At state
Destination Imagination.
The things I've built with other people.
Destination Imagination → Project Ascend
A team became something bigger.
Destination Imagination, or DI, is a team-based creative challenge where students turn an idea into a real project and performance. My teammates and I have been friends for years, but we all play different sports and wanted to try something completely new together. DI gave us a fun way to stretch our creative muscles, build something as a team, and work toward a philanthropic goal.
We chose the service-learning challenge. That meant planning and completing a service project, then writing a skit about the work and performing it at the competition. Bringing the service project and performance together pushed each of us beyond what we normally do. We finished second at state and qualified for Global Finals, which showed me how much a small group can accomplish when everyone brings a different strength.
That work became Project Ascend, a student-led donation pickup service I co-founded. We collect clothing, shoes, school supplies, and household essentials on Mercer Island, sort them ourselves, and deliver them through Kandelia, ReWA, and World Relief Western Washington.
So far, Project Ascend has collected more than 1,000 items with an estimated value above $13,000. It took the same collaborative energy from DI and aimed it at something that mattered beyond a competition.
Finals qualifier
Qualified with our DI team.
Project Ascend in action
Picking up, sorting, and delivering.
The work happens one donation cycle at a time—from Mercer Island doorsteps to partner organizations serving refugee families across greater Seattle.
An early Project Ascend donation sort. Courtesy of Project Ascend.
Sorting a full donation cycle. Courtesy of Project Ascend.
A delivery with community partners. Courtesy of Project Ascend.
Other community work
Showing up in different ways.
National League of Young Men
Through NLYM, I served as Culture Chair and, during my freshman year, as Co-Chair of Philanthropy. In those roles, I planned and organized cultural and philanthropic projects for my grade, building experience leading a group and following through from an idea to the finished project.
Our NLYM crew ready for a forest cleanup service project.
Breakthrough T1D
This work is deeply personal to me because my sister, Clara, has lived with type 1 diabetes for six years. My whole family is committed to supporting Breakthrough T1D and the search for a cure for Clara and every other child living with T1D. Through Edge of the Wedge, I also donate 5% of profits to Breakthrough T1D.
At the 2026 Beat the Bridge event with my family, supporting Breakthrough T1D.