Lele Yang - Silver Award

School: Sunset High School
Category: Young Adults (16-25)
Hours: 191

Growing up as a sociable individual, Lele has always felt a natural inclination towards taking on the role of a mentor. When she joined ONPRC Science Ambassadors and Tech4Girls as a teacher in her freshman year, the interpersonal connections that she made deepened her understanding of her leadership roles. In both programs, Lele worked with younger students from economically challenged backgrounds. These experiences exposed her to peers from drastically different backgrounds, and shed light on her own privilege. Lele values her volunteering experiences because they are opportunities to utilize her advantages to provide better opportunities for those who are less fortunate. She has continued to act as a leader and a mentor in each program throughout her high school years. Her responsibilities in guiding the learning and exploration for younger students has made her a more aware, insightful, and dedicated individual. Lele has continued to expand her efforts into many more areas of her community. She has taken on leadership roles in several medical clubs at her high school to encourage deeper education on topics such as the disparities in healthcare. Nonacademically, she has participated in youth reporting programs and volunteered in cooking events for homeless veterans. Her incentive is always to spread more awareness toward the less advantaged population groups. In each experience, she learns how to better use her compassion and initiative to strengthen her community.

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 Lele Yang.