It always has come naturally for Julie Goldstein to give of herself. From a very young age, she would bake cookies and cakes for the police department, delivering them personally to officers at the 9-1-1 call center.
She saw and felt the impact that she could have on others. This feeling led her to want to do more and have a bigger impact — to be a leader and get others to join her in these service activities.
A senior at Ransom Everglades School, Goldstein has had a significant impact on the Miami-Dade community. Most notable is her leadership as president of the Symphonettes, a non-profit organization of 65 girls from 13 different high schools. Established in 1966, the organization was formed to strengthen and enrich the development and appreciation of music and art in our community. The Symphonettes volunteer at concerts and plays around Miami-Dade County and at various arts festivals and fairs.
Last year, Goldstein was the second vice president in charge of coordinating 350 hours of ushering at places like Miami Youth Symphony, Miami Children’s Theater, and Miami Children’s Chorus. By ushering at these events, the girls are exposed to the arts and help on the nights of the performances. In addition, the Symphonettes volunteer over 700 hours at community events such as Beaux Arts Festival and many festivals at Fairchild Tropical Gardens. The Symphonettes raised $27,000 for various music and arts organizations in the county, most of them focusing on youth.
This year, Julie has added an additional component, raising money to support the music programs in the public schools. The Symphonettes raised an additional $7,000 by holding a drawing as their fall fundraiser, bringing their contributions this year to a projected $30,000. So far, the Symphonettes donated $2,100 to Coral Gables High School for choral risers, $1,200 to Rockway Elementary for bows and string instruments, and $800 to Citrus Grove Middle School to repair musical instruments.
As a co-captain of the Ransom Everglades Cross Country Team, Goldstein has spread her positive outlook and encouraged her fellow team members to be disciplined, work hard and to do their best while supporting each other as teammates. As a team, they’ve done community service work such as volunteering at the South Miami Medical Clinic’s Halloween party. They donated books to the center and then read the books to the children at the party. They also have participated in Blessing in a Backpack at FS Tucker Elementary School in Coconut Grove.
She is the president of the Ransom Everglades Chinese Honor Society where she added a community service component to its mission. This year, the group is raising money for Half the Sky, an organization in China that helps children in orphanages.
Goldstein has been an officer of, and served four years in, the Ransom Everglades Volunteer Service Organization (VSO). Personally, she participates in packing food in Blessings in a Backpack, and has raised money for playground equipment for ARC through the carnival Swoop- A-Thon. This year she is focusing on the Feed the Grove Program where she will lead her school’s food drive for the needy in Coconut Grove.
Goldstein is a straight-A student in the top 10 percent of her senior class at Ransom Everglades, and looks forward to attending Princeton University in the fall. She is in many honor societies including Cum Laude Society and Chinese National Honor Society. Her enthusiasm and superb leadership have motivated others in sharing her passion for giving back to the community.
