In the era of polarization and division, there is a high school student, Madelyne Masters, who strives to open and enrich people’s minds. Madelyne is a junior at Bellevue High School who has spent 500 hours volunteering for her local community.

She acknowledges her mom for allowing her to learn how meaningful it is to uplift those in her community, saying, “My mom, from a young age, instilled the motivation to help and care for others.” This motivation shaped her to be a devoted volunteer for her neighborhood. One of the organizations that fulfilled her desire to empower others was the National Charity League (NCL), which connects volunteers with various organizations. 

Her NCL journey started at the end of her 6th grade year, when the pandemic hit. It was a rough start, she recounts, saying, “We did not feel the same connections since we were looking at each other online and could not find volunteering opportunities due to lockdown.” Despite the unprecedented challenges, her team at NCL became a light in the darkness. The team started making fabric masks for the Bellevue School District when it was in dire need of masks. Her team contributed by creating 500 masks for students and continued to “find a way to help without going out.” Her impact expanded as the pandemic wound down.

She eagerly broadened her community service in organizations such as the American Heart Association, Operation Gratitude, and Sophia Way, all affiliated with the National Charity League. At the American Heart Association, she led a campaign last year with her team to raise funds. Ultimately, they raised 130,000 dollars for the American Heart Association and created a meaningful change in the lives of individuals with heart disease or stroke. Another volunteer experience was at Operation Gratitude where she served soldiers. She has written thoughtful thank-you notes for the soldiers’ service and holidays. She also made paracord bracelets for the soldiers, which could be unraveled and used in an emergency in the field. Those bracelets, however, would mean more than just practical purposes, giving soldiers honor and hope.

One of her most memorable moments, though, was at the Special Olympics Swimming. She recently started volunteering there, encouraging swimmers to feel comfortable in the water and eventually learn to swim. Whether supporting their back and assisting them to float or simply walking with them in the pool, she values personal connections with community members, highlighting, “I appreciate the opportunity to work one-on-one with individuals on a personal level.”

These experiences led to bolstering her leadership skills. She reflects, “I am now able to show my leadership and take on more.” She has previously served as Vice President of Communications and Photographer and is serving as Vice President of Leadership this year. She noticed that not only her leadership skills, but also her relationship with her mom, were strengthened through the time they spent volunteering together at NCL. She recalls her memory of her mom and her cooking together, saying, “I was able to work with my mom and brother to make food and deliver meals at certain time slots to women experiencing homelessness at Sophia Way.” She grew even closer to her mom through Senior Recognition, an event at NCL in which every volunteer writes a letter to their mom.

When asked about what makes her work rewarding, she points out that there is no single memory that makes all her efforts rewarding. Instead, she highlights that small memories pile up against each other “making big special moments.” For her, those small moments come from “seeing people smile and get the support and recognition they deserve.” Her observation reminds us that it is not only the groundbreaking actions that can make a positive impact but also the minor acts of kindness that come together from individuals.

Lastly, she hopes more people will join NCL, saying, “Just do it, because there are plenty of opportunities based on your interest." She is confident that those experiences will be transformative and meaningful, adding, “It might be scary to go to places you have never been, but once you go there, you will have fun and see all the impacts you made.”

She wants to emphasize how important it is for us “to start and to do something for others.” She says, “When you start something, you will soon know that you are having fun and making a positive influence on the community.”