Summers In Service

WHEN SUMMER BEGINS, a new kind of classroom opens, without walls or tests. It offers a break from academic pressure and a chance to profoundly explore personal interests. Many students are eager to devote their time to something meaningful. For several high school students, volunteering is a bridge that allows them to use their interests to serve others. Whether they are donating their time and energy in their own neighborhoods or traveling across the globe, the mission is the same: to benefit others while fostering personal growth. The drive to serve is especially clear in Spring Lake and Sea Girt, where students are making a difference in their communities and around the world.

Joseph Walker

AUTISM MOVEMENT PROJECT, MANASQUAN

Joseph Walker, a senior at Wall High School, is energetic and kind and loves to keep moving. One summer, he volunteered with RallyCap, an organization that provides a welcoming community for people with special needs to play recreational sports. When the season ended, he found himself yearning for a similar experience.

Walker discovered the Autism Movement Project (AMP), a nonprofit program that uses research to help athletes with developmental disabilities succeed in fitness and improve socialization. In class, he sets up activities and guides participants through exercises, but most of the athletes know the routines well. He’s mainly there as a friend, contributing to the lively energy of the class.

At AMP, volunteers and athletes connect, share how their days are going, and make sure everyone is feeling supported before their workout. When someone is down, AMP is there to lift their spirits. The energy in the gym doesn’t stop at the door—it follows everyone home.

The organization has been an outlet for Walker, too. Every time he leaves, he finds himself happier than when he arrived. He credits this to the smiles and laughter of participants. “Volunteering has impacted me through all the unexpected and amazing memories and friends I’ve made,” he says.

The friendships and positive environment of AMP motivate Walker to return each day. The experience has changed him just as much as it helps the athletes, and it is proof that showing up for others can make a real difference.

Maeve Ragan

OPERATION SMILE, MOROCCO

Maeve Ragan, a St. Rose High School senior, is passionate about helping others, especially children. Last summer, she attended Operation Smile’s International Leadership Conference in Georgia, where she was introduced to the organization’s mission: to provide free cleft lip and palate surgeries and comprehensive care to children.

Inspired and determined, Ragan knew she wanted to be a part of the organization. In January, she completed a student surgical program to prepare for her future mission in Casablanca, Morocco.

Ragan traveled with two student volunteers and an adult chaperone on her 10-day, women-led mission. She joined a team of medical professionals and volunteers from countries around the world. They spent most of their time in the hospital, helping with patient screenings, comforting families, and guiding children through every stage of the surgical process.

“My service trip to Morocco shifted the way I view life, the world, and the kind of impact I want to have,” Ragan says. “The fear that I carried there transformed into a clear sense of purpose and a call to action.”

Immersed in a new country and culture, Ragan learned that connection doesn’t require a shared language. The hospital staff and families she worked with welcomed the volunteers with open arms, showing how much understanding can be shared through actions rather than words.

The mission empowered Ragan to push beyond her comfort zone and make the most of each moment. One of the most powerful parts of her experience was shadowing a surgeon in the operating room. Although she was nervous at first, with the support of her fellow women volunteers, she now feels confident in her goal to build a life dedicated to children’s health care. Ragan returned from home confident in her capabilities and focused on finding additional ways to serve.

“Being part of each step, from meeting the patients and their families to seeing them after surgery, made the experience feel deeply personal and unforgettable,” Ragan says. Her journey proved that volunteering can not only change lives but shape them. It can turn compassion into confidence and connection into purpose.

Anna Martin

OPERATION BEACHHEAD, SPRING LAKE

Growing up in a beach town, Anna Martin loves swimming and surfing. The Trinity Hall senior also holds a special place in her heart for veterans because her dad served in the U.S. armed forces. Inspired by him, Martin works with Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization remembering those who served, honoring those who still do, and teaching future generations about the value of freedom.

Martin’s love for the ocean and her dedication to veterans led her to Operation Beachhead, a nonprofit founded by veteran Mike Ricci. This organization creates opportunities for veterans, active troops, and individuals with disabilities through year-round recreational sports and social activities.

The program’s summer activities include surfing, paddleboarding, boogie boarding, and kayaking. Martin’s favorite moments are seeing a participant’s smile as they coast down a wave on a surfboard. “The experience made an impact on me because I went into it with the assumption that I would be helping others, but I feel that I got just as much, if not more, out of it than they did,” she says.

Martin demonstrates that to honor someone means offering your time and dedication. For her, service is not only giving back. It is personal and purposeful, and that is what makes an impact.

Julia McCarthy

GIVE VOLUNTEERS, TANZANIA

Finally, I’d like to share some of my own summer volunteer experiences. A Trinity Hall junior, I’ve always loved traveling, learning about other cultures, and meeting new people, especially when I can do it with a purpose. I found the perfect program match through GIVE Volunteers in the village of Kairo in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

For two weeks, I lived side by side with locals and worked in construction and education. I made concrete with the help of Kairo men and other volunteers to create a road for easier access to school. I also taught English to older women and introduced new computer skills to children.

The people of Kairo provided me with a home away from home for life. They live by the sayings “slowly, slowly” and “no worries,” always reminding me to take in every moment life has to offer.

The local staff, my fellow volunteers, and I formed a special bond during construction each day. The locals made us all laugh through the struggle of pushing heavy wheelbarrows. The women were eager to learn English to better their businesses and support their children’s learning. The fourth-grade computer students were practically dancing in their seats with excitement to learn how to use a laptop. Helping students learn how to make their first PowerPoint presentation showed me how transformative technology can be. A laptop has endless information and can open countless possibilities for these children.

The energy the kids had to learn was commendable as they worked together to understand one another through different languages. Whatever I gave in time and effort, I received back in perspective and knowledge. We may have left Kairo, but the mission isn’t over—continuing volunteer efforts are what make real change possible.

A COMMON BOND

Across different towns, causes, and cultures, what unites these students is their ability to turn passion into meaningful action. Each has found a unique way to align their interests with service. Volunteering is a two-way street: It creates impact in both directions, for those who receive and for those who give. In offering their time and energy, students discovered unexpected lessons that reveal the importance of purpose. Like any meaningful classroom, summer experiences like these educate students through connection, effort, and heart.

BY JULIA MCCARTHY