Sophomore Honored by White House for Community Service

Sophomore Amani Gupta has earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. Amani logged 100-plus hours of volunteer service in 2022, qualifying her for the “Gold” version of the award.

Most of Amani’s volunteer hours were spent at math and debate competitions, often serving as a judge/moderator or mentoring and coaching younger students.

In math, she assists with creating test questions, grading papers, or providing support to students as they work through challenging problems. Similarly, in debate, she helps with researching and developing debate topics, training students in effective debate strategies, and judging debates.

“Nowadays, people's number one fear is public speaking, so helping students work through that fear and gain confidence is a truly fulfilling experience,” Amani said.

Amani said that volunteering in these areas can also help to increase access to math and debate opportunities for under-resourced schools or communities.

“By working with students from diverse backgrounds, I can help to foster a love of learning and build skills that can be useful in a variety of fields,” Amani said. “Additionally, volunteering can provide me with an opportunity to give back to the community and make a positive impact in the lives of young people. It has also helped me develop new skills, build relationships and connections within their community, and gain valuable work experience. Volunteering has exposed me to new perspectives and experiences, which has helped me grow as an individual.”