Elizabeth Shen - Gold Award

School: Mountainside High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 104

Elizabeth is currently a 10th grader at Mountainside High School. In this past year, she has demonstrated a commitment to her community through her passion for rhythmic gymnastics, dance, students education, and mental health advocacy. Elizabeth has always had a passion for rhythmic gymnastics from a young age. Now as a senior athlete, with 10 years of experience in this sport, she has since grown to help her teammates in different aspects leading to competition seasons. She helps with the routine music preparation process, which is a vital step in the competition season. She makes necessary edits to the music, and with her help, many young gymnasts can meet their performance goals. This year Elizabeth also joined the Jade Dance Team, where she found a way to express her culture alongside her dance technique. Through dedicated practice and various performances throughout the year, she showcased Chinese culture and shared it with the community. Elizabeth has always had a passion for helping and teaching young kids. She volunteered at VEX IQ robotics competitions, which is a program that is focused on STEM education for elementary and middle school students. Elizabeth is also a member of her schools Youth Tutoring Club, she worked closely with middle school students, guiding them through challenging homework assignments and helping them grasp concepts they found difficult to understand. The club received lots of positive feedback from the students and teachers. Mental health is also a subject of interest for Elizabeth. This year she participated in a mental health advocacy project, working with peers to create and deliver a public presentation titled The Significance of Recreational and Active Leisure Pursuits for Students. Through months of research, planning, and interactive discussions, the final presentation brought more awareness and consideration among students and parents about mental health. Through her volunteer work, Elizabeth has built her skills and found joy in helping 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 Elizabeth Shen.