Way to Go! Rachel Seong of East Meadow
Rachel Seong, a senior at W. Tresper Clarke High School, has received the President's Volunteer Service Award. Credit: East Meadow School District
An East Meadow student has demonstrated her commitment to volunteering both locally and abroad.
Rachel Seong, a senior at W. Tresper Clarke High School, has pursued volunteer work ranging from being a teaching assistant for her church’s summer school program to helping build mobile-friendly homes during mission trips.
She spent a week doing home renovations for a Schenectady family during such a trip last summer, through her church’s partnership with Group Mission Trips.
“It was very rewarding,” said Seong, 18. Of her love for volunteering, she said: “I like getting to know more people and learning leadership through service.”
She recently was recognized for her church-related service with a silver-level President’s Volunteer Service Award for accumulating about 200 hours of service over 12 months. She also was recognized for service through her school with a certificate of achievement and a second President’s Volunteer Service Award from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Her other volunteer efforts include serving as a Korean school teaching assistant at Yale Korean Presbyterian Church in Hicksville. She and members of the church’s youth group also ran a Bible study last year during a mission trip in Albania.
In school, Seong takes five Advanced Placement courses and is in the American Red Cross Club, Lighthouse Club, Mathletes, DECA, jazz band and six honor societies.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
