Photo: Purity job-shadowing Karen Sande of the Redmond, OR Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations to Purity Maina of Kenya, the January 2014 YES student of the month!

Anyone who meets Purity is struck by the cheerfulness and enthusiasm she brings to all she does. Indeed, one Saturday she set out on a “cheerful volunteering morning” in which she and a few friends walked around Redmond, Oregon, helping out wherever they were needed. They carried groceries from a store to cars, read stories to children at the library, and swept the leaves in front of stores. They stopped by their school, Redmond Proficiency Academy, and spent an hour cleaning and organizing the kitchen. At school a few weeks later, much to their surprise, the students were recognized for their kind acts – they were given a gift coupon, roses and a hug by the school’s head advisor.

Purity reflects the best of the YES program ideals in all her interactions. Her host mother praises her as a special sibling to her younger host sister and appreciates her joy in the family’s outdoor adventures. Her local area representative describes Purity as “delightful, outgoing and a magnetic personality.” One of her teachers said he wished he could clone Purity, commending her enthusiasm for the class subject and the high quality of her work. Getting to know her community, Purity spent a day shadowing Karen Sande, the director of events in the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. She met the mayor and visited local businesses. The YES student made such a good impression in the course of the day that she was invited to return any time. Purity enjoys sharing her culture and gave several engaging presentations about Kenya during International Education Week. More recently, she has been invited to be interviewed on a live radio talk show in Central Oregon to discuss her exchange experience and her life in Kenya.

Purity has completed over 50 hours of community service and continues to embrace every opportunity to serve others. She volunteers at the soup kitchen at a local church with her host mother twice a month, where she has become a favorite waitress of the clients. In addition, Purity cheerfully helped at a children’s camp end-of-year cleaning and preparation for winter.  Every Tuesday and Thursday, she tutors middle school students after school.  Part of her education about community service has come through participation in the National Honor Society. She has learned “more clearly that leadership comes with a lot of responsibility.” Instead of collecting candy on Halloween, she joined with another youth group to conduct a canned food drive for the homeless.

Purity says, “As a member of YES I have learned more about leadership, endurance, and being a problem-solver. I understand even more how important my culture is, and I want to share it with the world.” Purity has been selected to participate in the YES Civic Education Workshop in Washington, D.C. in February.