小小义工，乐于奉献——记2023年麻省PTA杰出青少年奖获得者刘家维

2023 MA PTA Outstanding Youth Advocate Award Winner - Jiawei Liu

小小义工，乐于奉献——记2023年麻省PTA杰出青少年奖获得者刘家维

“He is so incredibly reliable, especially for sixth graders. And he has published our newsletter one time and without errors every two weeks. The Harrington community and board feel so lucky to have such an amazing volunteer, who has helped change our community with all our members. We cannot think of a better example for a positive youth advocate for a PTA. And Massachusetts PTA agrees the outstanding Youth Advocated Award for 2023 is presented to Jiawei Liu, of the Harrington PTA!” 

On the first day of April, during the annual Massachusetts PTA conference, a mix of excitement and nervousness churned within me as I made my way to the stage. Despite the internal conflict, I concealed my emotions and walked up with a confident smile. Receiving the award, I proceeded to deliver a brief speech.

I vividly recall the day when my mom approached me and asked, “The Harrington PTA would like you to be the editor of their newsletter,” Initially, those words didn’t hold much significance for me. I perceived it as another routine community service project. Ignorant of the responsibilities involved, I casually responded, “Sure, why not?”

Soon I began working on the PTA Newsletter, publishing it every two weeks. Working independently proved challenging. While I had previously collaborated with my mom, writing newsletters on my own presented a entirely different task. I had done some special issues before with my mom, but writing them on my own was a completely different task. Numerous moments of struggle remain etched in my memory, from grappling with technical issues like the MembershipToolkit, to balancing swim meets and speech tournaments while meeting newsletter deadlines. I fortified myself and embraced the challenges.

Editing the newsletter once or twice may seem manageable for anyone, but committing to it long-term is an entirely different level of dedication. Embracing the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, who once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I wholeheartedly immersed myself in the bi-weekly grind. Week after week, month after month, it  became a routine. I repeated this process for an entire year, and now here I am, in sixth grade, twelve months from where I initially began. I'm so proud to say that till this day, I've published more than thirty newsletters, with more than 18,000 views. 

Some may perceive this award as mere recognition for the newsletters I edited,  a token of gratitude for my time. But to me, it symbolizes encouragement. Although a year may seem like a significant duration, I plan to continue working and assisting the Harrington PTA for many years to come, until I pass on the job to someone else. For now, I express my immense gratitude to the Harrington PTA for providing me the opportunity to be part of such a remarkable community. Without them, I would not have received this prestigious award. I have gained invaluable knowledge and personal growth from this experience, shaping me into the person I am today.

小小义工，乐于奉献——记2023年麻省PTA杰出青少年奖获得者刘家维

“......他非常可靠，尤其对于一个六年级的学生来说。他每两周都准时发布PTA的通讯， 而且从来不出任何错误。哈灵顿社区和学校委员会觉得能有这样一个了不起的志愿者实在太幸运了，他帮助我们和所有成员一起让我们的社区更美好。我们无法想象还有比他更合适的人作为杰出青年奖的获奖者了！”

        随着主持人高昂的宣布，刘家维走上主席台，接过亮晶晶的奖杯，发表了简短的演讲，感谢PTA给予他的信任、支持和帮助。

       刘家维年龄虽小，可已经是个资深的志愿者了。妈妈在学校和社区做志愿者，他会主动帮忙一起做。在妈妈为PTA制作发布新闻通讯时，他会帮助审查英文和加工图片，还出主意策划制作了两期特刊，受到PTA和社区的一致好评。2022年6月的HarryPalooza，是疫情结束后哈灵顿小学的第一次大型活动，家维带领五六个小同学一起设计制作了反映哈灵顿小学精神的自拍亭（Photo Booth），主动多次参加PTA的筹备活动，还在活动当天放弃了和朋友们一起疯玩的机会，在注册处连续服务了三个小时。

       哈灵顿小学PTA的主席们欣赏刘家维的志愿服务热情和不辞辛苦的投入，在他小学毕业进入初中后，动员他独立承担哈灵顿小学PTA的新闻通讯的组稿、编辑和发布。他欣然答应了，就像他之前爽快地参加其他志愿活动一样。其实他当时并不了解这个承诺的真正意义。偶尔做一些志愿者活动，通常是轻松愉快的，但作为一项长期的责任，则会碰到各种各样的困难和考验。时间和自己的课外活动冲突怎么办？要自己调整，甚至牺牲些睡眠时间；如何保持整体风格的同时，每一期做出特色，内容取舍和编排，都是煞费心思的......刘家维以极大的耐心和责任心，每隔一周联系PTA成员征集稿件，制作预览版发给PTA审核，然后在周日定时发布。另外还有不定期的针对重要活动和通知的单独发布的通讯。在一年多的时间里，刘家维编辑发布了30多篇通讯，累计18,000多点击阅读量。

        刘家维喜欢甘地的一句话：“将自己融入到为他人的服务之中，是发现自我的最佳途径”。刘家维热爱公益的习惯的养成是与我们莱克星顿的文化底蕴和良好风气分不开的，他像众多华裔青少年一样，勇于担当、乐于奉献，积极乐观、包容共济，展现了我们华裔新一代的风采！他们让我们的社区更美好。