Jiaqi Jackie Zhang - Silver Award

School: Sunset High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 89

During the winter break of 6th grade, Jackie went on a trip back to China to visit her grandparents. Shortly after she returned from her visit, Jackie found out that her grandfather had passed away due to cancer, filling her with great regret of not having spent more time with him. Jackie started to pay close attention to the senior population. In an effort to help the senior community, she started to volunteer at a local senior living facility, Laurel Parc. Since then, she has been going there to interact with the residents every Sunday for over three years. The beginning of her volunteering journey was rough. It felt like a tedious job that had to be completed. However, after experiencing the joy of seeing the smiling and content faces of the people she has helped, and hearing stories of how her various activities made the seniors’ lives much more entertaining, Jackie started to become eager to volunteer at Laurel Parc. She persevered in her volunteering activities and started to extend her volunteerism to other opportunities, while always focusing on the goal of helping less recognized communities. Whether it be raising money for children in the foster care system, helping MC the inaugural Chinese festival, or organizing a small group to host fun activities for seniors at Laurel Parc, Jackie’s extensive volunteering has made a positive impact on many lives.

Oregon Chinese Coalition is proud to join the President of the United States in recognizing the volunteers who consistently take the time to make a difference in the lives of others. Therefore, it is a great honor to present the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) to Jiaqi Zhang.