Michelle Pham ‘27 and Letters of Love are working on a project to support students who were impacted by the Annunciation school shooting as they have recently returned to school.

Letters of Love is a service club in which students make cards to show emotional support to children battling illness. The co-leader of the club, Pham, said that she joined because the “mission statement was really meaningful.” Pham reflected back on the time her father was sick: “When he was in the hospital, I would write cards to him. So I felt like I had a pretty good connection with the topic and the mission.”
At the Upper School, there are various clubs and activities available for students that present service and leadership opportunities.

Max Vezmar ‘26 has been involved in multiple service clubs throughout his time at the Upper School. Vezmar joined Bear to Bear in his freshman year, a leadership position where Upper School students tutor middle school students, providing them with help and guidance in academics. “I saw it as a good opportunity to connect with people of all ages,” said Vezmar. He added, “I think it’s really good teaching and leadership experience.”

Not only do service clubs provide students with the opportunity to gain leadership skills, but “[students] are also helping other people,” said Vezmar. Pham added, “You’re doing something for yourself because you can feel good about helping others.” As Bear to Bear is a hands-on club with direct interaction, there are strong connections constantly being built between the tutors and the students.

In Vezmar’s second day as a Bear to Bear tutor, he remembers walking into the room when his student’s face immediately lit up in excitement to see him for another day. “It showed me that already, even after one session we had created a relationship where he was able to learn from me and I was able to learn from him…it wasn’t just an academic thing…we were having fun and getting a good connection.” Vezmar reflects on this moment to this day and believes that it truly showed him what it meant to be a leader.