Cassandra Luczkowski is a senior at Brandywine High School and a member of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. Luczkowski volunteers her time to a variety of events and causes, including the Niles Service League’s Color Run on Saturday.

How long have you been part of the National Honor Society?

Since last April [2016].

What made you want to get involved?

It looks on good applications. I had been volunteering before that, at different events around the community and the school. It was just a good thing to do.

What kind of events do you volunteer with?

Brandywine Middle School activities, such as lock-ins, dances and stuff like that. I do youth soccer and basketball camps at Brandywine also. There is a nursing home [Golden Living] that I volunteer at, where my mom works at. [I also volunteered at] the Brandywine Christmas Bazaar. I volunteered at the Notre Dame concessions for a few games, and the Brandywine [Cat Tracks] 5K. This weekend, I’m volunteering at the color run.

How has been the experience so far?

It has been great. Every year, the National Honor Society does a Christmas party for students at Merritt [Elementary], who are in poverty. We sponsor a kid, we give them a Christmas party and buy them presents and wrap them. That is really fun, I like that. That is probably the favorite thing I have done so far.

What did you like about it?

I just like the reaction of the kid when they are opening the presents, and scrambling around and tryin to find what they like. It was fun, because I could kind of be like an adult for a day and figure out what we were doing.

Do you feel like you have been able to balance your volunteer work with your school work?

Yeah. There are some things I would like to volunteer with more, but I have sports and academics that I have to focus on, too. I think I do a great balance of both.

What has been the biggest thing you get out of volunteering?

When I grow up, I want to be either a social worker or work in the government with children. I think that volunteering has helped me figure out what I want to do, and what I’m good at. In college, I plan on doing study abroad programs and volunteering in South America and Africa and places like that. I think volunteering has helped me open up and be able to know that is what I want to do, to help people.

Is there anything you want to say to encourage other high school students like yourself to begin volunteering?

In high school, it isn’t that hard to find different opportunities to volunteer. Before National Honor Society, I didn’t know a bunch of businesses, like the YMCA, have a lot of volunteer opportunities. You can pretty much find volunteer hours anywhere.