Jasmine Wu
Founder
Hi! I'm Jasmine, and I founded the Troy Youth Education Foundation in 2019. I love movies (especially Greta Gerwig's Little Women and Daniels' Swiss Army Man), Brooklyn 99, building fun projects, animals, and biking with my friends. I love volunteering, and try to make every day exciting and meaningful.
My Role in TYEF
"Work, work, work, work, work" - Rihanna
Creating Each Initiative
I'm an extremely active person who always needs something to pour my energy and brainpower into, or I become anxious and restless (I'm actually listening to music right now so I have something to focus on when the website editor is lagging). I also love the environment, health, and community service, so this non-profit was the perfect vessel through which I would start my own passion projects with complete flexibility. I always have my brain churning, thinking up of new projects - every single initiative within TYEF has truly been a slowly-developing brain child, a labor of love.
Webmaster
A computer science novice, I didn't think that I would be able to build an entire, fully-fleshed website by myself. Granted, a lot of it involved dragging-and-dropping, but I'm proud of the hours I spent designing each element and making it look like a beautiful, cohesive whole. One of my interests is photography, and being able to take photos and use them to document the development of every project, from the We Can Plant! blog to the Hey [You]! cards has been incredible. A big thank you to Aileen, who helped take over the photo-posting process for Hey[You]!
Brookdale Liaison
Having a close working relationship with the wonderful Mrs. Talaki, we collaborate and organize drop-off and pick-up times for cards, craft materials, and kindness rocks exchanges. I am extremely careful of COVID-19, always wearing a facemask and sanitizing all objects before passing them on. I was a hospice care volunteer before quarantine, and interacting with patients helped drive my motivation to create The Troy Tribune and handwritten, beautiful watercolor cards.
Editor-In-Chief
As creator and editor-in-chief of the weekly newsletter, The Troy Tribune, I determined the materials included in every edition (articles, short stories, art, poems, games, riddles, coloring page) and organized all our writers and editors. I post weekly signups, read over every submission, and select which ones to publish. I also color the wonderful drawings that Helen and Dorothy send me to infuse them with a little bit of life, and have written a few articles when we run out of volunteers. This project would not be possible without or fantastic editing team and brilliant volunteer writers from Project LEAD!
We Can Plant! Developer
I had heard of hydroponics in fifth grade when doing research for robotics, but I had never thought it would be possible for a kid to pull off. The fancy words and shiny PVC contraptions scared me. Determined to learn something new, I spent a couple months researching plant biology and designing a new, simple hydroponics system out of recyclable materials. I quickly shared my designs with the members of TYEF, and together we're growing food to be donated at the Morse Elementary Food Bank. I bought materials with the money from my summer job as a math tutor and distributed them, created simple manuals with original art, and took every opportunity to spread the word to more communities. I'm currently working on developing a curriculum.
STEM Summer Workshops Organizer
When I was in middle school, I attended the Troy High Science Olympiad's summer workshops, feeling in awe of these giant students who had devoted so much time to studying a nice field of science outside of school. The year after that, they discontinued. As soon as I become a secretary in the club as a junior, I knew I wanted to bring these workshops back. I created 44 unique classes designed for k-12 students and original note packets and presentations. I hope this workshop becomes a tradition that continues to educate our community's youth after I graduate.
Collaboration
None of this would have been possible without TYEF's wonderful volunteers. I keep the non-profit open, allowing anyone who would like to join to help out. Leadership is also open, and as long as someone has an idea or the initiative to ask for a responsibility, they become part of the board. I believe this helps encourage people who are truly passionate about community service, art, STEM, or education to help out and make every initiative a success.
I have a passion for healthcare and education, and being able to merge the two for TYEF’s initiatives has been incredible - I’m always excited to work on our projects. At school, I participate in Science Olympiad, National Ocean Sciences Bowl, Health Occupations Students of America, Biology Competitions Club, Troy Country Fiddlers (our performances are on YouTube!), Project LEAD, and Track & Field.
Clubs give me the opportunity to merge my passions with what I learned in school and the freedom to create something new - much like TYEF. They’ve also given me the opportunity to develop skills important for leadership, like organization, time management, effective communication, active listening, and empathy. Having to work closely with others for a common goal and resolve differences has taught me to respect everyone’s opinions and how much I can learn from others.
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But enough about academics! Let's talk about what I'm like when I'm not in Troy High's boxy, brick building.
Outside of school, I stay active by attending taekwondo classes, fishing at nearby lakes, biking with my friends, and watering my garden. I love the outdoors! The fresh air, beautiful scenery, and brisk winds energize me and clear my head. There’s nothing better than going on a long walk with a friend. If I’m feeling a little tired and just want to relax, I’ll watch a movie or TV show. Some of my favorite light-hearted, comedy TV shows are Brooklyn 99, The Good Place, and, of course, The Office.
It’s always the little things (facial expressions, deadpan quips) hidden inside the absurd situations they find themselves in that make me laugh out loud. Their characters are so well developed and easy to emotionally connect to, and they always manage to sneak some warmth and morality into each episode. The Office especially taught me that, as mundane and repetitive as my life might seem sometimes, I can always find joy in the little things if I try.
As for Swiss Army Man and Little Women, I love the camera work and the vibrant colors (every scene is just so dang beautiful), and the acting is so genuine (Paul Dano, Soarsie Ronan, and Florence Pugh are amazing). They both leave me feeling grateful for my life and the people I care for, and are reminders that every day should be held in my hands and made the most of.
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I also love gardening! I planted my first garden this year, and having the opportunity to go outside has been amazing for my physical and mental health, especially during quarantine. Being able to watch tiny seedlings mature into leafy, bold plants and vegetables has been so fulfilling. I get to experience new things every day, whether it's checking on my plants the day after a viscous thunderstorm and finding they had doubled in size or spotting tiny white flowers on the cilantro. Check out the We Can Plant! blog if you want to find out more about my gardening experience!
Most importantly, I try to make every day unforgettable (which isn’t incredibly realistic, but makes my life a lot happier and colorful). Sometimes I’ll get ready for bed and forget what I did that day, because every day starts blending together, especially during quarantine. I didn’t want to live a monotonous life on autopilot, so every morning I pick something interesting and engaging for me to do, whether it’s finding eastern black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, talking with a friend, designing pins, or building a clear birdhouse.
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When I continue to grow and mature, I hope that mentally I can stay young and continue to look at everything as if it's new. I try to always stay busy and engaged enough to forget about YouTube and social media, and constantly having a project to work on/develop through TYEF has taught me so much. As someone who is bored to death by computer science classes, I would have never predicted building a website and enjoying it.
Volunteering has played a large role in helping me appreciate every day, and I’m grateful every time I make a new card for a healthcare worker or draft a proposal for a new project. Something about being able to help others makes me feel "a kind of quietude," as Chidi Anagonye would say.
Life is great! Grab it with both hands and dig in.
