As part of our Scholar Spotlight series, we sat down with DLFF Pathway scholar Gloria Guzman to get to know more about her and the various service projects she’s worked on within DLFF.
Gloria is currently a rising eighth grader getting ready to enter her last year at St. Michael the Archangel School in Levittown, PA. Gloria lives in Levittown with her family and enjoys musical theater and playing soccer. She says the person who inspires her most is her Mom because “she works hard and still finds time to have fun.”
During her time as a Pathway Scholar, Gloria has volunteered and become heavily involved in numerous community service projects. She has helped with the YWCA Bucks, United Way Bucks and Evan’s Army - Children without Parents, just to name a few.
Gloria reflected on her time with each project and shared many meaningful memories and skills she obtained while volunteering for each event. However, it was working with the YWCA on its donation drive that proved to be the most impactful for Gloria.
“I saw how many people in the community are willing to help those who really need it if you just ask and that you can make a difference in what you do to help.” Gloria continued, “I’ve helped with other community service projects, but this one really showed me how easy it is to really help someone. With my mom’s help, I created a message and sent it to my family and friends. Everyone was excited to contribute, and it didn’t take much effort. It makes you wonder what more you could do?”
However, volunteering for different organizations in the community does not come without its challenges. “A challenge I faced was doing things by myself because I never wanted to do things on my own.” Thankfully and gracefully, Gloria was able to overcome this challenge so that she could continue to better her community, while gaining a valuable new skill.
Though Gloria’s final year as a Pathway Scholar is just beginning, she still has big goals for the future. “I would like to start a project like ‘Christmas in July’ where I collect personal items to fill stockings for the elderly. Or ‘Stockings for Teens’ where I collect monetary donations to buy gift cards to put in stockings. I already have 30 stockings and just need to finish thinking out the plans.”
Gloria’s advice to her fellow DLFF Pathway Scholars is to “keep thinking and do little things that help in a big way.” She also recommends not procrastinating on academics or community service projects in order to stay balanced and focused.
We are beyond proud of Gloria and all of the dedication and passion she continues to show as a Pathway scholar. We cannot wait to see how she continues to unleash her potential as she completes her last year at St. Michael the Archangel. Keep up the wonderful work, Gloria!
