The Roundup November 2012 Edition 2
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Service efforts develop
Role Models
W
hen we were younger, we looked to role models to inspire us to change the world, hoping one day we could become firefighters, astronauts, doctors or presidents and make everyone’s lives a little easier. Dreams may have shifted with time, but that does not mean this quest is over. This month The Roundup looks at students who are trying to better the world through service and philanthropy, effectively becoming community role models themselves.
Inside
• Grad at Grad key to being a leader
See News, Page 3
• Who was your childhood hero?
See News, Page 3
Photo composite by Kevin Valenzuela ’13
• Campus leader Bennett guides student body • Students interact with disabled through Best Buddies • Duo establish non-porfit for orphans See News, Page 4
See Staff Editorial, Page 6 See Opinions, Page 6
Leaders of some of the school’s service-oriented clubs gather in Chapel courtyard.
Wagner organizes Red Suitcase Foundation to help kids in need By P. Erik Meyer ’14
THE ROUNDUP John Wagner’s ’14 life changed several years ago when Child Protective Services placed his two young cousins into his home for foster care. He watched as these young children were uprooted from their normal lives and needed a form of physical and emotional comfort. He knew he needed to do something, and the Red Suitcase Foundation was born. “Basically the goal of the foundation is just to make the transition from normal everyday life into
Bow ties add style to student body attire Page 6
a new life of living with a foster family and being involved with CPS,” Wagner said. “It’s just to make that transition a little easier on the kids. We want to do anything we can to make that easier.” Mr. Chris Agliano helped Wagner form the foundation. “The goal of the Red Suitcase Foundation is to honor Child Protective Services and really finding opportunities for kids who are in destructive home situations,” Mr. Agliano said. The foundation is totally student run. “I had a very small role in this. If you want to talk about leaders John Wagner is one. This is a totally
student run enterprise,” Mr. Agliano said. “The role I played was to simply provide a classroom and provide John with the audience to talk about the Red Suitcase Foundation. He totally came up with the idea, all I gave him was the platform and he took that and absolutely succeeded. When I say that the Red Suitcase Foundation is student driven, don’t underestimate that. He has built a website and he went through legalzoom.com to register this as a not for profit charitable organization.” Wagner founded the foundation after his personal story a few years ago. “My cousins moved in with me and they were
Shooting sports swell into reputed club
Gus Wehn uses charcoal as a medium for his art
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involved with the system; they went through really hard times,” Wagner said. “I saw how difficult it was for them and through that I saw that there was something that I really had to do and really wanted to do. With my youngest cousin, they came to his door and they basically told him that he had 15 minutes to go to your room and pack up your suitcase.” Wagner has turned his story into a tangible foundation. “For him the Red Suitcase Foundation is incredibly personal,” Mr. Agliano said. “I think the story See WAGNER, Page 2
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