Jackson High’s Leah Shin has the drive and spirit to achieve her goals

MILL CREEK — Leah Shin, 18, recently was given a Prudential Spirit of Community Award for her work at the school establishing Literacy for Love, which collects books for children in need.

Question: What sparked your interest in volunteer work?

Answer: I used to be really quiet, but my 7th grade English teacher told me to apply for the Mill Creek Youth Advisory Board. I meet with other teens and people who are interested in volunteering. I’ve been on the board for six years and worked on a Kids’ Fun Run, the Mill Creek Festival, teen egg hunts, we bought toys for Swedish Hospital for children, and I testified before the Parks and Recreation Board on where to build a new park.

Q: How did this turn into your drive to lead projects?

A: I think the realization was when I became an officer. I got to see when senior high school cool kids led us. Being able to switch seats and lead a meeting, and talk about ideas, and see things actually get done.

That’s when I realized I wanted to get more involved in the community.

Q: How did the Spirit of Community award come about?

A: I ran for Associated Student Body all four years of high school, but in my freshman and sophomore years I wasn’t elected. I needed to do something to take my mind off it. My sophomore year I came up with this idea for Literacy for Love (literacyforlove.weebly.com). I had an older friend, kind of like my mentor . She was a junior. When I became a junior I established Literacy for Love as an official club. And then I was elected to ASB as secretary.

Q: Where did the idea come from?

A: When I was an ESL student I was put in English Language Learner classes. It was a requirement for all students who spoke a second language at home. For me that was Korean. I could speak English pretty fluently, but in the class I could see a need to be addressed. We had 80 students join Literacy for Love in the very first meeting.

Q: Did that take a lot of organization to get off the ground?

A: I used my marketing skills and conducted outreach to seven different schools and collected $50,000 worth of books, about 6,000 books, and we got them into kids’ hands who needed them most. We only expected to gather 3,000 books. I actually was very worried that we were not going to get enough. I made a website that had a lot of information about what we were looking for. I made flyers, posters, and we decorated boxes with bright paper so that it’s fun for kids to donate. We had a pizza competition for the classroom that collected the most books.

Q: Do you have much time for other activities?

A: I like being busy. Right now I’m senior class president, which is fun because I get to plan prom. Also I’m on the Technology Students Association. I did the Project Green Challenge, collecting cans and composting. I did Model UN. I’m also varsity captain of the golf team. I try practicing six hours every day.

Q: How do you have time for school work then?

A: I do homework there at the Columbia Super Range.

Q: What do you like about golf?

A: I realized that golf is really a fun sport and underrated. It’s kind of soothing because you concentrate. My dad plays golf so it’s kind of been with me since I was younger. I also volunteer with Special Olympics of golf, so that was kind of neat, helping other kids with their swing and putt.

Q: Do all your activities overwhelm you a bit?

A: I just made myself be positive, be practical about it. It’s my goal in senior year, to try everything. You have to fail to succeed.

Q: What are your college plans?

A: I want to go to the UW’s Foster School of Business to pursue a degree in marketing or consulting, maybe with a minor like nonprofit management. I go there once a month for Young Executives of Color. We get to learn business skills and meet CEOs and managers of companies like Amazon and Ernst &Young.

Q: What draws you to business?

A: I’m not really into the sciences. I’m more into being creative, technology, STEM subjects and business. It’s like finding creative solutions for real-world problems, that’s how I see it.

Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Everett mall renderings from Brixton Capital. (Photo provided by the City of Everett)
Topgolf at the Everett Mall? Mayor’s hint still unconfirmed

After Cassie Franklin’s annual address, rumors circled about what “top” entertainment tenant could be landing at Everett Mall.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 3 years of probation for mutilating animals

In 2022, neighbors reported Blayne Perez, 35, was shooting and torturing wildlife in north Everett.

Dorothy Crossman rides up on her bike to turn in her ballot  on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett leaders plan to ask voters for property tax increase

City officials will spend weeks hammering out details of a ballot measure, as Everett faces a $12.6 million deficit.

Starbucks employee Zach Gabelein outside of the Mill Creek location where he works on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek Starbucks votes 21-1 to form union

“We obviously are kind of on the high of that win,” store bargaining delegate Zach Gabelein said.

Lynnwood police respond to a collision on highway 99 at 176 street SW. (Photo provided by Lynnwood Police)
Police: Teen in stolen car flees cops, causes crash in Lynnwood

The crash blocked traffic for over an hour at 176th Street SW. The boy, 16, was arrested on felony warrants.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Imagine Children's Museum's incoming CEO, Elizabeth "Elee" Wood. (Photo provided by Imagine Children's Museum)
Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett to welcome new CEO

Nancy Johnson, who has led Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett for 25 years, will retire in June.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.