Shunyi Du - Gold Award

School: Sunset High School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 258

Shunyi (Wendy) is a junior at Sunset High School and co-founder of Beats of Bethany. This non-profit organization empowers youth to serve their communities through varying art forms. She has been actively participating in Beats of Bethany as co-founder and later president since seventh grade. Even in the face of a pandemic, Beats of Bethany could still grow an incredible amount under her leadership. To adapt to the new circumstances, Wendy quickly found alternative ways to continue Beats of Bethany’s activities. For instance, although the pandemic prevented in-person musical performances in senior homes, she decided to use her video editing skills to create virtual concerts for seniors to watch during this difficult time. Especially since the pandemic heavily restricted contact from outsiders, even family members, she designed Valentine’s concert on top of the annual summer and winter concerts in hopes of cheering up the elderlies through music. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Wendy and the rest of Beats of Bethany members have produced five virtual concerts for senior homes in Oregon and Washington. Wendy also noticed that many students have been falling behind due to the shortcomings of distance learning, particularly in low-income youth. Continuing Beats of Bethany’s partnership with PT&E, a local non-profit that supports education for low-income youth, Wendy decided to provide homework help workshops on top of the monthly art workshops to aid students academically. During these sessions, students were able to receive assistance on homework from older members of Beats of Bethany to bridge the gap of online school. Through her passion for various art forms and her passion for education, Wendy thrives on continuing to make a difference in her community and beyond.

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 Shunyi Du.