[Reflection] Jeongho Andrew Song - Leading with Heart: Building Hope and Growing Dreams

Serving as the founder and president of the Green Tree Club for the past two years has been a huge honor and an incredibly meaningful experience. Leading projects that hopefully bring a bit of positive change to the kids we work with, has been so fulfilling. Our first big project focused on collecting unused clothes and toys from our school community to donate to the Life-Giving Tree Organization. I’ll never forget the day we delivered those donations. Seeing the kids light up as they received the toys was heartwarming yet bittersweet. It was touching to see how grateful they were, but seeing more than ten kids sharing just a few toys really made me realize the difference we could make. Their constant requests for hugs left an impression on me—it hinted that some of them might miss out on a lot of the affection many of us take for granted.

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Over spring break, our club organized a trip to Seoul Grand Park for the kids. Taking care of them all day was a challenge, but it was so worth it to see their amazement and joy as they explored the park and saw animals up close. For many of them, outings like these are rare, so being part of something that made them feel special was deeply rewarding for all of us.

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Then, in the summer, we teamed up with the Robotics Club to offer a three-hour coding and robotics class. At first, we worried that only a few kids might be interested, but it turned out that every single one of them was excited to join! Seeing them dive into coding and focus so intently throughout the class was inspiring. We hope this has sparked a lasting interest in robotics and tech, and the enthusiasm we saw has motivated us to make coding and robotics a regular part of our program, giving the kids continuous opportunities to learn and grow.

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With the future in mind, I’d love to see Green Tree expand even further, with more skill-building workshops and field trips that educate and inspire. I imagine setting up art and music workshops, museum visits, and even career days where the kids can learn about different professions and dream big. I believe activities like these will empower them and show them all the possibilities that await.

Being the founder and president of Green Tree has been one of the most fulfilling roles of my life so far. It’s not only given me a way to make a difference but has also taught me so much about empathy, leadership, and the power of community. I’m beyond excited to see how the club grows and the impact we can continue to make, and I look forward to the future projects and connections we’ll build along the way.