#12DaysOfKindness Student Spotight, Day 5: Michael M.

To ring in the holiday season, RaiseMe is celebrating #12DaysOfKindness. Each day, we’ll feature a new high school student doing outstanding work to serve their communities. Today’s spotlight is on Michael M., a high school senior from Canton, OH who has worked to help refugee families adapt to their new lives.

Here’s what Michael shared about his community service experience:

What is your act of service ? 

I assisted child refugees with traumatic brain injuries with social and emotional therapy.

Can you share your favorite memory from this act of service? 

Previously in Syria, one mother was an anesthesiologist and the father was a physician; but the father suffered brain damage from the bombings in Aleppo, and the mother’s professional credentials didn’t transfer over in America. This family was so successful in their home country, but they were forced to flee to America and start over, and we helped by contacting local hospitals to get the mother a job as a nurse.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from your service experience?

This project taught me the importance of inclusivity in society: It’s imperative to consider others’ inherent traditions and viewpoints so that all people can unite to work together.

Spread kindness with micro-scholarships

Want to spread kindness to your peers and share the gift of micro-scholarships with your friends for their community service contributions? You can earn $100 in micro-scholarships yourself for every friend that joins RaiseMe. Just click on the green heart on the top right hand side of your RaiseMe Portfolio to spread kindness and earn micro-scholarships today.

Cecilia Xia

Cecilia is the Senior Manager for Content, Community, and Brand at RaiseMe. She leads all of RaiseMe’s communications efforts and got her career start working in higher education marketing. She loves to connect with different members of RaiseMe’s community of students, educators, and parents! In her spare time, Cecilia enjoys hiking, taking road trips, and spending time by the water.