Jiaqi Jackie Zhang - Gold Award

School: Sunset High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 114

Continuing her passion to work with elders, Jackie Zhang, a Junior at Sunset High School, persisted in her weekly volunteering at Laurel Parc, a senior living facility. However, this soon came to an end as the pandemic threatened the safety of the seniors living at Laurel Parc. Even though it was no longer possible for her to volunteer much in person, Jackie wanted to pursue her passion for public services, as well as discover more of her personal interests. In order to do so, Jackie decided to expand on her moderating abilities by working with organizations to host webinars, as well as working with other highschoolers to teach students online. Over the course of this quarantine, she taught middle schoolers math for multiple hours every week, dedicating her time and efforts to provide a good education for students. This volunteering experience actually helped Jackie explore her love for education. Continuing on her volunteering journey, Jackie started assisting other organizations such as CLUSA (Civic Leadership USA) and AAUC (Asian American Unity Coalition) with webinars, even getting a chance to moderate webinars as well as the Vincent Chin and BLM memorial. It was through these organizations that Jackie discovered her love for politics and social justice. Besides these volunteering activities, Jackie spent her time in quarantine picking up new hobbies such as roller skating, baking, and watching shows.

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.