Lessons in Heroism From Tenacious Teens

As I reflect on my service, I realize how much planning and thought my mom put into developing our service-mindedness. I always felt like I was making choices — there wasn’t a choice about whether or not we would be involved in community service, as this was a requirement in our house, but I did get to choose what kind of service I would get involved in. I am grateful that she led me to so many different and important opportunities.

Lakeside School graduate Cameron Davis, a longtime volunteer and youth board member with Water1st International, hardly remembers a time when he wasn’t involved in service activities, and he has credited his mother for cultivating and supporting his work in and for the community. From raising funds with a brother-sister pop-up shop at a dog park to benefit PAWS to selling lemonade to provide safe water and toilets to children in countries thousands of miles away,

Davis, now a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, maintained a strong commitment to volunteering activities throughout his childhood. The secret? His mother deftly helped him align his volunteerism with his personal interests and the understanding of shared human experience that connects us to others in our imperfect world.