan Chen and Maxwell Russ were recently honored by the Roslyn Rotary Club at its luncheon on Nov. 16 as the September and October Students of the Month respectively.
Chen’s community service has included volunteering with The Giving Tree Family visiting and performing at nursing homes, children hospitals and centers for children with mental disabilities. Chen has also served as Vice President in the organization which also hosts food drives, garage sales, site cleanups and walks against various illnesses.
Chen also worked as a staff member and counselor in the KCPCQ Summer School program in the city picking up and distributing meals, cleaning the facility, overseeing the children among other volunteer activities. Chen went to the Dominican Republic with Experience GLA, Global Leadership Adventure to volunteer abroad to help villages become more environmentally sustainable. He helped to build small houses, playgrounds, water containment and roads by using recycled resources and cement.
Russ’ community service has included starting the Russ Warriors project with his family as a result of his battle with Leukemia as a child. They deliver “cheer up bags” to children with cancer who are receiving inpatient treatment at hospitals.
Russ also is a volunteer counselor at Sunrise Day Camp, a camp for children with cancer and their siblings, which he had also attended as a child. Russ is also involved in Hand in Hand at Temple Sinai of Roslyn, a program where teens mentor children from the Department of Homeless Services. They work on projects to teach underprivileged children that they can contribute to their community regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Russ took a community service trip to Give Kids The World Village in Orlando, a nonprofit resort providing week-long, free vacations to children with life threatening illnesses and their families. He engaged in various activities from serving dinner to helping celebrate a Halloween party in February.
