Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Roelofsz.
Hi Ashley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
During the Covid-19 quarantine in 2020, me and some friends from my high school field hockey team (Sofia Abraham, Ava Clovis, Ryan Robinson, Sophie Preston, Mia Ward, and Cameron Ward) were figuring out ways we could give back to the community during such an uncertain time. We considered somehow giving back to our local schools, but I also recognized that my community was already very generous and active. We had existing parent groups who were organizing many fundraisers for the local schools already, so I thought about other communities in San Diego that may not have the same level of support for their schools. We decided to create our own club called the Tierrasanta Kindness Crew, and I became the club president. Our mission was to be able to show kindness to others in some way and help with the needs of kids in underserved communities. We got into contact with a non-profit organization called Care House Kids who helped us to identify a school in need and helped us figure out what we could do to begin giving back. The first 2 years (2020-2021), we adopted a class of about 50 third graders from King Chavez Elementary and made them goodie bags themed to every holiday and/or season, such as Halloween, Valentines’ Day, Summer, etc… Our first fundraiser was a no-contact car wash where we drove all around Tierrasanta to wash cars for people and keeping it safe due to Covid. With the money we earned from this first fundraiser and the other fundraisers after it, we were able to fill these goodie bags with snacks, school supplies, and anything else that was suggested that they needed. We tried to make the goodie bags fun and special, but there were other times we also just included encouraging notes. For the 2022-2023 school year we decided to incorporate a barrel of goodies since the number of kids increased. We have been decorating the barrel according to the holiday or season, and we fill the barrel with various items. For Valentine’s Day, we hosted a sock drive in Tierrasanta so we could fill the barrel with socks and bring it back to King Chavez Elementary to give to the students. We set up our booth outside of the Tierrasanta Rec center during basketball season and advertised on social media. We were so appreciative of everyone who came by to support us and were able to talk about our club to parents as they walked by for the basketball games. Being in charge of this club has been a blessing because not only do I get to help be a part of something positive for these kids, but the experience has really helped me grow as a leader much more than I anticipated. From starting this club and organizing various events over the last three years, it has helped me build the confidence to take on other leadership roles like coaching our local middle school Field Hockey league, running school activities as part of my school’s ASB, and being the Vice President for the Class of 2024 at Canyon Hills.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think two of the main bumps on this road were keeping people engaged and finding time on top of my school work, studying, and field hockey. It can be pretty challenging to get multiple people on the same page about things and find a date when everyone can help. Along with this, finding the time out of my own schedule was pretty hard at times during my junior year, and truthfully, I sometimes found myself decorating the barrel by myself at midnight, the night before it was due. Juggling AP classes, ACT studying, Precalculus, ASB responsibilities, coaching, and traveling for field hockey was difficult to balance on top of being the club president. Even so, I was dedicated to the club and held to the dates I committed to regardless of the situation. While some seasons were more intense than others this year, I learned that I can do hard things, and being so busy was actually helpful for me to learn how to prioritize. Overall, I think I created the best balance of taking challenging courses in school, playing a sport I loved, leading and having fun with others through my school ASB and also doing something that brought joy to many kids through the Tierrasanta Kindness Crew.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As I am 17 years old, I do not have a professional job, but at this point in my life, I am figuring out where I want to go to college and what I want to do as a future profession. Right now, I am interested in a few different areas and would like to explore more in the fields of Psychology, Anthropology, Environmental science, and maybe even Law. I am a very social and energetic person who loves working with others. I am also hoping to get job this summer so I can start saving up for college.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I would like to encourage everyone to find something to get involved in… It might be intimidating at first, and sometimes it may seem like something you are doing is small or not making a difference, but I can guarantee you that it can change someone’s life for the better and grow into more than you expect. Making a difference does not have to cost money, it only costs some of your time. I’d also love to recognize how great it has been to work with Leah Blankenship at Carehouse Kids and also my other club members who help make it all possible.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @tierrasantakindnesscrew
Image Credits
Agape photography
Myda Clark
