For the past couple of summers, Palmetto High School senior Michelle Chong has volunteered at the WOW Center in West Kendall on the edge of Kendall Indian Hammocks Park.
“I’m a teacher’s assistant for the people there,” she says. “It’s a center for adults with special needs and disabilities.”
The group she worked with needed special attention. They were also typically on the older side – some into middle age.
“Every day they would go, like a school day, and do activities,” she says. “Things like dancing, cooking, bingo, music. The group that I was with had more physical needs and disabilities and couldn’t move around a lot. Sometimes they would go to the park near-by.”
And when she had time, she’d play violin for them. Sometimes they’d put on music and she’d play along with the music.
“They seemed to like that,” she says. “They are usually really attentive when I play.”
She enjoyed her time there and plans to volunteer again next summer.
“I think that in general, I want to help people who can’t help themselves,” she says.” I liked it there. They are really welcoming.”
Her experience at the center also has her considering a career in music therapy, although she’s still unsure what her college major will be.
At Palmetto, Chong has been concert master since she was a freshman. She was named the Outstanding Music Instrumental Student her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She was named to the All-State Orchestra all three years of high school. She recently auditioned for All-State for her senior year.
Chong began playing violin 13 years ago. She had a stint in the Greater Miami Youth Symphony for several years but had to resign because she needed time to concentrate on her academics.
She decided to go to Palmetto because it’s not a magnet school.
“I wanted to focus more on academics with music on the side,” she says. “I like Palmetto’s freedom in choosing classes.”
She’s treasurer of Mu Alpha Theta and participates in math competitions. Last year she competed in calculus in the regional and state events. She says she competes because she wants to get better in math.
She’s also a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Interact Club, Asian Culture Club, and was on the Student Council Senate, where she was the Student Involvement Chair.
Chong plays girls singles and girls doubles on the badminton team. The team won the GMACs last year.
She’s applying to Vanderbilt, Emory, the University of Florida, Northwestern, and maybe Duke.
“I want to go to a college that has a lot of options of what you can do,” she says. “I’ve been looking at a lot of different things.”
Chong is the Vice President of the Chinese Baptist Youth Fellowship at the Chinese Baptist Church of Miami. She helps organize events for the teen youth group.
“In October, as an alternative to Halloween, we host an event called ‘Fall Festival’ where kids in fifth grade and younger can come to play fun games and get candy, snow cones, cotton candy, and more,” she says.
She participates in Operation Christmas Child, where they collect gift-filled shoeboxes for underprivileged kids around the world. These boxes may be their first gifts ever.
“In the box, we include fun toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and more,” she says.
She also volunteers at her church’s Vacation Bible School for a week every summer preparing arts and crafts projects for the kids, and occasionally plays violin for church services.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
