Community Service is a Passion for First-Year Student

When Iris Sanxhaku ’12 emigrated from Albania to the United States in 1996, she spoke little English. In May 2007, she graduated as one of the highest achievers of her class of more than 300 at South High School in Worcester.

What’s more, she completed more than 250 hours of community service during her high school career. Despite her leadership efforts, she never expected to receive an award for her work.

Last month, the United Way of Central Massachusetts honored her with the Meredith D. Wesby Young Leader Award.

“My principal at South High nominated me — I didn’t even know,” says Sanxhaku. “It came as a shock!”

A good shock, of course.

Each year, the Women’s Initiative at the United Way of Central Massachusetts gives the Young Leader Award to a young woman in the Worcester community who has demonstrated a commitment to the Women’s Initiative mission of “promoting women’s leadership and philanthropy to effect positive and measurable change for women and children.” The nominee must demonstrate clear leadership through volunteerism, an outstanding record of community service, and be a champion for the success of women and girls.

Sanxhaku “is one of the most talented, kind, reflective, and truly gifted young leaders I have had the pleasure of working with in my 30 years as an educator,” wrote South High principal Maureen Binienda in her nomination letter.

“It was my principal who got me interested in community service freshman year of high school,” Sanxhaku says. “I joined the South High Community Service Learning Youth Philanthropy Council, a student-run group which award grants to community organizations in South Worcester.”

As part of the CSL Youth Council, she was able to take classes at Worcester State College to learn more about the issues affecting the area, and connect to other volunteer organizations. She helped secure more than $22,500 in grants that was awarded to Friendly House, Girls Inc., the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, and many more.

Sanxhaku remembers one grant recipient in particular: “We gave a grant to Youth Grows, an urban garden planting group. They help local kids plant and grow vegetables, and then resell them to the community. It’s great because it gives local people who may not have easy access to the bigger grocery stores a chance to buy fresh produce at a low price.”

Enthused by her work on the Youth Council, Sanxhaku began volunteering at sites throughout Worcester, spending time at the Cambridge Street Shelter and UMass Memorial. She also interned for the Mayor’s Office. “The Council was a gateway; it led to my other volunteer involvement,” she says.

Now a freshman at Holy Cross, Sanxhaku is getting adjusted to campus life, the work load, and the big decisions that freshman year brings. For one, she’s not sure if she’ll stick with her declared major of political science. “I want to go to law school, so it’s a hard choice,” she says.

Sanxhaku has earned a spot on Holy Cross’ competitive Mock Trial team, and is still keeping up with her work in the community. She is currently interning with the Worcester Regulatory and Planning Division at the Office of the City Manager, where she is learning a lot about the local government. United Way may also soon have her working as a part of their mentoring program.

By Kaitlin Juleus ’09