DLFF Scholar and current Sophomore at Conwell-Egan Catholic High School (CEC), Chloe Secoda, has reached an incredible milestone in her Community Service efforts around Bucks County. We sat down with Chloe to learn more about her and all the hard work, time and dedication she has given to different organizations.
Chloe is extremely active in her school community. She is a part of the National Honors Society, CEC’s fall production and spring musical, as well as many other different clubs and extracurricular activities.
However, her most fulfilling community efforts are seen outside of school. Chloe started her volunteer work when she entered fourth grade and since then has volunteered for various organizations over the years. This year, she works very closely with the Bucks County Free Library in Levittown, Silver Lake Nature Center, the Bucks County Emergency Shelter, St. Michael the Archangel PREP program, and the Heritage Conservancy.
Over the last two years, Chloe has channeled her passion for reading and writing into multiple community service projects. She volunteers once a week at the Bucks County Free Library to help reshelve books and help make navigating the library easier for newcomers. She also makes book recommendations to friends and peers.
Chloe has also started two independent service projects for the school year. The first being a book drive for Family Service (FS) to help create a pop-up bookstore for the residents at the FS Emergency Shelter. She has also partnered with the Heritage Conservancy and the Grundy Library to write and illustrate a children’s book highlighting nature and the importance of conservation efforts.
At the age of 15, Chloe will soon add “published author” to her list of achievements. “I just want to continue to put good into the world,” said Chloe. “Hopefully my volunteer efforts can inspire others to get involved in their community.” Working frequently with St. Michael the Archangel PREP program, Chloe also hopes to instill the sense of pride, fulfillment, and joy that comes with volunteering to the youth she helps in her community.
Though Chloe makes volunteering look easy, she says that some of her work does come with challenges. “Working as a Counselor In Training (CIT) at Silver Lake Nature Center over the summer had some challenging moments,” she said. “Keeping up with kids isn’t always easy and getting kids to listen can be hard sometimes, but working as a CIT helped me learn to step up and speak up while learning to be a leader.”
To continue the same level of commitment with her extracurricular activities and community involvement, she says it is important to make time for yourself to stay balanced. “At the beginning of this year I was definitely overwhelmed. I made it a point to not procrastinate on my schoolwork and to do things that make me happy - like reading, writing and spending time with my family.”
So, what is next for Chloe and her work in the community? “I have a goal to hit 1,000 hours of community service by the end of my senior year. I was unable to hit my goal last year, so it has really ignited a fire in me to make sure that I achieve this one,” added Chloe.
We are immensely proud of the time, dedication, and support Chloe has given to our community and DLFF. Her commitment to helping spread kindness and change the lives of others is admirable. Follow us on Instagram at dlffnews to keep up with Chloe and cheer her on while she continues to work towards her goal of 1,000 service hours.
