Volunteering Helped Jamie Budhan Learn He Can Be a Leader

Some teens fill their time outside of school with extracurricular activities, or a part-time job, or hang out with friends.

Jamie Budhan does all that. But the also manages to do volunteer work, play saxophone in a church sax band, and serve on the board of .

"Jamie's just lights-out, the total package," said Avon High principal Kristina Dobos Buller.

Budhan, 16, was named to the board last month as a student liaison after former schoolmate Katy Trentel moved to Texas and suggested he replace her.

After learning about the services CRS provides for the Avon and Avon Lake communities -- a food pantry, emergency assistance, and help in getting social services -- he decided to give it a go.

"It's about helping people with very basic needs," he said. "I was surprised about how much of a need there is for help with food in this area."

Budhan first got involved in volunteer work knowing he needed to demonstrate leadership and community involvement for a shot at someday getting into the National Honor Society.

"Also, I had the spare time, so, why not do something good with it?" he said.

Then something happened. He discovered how much he liked helping people.

He volunteered at Avon's Safety Town this past summer, keeping an eye on the children and helping them learn. It was a fun time, he said, and it taught him the impact he could have.

"After their graduation, there was one girl who made sure that she found me so she could get her picture taken with me," he said. "And the parents of the kids were so appreciative. It showed what a connection you can make with people."

Budhan also spent four weeks over the summer at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center as a volunteer with the reading camp. He got to help kids work through reading problems, and see their progress. He also enjoyed seeing them connect with science and nature, and being able to spend his breaks looking around at the exhibits.

The son of Maria and Goutam Budhan has learned something about himself through his volunteering. He can be a leader.

"Even though it can stress me out, I can't get away," he said. "If I'm going to do it, I'm going to put as much effort into it as I can. My motivation is other people, wanting to do right and help, and be a good example. It's positive peer pressure."

In addition to his volunteer work, Budhan is also busy in school activities, serving as a class officer to help raise money for prom and playing saxophone in the school's marching band, jazz band, wind and percussion orchestra, pit orchestra for school musicals, and providing instrumental accompaniment for the school choir.

He's also played in a sax ensemble at , getting involved after a friend asked him to pitch in.

Budhan is building up college credits, taking Lorain County Community College courses through Avon's Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program.

He also works part-time at in Westlake.

Even with that full load of responsibilities, he is looking forward to his time at CRS.

"I want to help the kids in my school know about what's going on there, and what they can do to help," he said.

He had very simple advice to other young people considering volunteering.

"Give it a shot," he said. "Wait until you see how good it feels to help others. It really keeps me going."