Piney Woods Learner Reflects on Service, Leadership, and United Way Recognition

At The Piney Woods School, service is more than an activity. It is part of how learners grow, lead, and discover the impact they can have on the world around them.

For Piney Woods learner Soana, her experience with United Way became a meaningful part of that journey. What began as an opportunity she first joined during her junior year soon became a powerful lesson in community, compassion, and the many ways young people can serve.

“When I initially joined United Way during my junior year, I didn’t expect much from the program,” Soana shared. “I thought it would be just another community experience I would participate in, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

During her junior year, Soana participated in several service-centered activities through United Way, including writing Christmas cards to elders in a nursing home, helping coordinate a health symposium for youth, and serving at the annual women’s symposium. Through those experiences, she began to see community service differently.

Soana shared that she once thought service had to be complicated or required resources she did not have. Through United Way, she learned that service can be as simple, and as meaningful, as helping those around you.

That lesson continued into her senior year, when the United Way ambassador program introduced a new opportunity for students to lead projects at their individual schools. These projects were designed to reflect United Way’s pillars: health, youth opportunities, financial security, and community resilience.

At Piney Woods, Soana and her fellow ambassadors embraced that opportunity with purpose.

One of their first projects focused on breast cancer awareness. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the student ambassadors organized a campus presentation to help educate the school community and bring attention to an important health topic.

For another project, the Piney Woods ambassadors welcomed fellow United Way members to the school’s Agriculture Day on the campus farm. Throughout the day, participants engaged in hands-on activities such as fishing, horseback riding, plant science, and animal science experiments. The experience allowed visiting ambassadors to learn more about sustainable agriculture while seeing Piney Woods’ land-based learning model in action.

For their final project, Soana and her fellow ambassadors organized notes and Bible verses for Kindness Day, distributing them throughout campus to encourage the school community and remind others to be kind to themselves and to one another.

In addition to their campus-based projects, Piney Woods learners continued to participate in broader United Way opportunities, including support for the annual women’s symposium.

Their commitment did not go unnoticed. As a result of the school’s active participation and student-led service efforts, The Piney Woods School was honored with the Most Involved Campus Award.

For Soana, the award was a reflection of the work, care, and commitment shown by Piney Woods learners throughout the year.

“I truly believe it reflected our actions and commitment,” she shared.

This recognition speaks to the heart of the Piney Woods experience: preparing learners not only to succeed academically, but to lead with purpose, serve with compassion, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Through United Way, Soana and her fellow ambassadors demonstrated what it means to live out service in practical, powerful ways. Their work reminds us that leadership often begins with a willingness to show up, care deeply, and help move a community forward.

The Piney Woods School celebrates Soana and all of our United Way ambassadors for their service, leadership, and continued commitment to making a difference.