Eight Teen Volunteers Earn Community Impact Award
Highlands Council is thrilled to recognize eight local teens for their outstanding service to the community in 2025. These middle and high school students, who will be recognized at a special ceremony on Jan. 11, contributed over 1,260 hours of service to Issaquah Highlands and surrounding communities last year.
The Issaquah Highlands Community Impact Award is a new recognition that celebrates volunteers of all ages who strengthen our neighborhood through acts of service and meaningful contributions. This award is being offered in place of the President’s Volunteer Service Award this year, which is currently paused by AmeriCorps. Award level requirements vary by age category of the applicant.
This year’s recipients from Issaquah Highlands include:
Grace Rich, Gold Awardee (Young Adult)
Grace recorded an impressive 343 hours serving our community last year, including 180 hours volunteering with the Issaquah High School (IHS) sports medicine program. Now a senior, she continues to make an impact with the Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board as well as Girl Scouts of Western Washington.
“Volunteering has led me to become a leader and strive to help others around me. I have gained confidence and empathy while working to support my community,” she said. “Through being on the [HY] Board, I have learned teamwork and collaboration in our monthly meetings of planning events. In my time outside of school, learning how to rehab and evaluate athletes has taught me patience, understanding and communication.”
She credits her volunteer experience with sparking her interest in medicine and helping those around her.
Lily Pinkston, Gold Awardee (Teen)
Lily, a sophomore at IHS, volunteered 223 hours with local organizations over the past year. She has invested over 155 hours in serving the Issaquah Highlands community, a commitment she carries forward in her current role as vice president of the HY Board.
Outside of the HY Board, Lily volunteered with younger Girl Scouts at Sammamish Day Camp. She also continued her service with the Issaquah Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), regularly participating in and supporting emergency drills.
“I will always remember my experience volunteering with kids,” Lily said. “I particularly enjoy volunteering at Girl Scout Camp as a camp counselor because it’s really fun to work with the same group of girls for a week, lead fun activities with them and get to know them.”
Anisha Arasu, Gold Awardee (Teen)
A freshman at IHS, Anisha devoted 156 hours to community service throughout the past year. About 100 of those hours were dedicated to the HY Board, where she currently serves as one of the secretaries. This past summer, she stepped up to co-lead the Global Grub & Groove celebration of Indian Independence Day, serving as an emcee alongside fellow HY Board members.
“Volunteering has significantly improved my communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills,” Anisha shared. “When volunteering, things usually don’t go exactly as planned, and I’ve come to learn that it’s okay. Sometimes, we have to put our heads together to come up with a new solution, and that solution may turn out to be better than expected.”
Outside of the HY Board, Anisha volunteered more than 50 hours supplying meals to people at shelters through the VEDA Annapoorna Program.
Haley Lim, Gold Awardee (Teen)
Haley logged 140 service hours last year supporting the Issaquah Highlands community and Girl Scouts of Western Washington. As a sophomore at IHS, she took on greater responsibility within the HY Board by serving as one of the secretaries this year.
She also returned to Sammamish Day Camp over the summer to guide Girl Scouts through hands-on activities, as she does every year.
“Volunteering is quite fun and pushes me to exceed my social boundaries,” she said. “In the HY Board, I have been learning how to present my ideas and notate on the ideas of others. With Sammamish Day Camp, I’ve learned how to manage and entertain groups of children of different ages.”
Nikhil Khatwani, Gold Awardee (Teen)
Nikhil, an eighth grader at Pacific Cascade Middle School (PCMS), recorded 108 hours between the Issaquah Highlands community and the Goddard School last year. About 75 of those hours were spent volunteering for youth events with the HY Board.
“Volunteering has taught me patience, empathy and the importance of consistency. I learned how to better adapt my style of communication and instruction to get different age groups with various attention spans to work harmoniously with each other,” he noted. “Overall, I would say that volunteering has had a huge impact on my life, making me positive and helping me mature. It has also taught me to be a leader.”
At the Goddard School, Nikhil served as a monitor during lunchtime and read books to young children.
Avik Sitani, Gold Awardee (Teen)
A freshman at IHS, Avik devoted 106 hours to community service over the last year, with 100 of those hours dedicated to the HY Board. Over the summer, he helped spearhead the Global Grub & Groove celebration of Indian culture as a co-lead, supporting the event from initial planning to day-of execution.
“Volunteering has had a tremendous impact on me. It has shown me that even small acts of service can have a huge effect on the greater community,” he explained. “Working with groups of all ages has allowed me to connect and understand their needs. Volunteering on the HY Board especially has allowed me to grow as a person and develop crucial skills that will help me in school and beyond.”
Outside of the HY Board, Avik volunteered for events with the City of Issaquah and Grand Ridge PTSA.
Saahil Jain, Silver Awardee (Teen)
In his first year on the HY Board, PCMS eighth grader Saahil dedicated 76 hours of volunteer service to the Issaquah Highlands community. He played a major role during the summer Global Grub & Groove celebration, co-leading and emceeing the event in front of more than 500 neighbors.
“As a member of the HY Board, I’ve learned a lot about myself,” he said. “I used to think leadership and confidence had to come first, but I’ve realized it’s actually the other way around. When you’re truly passionate about something, confidence follows and everything else just falls into place. Volunteering has also pushed me into situations outside my comfort zone, yet I’ve found out that’s where real growth happens.”
Saira Hashmey, Bronze Awardee (Young Adult)
Saira, a senior at IHS, contributed 108 volunteer hours to organizations close to her heart this past year. About 80 hours came from youth-focused events in Issaquah Highlands through her participation on the HY Board.
“As I’ve volunteered, I have learned the valuable skills of communication, teamwork and networking. Whenever I join fellow volunteers at an event, I find myself feeling a sense of comradery and joy,” Saira noted. “I’ve learned that our community can only be strong if everyone believes in the community and wants to be a part of it.”
Last spring, Saira completed the 30-hour Issaquah CERT basic training course at Blakely Hall. After the course, she continued to participate in emergency preparedness trainings and drills across the community.
To be considered for the 2026 award, volunteers must complete the required number of service hours between Sept. 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026, with a majority of service dedicated to the Issaquah Highlands community. Applications are due by Sept. 30, 2026.
