January 2018: Volunteer of the Month

GGO is thankful for our amazing volunteers! We would like to kick off the new year with our Volunteer of the Month.

Xavier Bravo is a junior at Washington University in St. Louis majoring in Psychology with a minor in Math. Last year, he helped with fundraising for GGO and is currently GGO's Hodgen Tech Elementary School program leader. We asked Xavier the following questions to highlight his dedication and hard work:

Q: How long have you been volunteering with GGO? 
A: “I helped with fundraising last year and I’m now a volunteer, so I get to go out and really interact with the kids which I am excited about.

Q: What originally drew you to the organization?
A: “I felt like it was a good intersection between my two passions of working with kids and being outdoors.”

Q: Do you have a favorite experience or memory of your time as a volunteer?
A: “My first trip. I helped set up tents with the students. Seeing smiles light up on their face when I was able to teach them new skills was amazing. It was also really great to get to know some of them individually. They were very open with me even though I was a new face.”

Q: What motivates you to continue volunteering with GGO? /Why do you like volunteering with GGO?
A: “Its an intersection with a lot of my passions. Being outdoors has had such an impact on my life and I want to be able to share that with these students. I found a great community by being outdoors and now these kids can have that community as well.”

Q: Do you have any unique talents?
A: “I can beatbox!”

Q: Do you have any advice for someone who is considering becoming a volunteer?
A: “These kids are individuals with unique stories and personalities. Even though you're there to teach them, you can learn a lot from them as well. So be willing to keep an open mind and expose yourself to new experiences.”

Thank you, Xavier for all of your hard work!!