Please join us in congratulating Max Greenhalgh – Words Alive Volunteer of the Month for October 2017!
Max joined the Words Alive office this past summer for a volunteer internship in development and communication. On average, he worked ten hours a week, contributing to numerous projects and areas of focus. Max was instrumental in developing our summer content for social media and assisting with blog posts. His professional writing skills added a great new voice to our publications.
Max’s work ethic and commitment was evident in his very first week of interning with us. For one, Max graciously volunteered extra time to help with a huge book giveaway event we were hosting at Golden Hill K-8 School. He not only helped load and set-up hundreds of books, but on the day of the event he was a helpful and energetic presence. Max also used his journalistic sensibilities and helped write a blog post about this incredible event after the fact.
In all his work with us, Max gave 110% and worked with the utmost level of maturity and professionalism. His writing always impressed us, as did his ability to run with new assignments. He is a dependable and consistent volunteer, and we have been so lucky to work with him!
Now a senior at Canyon Crest Academy, he continues to contribute to his school newspaper and stay busy with classes and college preparation. We wish him the best this year, and hope to work with him again in the future.
Check out the Volunteer of the Month Interview with Max below :
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Max Greenhalgh, and I am a senior at Canyon Crest Academy. I am the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Pulse Magazine, the student magazine of CCA, and am the Council Chair of the Leadership Council for Teen Volunteers in Action, an organization of middle and high school boys that volunteer at numerous different philanthropies. In my spare time, I love to read, write, and play basketball with my friends. I’m currently working on the college admissions process, and I am applying as a political science major at most of the schools where I’m applying.
How did you get involved with Words Alive?
This past spring, I was looking for an interesting, meaningful way to spend some of my time in the summer. It was a great match given my interests in reading and volunteering.
What is the most rewarding part of your volunteer role(s)?
My role was mostly in the office working on promotional and social media tasks. However, helping at a book giveaway at Golden Hill School was memorable. I really enjoyed working with students and teachers at the school, and suggesting that students looking for books consider books from multiple series that I loved when I was their age. I was able to return to the school about a week later, and some of the kids recognized me and thanked me for coming out to help.
What are you reading lately?
I’ll be honest - I haven’t really had time to dive into a book of my choice recently. However, I find time to read online material and I’ve been reading articles concerning the removal of books like Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird from district reading lists across the country over the years. As someone who really enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird in 8th grade, seeing it taken off reading lists is equal parts troubling and interesting to me. The book promotes diversity, open dialogue, and standing strong on principles, all of which are great messages to send young readers.