Leon_Liu - Gold Award

School: Catlin Gabel School
Category: Teens (11-15)
Hours: 110

Leon is a sophomore attending the Catlin Gabel School. Through living with and learning about the digital mediums of the modern world, he has learned the importance of knowing how to stay safe online.

Hoping to use his newfound interest to interact with the communities he is a part of, he paired up with his childhood friend who shares similar intrigue. Together, they worked to enact two different workshops over the course of the summer. One of them being in partnership with the Hope Chinese Charter School in Beaverton and the other with the Beaverton School District Migrant Camp. In these workshops, Leon taught students ranging from grades pre-k to 8th the basics of cybersecurity, which is the concept of protecting you and your digital devices from harmful online entities. From this experience, Leon has learned various skills including how to create/enact a curriculum, and how to reach out to organizations and propose ideas. He hopes the students that he worked with will take what they learned and apply it to their own lives.

Furthermore, Leon also teamed up with a group of friends and worked with the Oregon Chinese Coalition to form the Peer Connect program, aiming to connect with and help improve local communities. Partnering with many local organizations, they have carried out multiple projects, varying from planting trees and plants to organizing toy/book drives. Leon has worked with establishments including the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge, the Elks Lodge, and the Children’s Book Bank. Through co-founding the Peer Connect program, Leon has greatly improved his leadership and outreach skills.

Outside of school and extracurricular activities, Leon finds enjoyment in playing piano and playing soccer competitively. He also loves spending time with his cat and dog, and has recently picked up a new hobby of keyboard building.

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 Leon Liu.