November Volunteer of the Month: Colin Yuen, Highlands Youth Advisory Board

When my parents first moved into the Issaquah Highlands, they initially came here for the excellent schools and the growing community. My mother is from Taiwan, and my father’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong. They ended up meeting in Seattle and decided to start a family in Issaquah to provide a good foundation for their kids. I have a younger sister and brother in high school and middle school, respectively, and even though we drive each other crazy sometimes, we have grown up extremely close to each other, reassured by the knowledge that we will always be a constant in each other’s lives.

At the time my parents moved in, Issaquah Highlands was still in its development phase, which is why I don’t think they ever realized how incredible of an area it would become less than a decade later. I think the most amazing thing about living here has been watching its growth into a hotspot for businesses—big and small—along with an enormous increase in diversity.

Although I have lived in Issaquah Highlands my entire life, I truly started to make a connection with the community after I happened to stumble upon a trailhead, and ended up bringing my family on a hike for the first time. I was astonished at how easy it was to access nature from these trails that were so close to my home. Being able to share this beautiful aspect with my family provided me with a newfound respect for how interconnected our community is with the forests that surround it.

Ultimately, this connection inspired me to give back to the community by volunteering. And while I did volunteer at a couple of community events, my drive to work with a larger group to make a more impactful change is what led to my application for the Issaquah Highlands Youth Advisory Board.

Needless to say, my time with the board has been incredible. The ability to work with mentors and other members that are just as passionate about serving the community has been extremely rewarding.

And it was being on the board that acted as a turning point in my appreciation for volunteering. While volunteering for the series of Global Grub and Groove events, I watched as so many different people came together to appreciate the diversity of our community. And I realized this all transpired from an event that I played a part in making happen! That is when I officially fell in love with volunteering and knew that it would continue to play a huge part in my life.

If you are at all thinking of volunteering, I urge you to do so. I have found there truly isn’t anything more rewarding than watching your actions have a profound and positive impact on the people around you. Volunteering has been extremely helpful in getting me to socialize and obtain a deeper connection with Issaquah Highlands, while also making new friends with like-minded individuals.

And with a wealth of different ways to volunteer, I’m sure that you will inevitably fall in love with giving back to this wonderful community—just as I have.