Student Spotlight
February 2023
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BVS Students Are Making Waves in the Community!
Our Student Spotlight this semester shines on Samantha (Sam) Schoenborn (10th grade), Gioia Balzano (9th grade), and Evan Schoenborn (8th grade). Sam’s leadership, combined with support from Gioia and Evan, has propelled “Making Waves FL” into a full-fledged volunteer network since its inception in June of 2021. The idea was born during the height of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. During the pandemic, students had limited opportunities to initiate service projects. Recognizing the importance of being engaged in the community, Sam and her mother explored projects listed on volunteercleanup.org.
After experiencing personal fulfillment from volunteering, Sam was inspired to create a website (makingwavesfl.org) where she could blog about her activities. Sam also discovered that volunteering is contagious. Her passion and effort inspired her brother Evan (Vice President and Co-Founder) and classmate Gioia (Team Leader) to join the cause.
From serving as volunteers for the Special Olympics, helping out with maintenance at the FRIENDS Horse Rescue Ranch, to beach and mangrove clean-ups, the Making Waves crew is making a positive difference throughout South Florida. In October, the Making Waves team coordinated a relief drive for Floridians on the southwest coast who experienced devastation from Hurricane Ian. The team collected hundreds of donations of water, food, and emergency supplies for those in need. They partnered with Global Empowerment Mission to transport dozens of pallets of life-saving items to the affected areas. A truly heroic effort!
In addition to the successful Making Waves initiative, Sam, Gioia, and Evan maintain straight A grades at BVS. They are also talented competitive athletes. Sam and Gioia are both elite swimmers and Evan is a travel soccer player in Parkland. We are so proud of Sam, Gioia, and Evan for their incredible hard work, effort, and altruism. Bravo!
Want to get involved with the Making Waves FL team? Visit makingwavesfl.org for details. Follow them on Instagram @