Arya Chaunkdar
Chapter 1074jc Tom Hawkins Elementary School
Adviser Nicole Craft
Principal Fiona Bessette
Jefferson School District
Arya Chaunkdar wrote her essay for the 2024-2025 DiGiovanna Memorial Award Essay Contest about volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, initially as a way to earn service hours for her CJSF chapter. “What started as a simple way to fulfill service hours quickly became something I look forward to every week.”
Tutoring kids and helping with homework led to helping a boy with reading. “I’ll never forget when he proudly read a page on his own. It wasn’t just a victory in reading—it was a victory in belief, both for him and for me.”
Arya is a student and CJSF member at Tom Hawkins Elementary School. Her participation in service to the Boys and Girls Club has changed and enriched her life.