EXTRAORDINARY MARINERS

Carson Mandigma ’23: Cal-Hi Sports Volunteer Recipient

Volunteering is a powerful and transformative way to give back to one’s community and make a positive impact on the lives of others. For me, volunteering was a way to cope with a traumatic event that affected my family.

My family dynamic started to shift when my uncle became addicted to drugs and alcohol. Our family tried to help him out, but he was already in too deep. As it became worse, my family had to distance ourselves from him. I later found out that he became homeless and was living somewhere on the streets. I was always taught to care for others, especially family. I wanted to help him but he didn’t want the help. Growing up, I couldn’t process why he didn’t want the help or how affected he truly was.

As I grew older, I uncovered a new passion for volunteering. My high school brought me and my class over to the Tenderloin district in San Francisco to learn more about the disparities that homelessness and poverty create in a community. I often thought about my uncle and I wanted to give back. As a way to give back, during Covid, we collected over 2,000 winter coats and 1,800 pairs of socks in just two days. We donated the items to Saint Anthony’s Foundation in San Francisco and to an after school program at the Tenderloin Children’s Playground called Up On Top. Through volunteering, I not only feel more connected with my uncle’s experiences, but I am filled with joy knowing that I am able to use my privilege to impact people’s lives for the better.

Published Author

The whole idea about this book of poetry, Because You Told Me to Write, was the belief that everything that happened throughout the four years in high school happened to me so I would have a reason to write. The book speaks to mental wellness and how situations affected my life and my perception of the world. It also mentions relationships in high school and their ups and downs. On my dedications page I thanked four people, two of them being teachers at Moreau: Ms. Thomas and Mr. Spinelli. They have both been inspirations through the drawing or writing process. Ms. Thomas was willing to model for one of my drawings for my poems. She has been an incredible support system. She’s always so amazed by what I draw, and that makes me want to improve my skill further. Mr. Spinelli always reads my poems and tells me his honest opinion about them. He tells me I can find synonyms so there’s less repetition. Sometimes with that feedback, it opens up a whole new world of poems I could write because I suddenly see the situation in a different light. I truly do not think this publication would have happened without Ms. Thomas and Mr. Spinelli.

For college I will be attending Penn State to study creative writing and criminology. I will also be working on a second poetry book and a novel in college that I hope to publish.