Student Feature Friday - Project 351 Ambassador Maya Simpson

Freshman Maya Simpson, Project 351 Ambassador

In this week's Feature Friday post, I'm excited to share the volunteerism of Nipmuc freshman Maya Simpson. Over the course of the past year, Maya has worked as the Mendon representative to Project 351, a youth leadership organization comprised of 351 students - one from each community in the Commonwealth - who participate in volunteer projects that strengthen our communities.

The website for Project 351 states that "leaders dream, dedicate, persevere, collaborate, create, inspire, appreciate, and find a singular and meaningful way to leave their mark on the community and the world." Maya's hard work as an ambassador for the program certainly qualifies her as a leader.

In this week's feature, I asked her a few questions about her participation in this awesome program.

Q: How did you become involved in Project 351?
A.  I was chosen as Mendon's ambassador for Project 351. I honestly had no idea what it was until I was sitting in the office at Miscoe when I found out I had been chosen. I was told that the eighth grade teachers come up with a small list of students that they think should be the ambassador for that year. The seventh grade teachers then choose one person from that list, and the eighth grade teachers say yes or no. I had no idea that I would ever be chosen for this, but I was.

Q: What are your responsibilities in serving as a Project 351 Ambassador?
A.  Ambassadors are given the option to lead service projects in their hometowns. During Spring Service, in 8th grade, I led a clothing drive to benefit Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit organization that helps homeless families. For Fall Service, I plan on leading a food drive that will benefit the Mendon and Upton food pantries.

Q: What has been the valuable/meaningful part of your participation in the project?
A.  There are so many meaningful and valuable parts of being in Project 351. First, I have met so many people through Project 351, it's unbelievable. Many of them are people I probably never would have heard of otherwise. Second, Project 351 has taught me so many things, and I can never put into words how much that has positively influenced who I am as a student, an ambassador, and as a person in general.

If I had to choose one thing that is the most valuable, it would have to be that Project 351 showed me that there is a leader inside of me. I have the capability to accomplish things and help others. Project 351 has also shown me that everyone has the capability to be a leader. Sometimes you just need an opportunity to get your ideas out there.

Learning to be a leader, to me, is a lot like learning a new language. The more you use it, the better you get. Some aspects of it are easy, and you catch on fast. Others aren't so easy, and it takes some time before you understand it fully, but everyone still has the capability to learn it.

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Maya will be running a drive at Nipmuc from December 1 - 14 in order to collect snacks, canned fruit, and other food to support local food pantries.