Qiyue (Cheery) Zhang - Gold Award

School: Westview High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 109

Qiyue (Cheery) is a sophomore at Westview High School. Before quarantine, Cheery performed the Chinese instrument, guzheng, at different rehab and senior centers, hospitals, and Chinese cultural events. These performances spread joy and Chinese culture to people who were not familiar with it, and also helped spread the feeling of pride of being Chinese within her community. After the pandemic hit, she embraced her love of helping kids and turned to tutoring students through Zoom meetings with the nonprofit organization Students For Students. She worked with seventh graders to help them improve their literacy skills, and with second and fourth graders whose native language was Chinese to help improve their English skills. Interacting with the students all throughout quarantine allowed Cheery to form close bonds with them, and she was thrilled to see them become more confident in their English skills. As the pandemic continues on, Cheery is seeking out new ways to volunteer as well.

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 Cheery Zhang.