March's Volunteer of the Month
March’s volunteer of the month is Cathleen Yung! GGO is so proud of Cathleen and all of her accomplishments!! Cathleen is a senior at Saint Louis University studying geology. She is SLU’s GGO chapter president and an energetic, charismatic volunteer mentor! While GGO is so sad that she is leaving the midwest in May, we are so proud of her for graduating SLU and accepting an offer at the Peace Corps!! Cathleen will be teaching math in a middle and a high school in Mozambique. She says that teaching STEM with GGO has definitely helped her prepare for her journey!!
Q: How did you initially get involved with the organization?
A: One of the people tabling for GGO SLU was from Michigan as well, so it just felt like it was meant to be.
Q: What was your most significant achievement as SLU’s GGO President?
A: I’ve definitely done a lot of organizational work for SLU’s chapter. It’s been a lot of work, but I’ve met so many wonderful people and developed a lot of really impactful relationships throughout the process. I have done a lot of work getting GGO to be a better-known club on campus. It makes me so happy when people ask me about GGO or say “Yeah, I’ve heard GGO and what you’re doing. I think it’s great.”
Q: What are you most excited about the future of GGO?
A: As a graduating senior, I’m really excited to see what our rising leaders will do for the SLU chapter in the coming years. All of our volunteers are so compassionate and driven--I just know that the organization will thrive with their leadership!! They have already done so much! GGO at large is a fantastic, new, grassroots non-profit! It is so amazing to be involved in the growth and development of the organization. I think that volunteering at a start-up nonprofit really allows for a unique level of attachment and involvement that you can’t get in larger, more established organizations.
Q: Do you have a favorite experience or memory of your time as a volunteer?
A: There are so many, how can I choose! Every week it is so amazing to have the students that I mentor eager to see me! It is also so great to see them!! It’s such a good feeling when you walk into the classroom, and the kids get visibly excited to learn, explore, and hang out with you. When we leave, the students always get slightly upset, but they are overall happy as they know that their mentors will return the same time next week.
Q: Why do you like volunteering with GGO?
A: GGO offers a way to get more involved with the Saint Louis Community in an intergenerational way, you get to know the St. Louis Public School students at an individual and group level- which I think is a unique experience, unlike tutoring. And as a scientist, I get to talk about things that I love to an audience that is (usually) super excited to learn from me.
Q: What is something you are passionate about/love talking about?
A: GGO! Haha, but otherwise, I’m a geology major- I’ll talk to you for hours about any cool rock you have or that I find. I also have a lot of opinions about antique cars.