Written by: Mattie
Edited by: Leyla
Last weekend, junior Natsuko collaborated with a service-oriented organization, Alon and Araw, to hold a Saturday Service at ISM to celebrate and help underprivileged female athletes. Alon and Araw is a non-profit organization that ISM works with during ICARE, and initially, they were focused on organizing beach cleanups. However, they quickly progressed to providing children with quality education and access to sports. Natsuko, a volleyball player who met the Alon and Araw girls during ICARE, had the idea to contribute to the organization further. With the support of the High School PE coaches, the club EmpowHER, and a willing student body, she was able to put together a Saturday Service, sharing ISM’s resources and facilities, whilst spending a day with the girls from Alon and Araw.
The students from the organization arrived at ISM at 3 pm on Friday. As they arrived, they played multiple rounds of volleyball with the varsity girl’s volleyball team. “I was so shocked by how strong, fast, and furious they [the Alon and Araw girls] are,” said Natsuko, commenting on the game later. After an evening of rest, the Saturday Service began the following morning, which involved participation from many ISM students. It started with a guest speaker, Ms Sayson, our Assistant Superintendent, who spoke about dedication, self-confidence, and kindness. Her speech was followed by some fun football-related activities arranged by the junior varsity and varsity football coaches. The day was wrapped up with some reading and writing workshops hosted by members of the EmpowHER club, and an inspirational talk by Coaches Respecki and Howarth. As they were leaving, Robelyn, a 14-year-old girl from Alon and Araw said that her final message to all was “Don’t give up, and like what Ms. Sayson said in her speech: be curious, be kind, and believe.”
