With quickly approaching deadlines for college applications and community-service hours, seniors can often be found scrambling to find ways to give back to their community. For most students, packing up medical supplies at MedShare or donating a few old pieces of clothing to a shelter means nothing more than finishing a graduation requirement. For senior Salome Araya—a leader of Grady’s 21st Century Leaders, a member of SkillsUSA and an Atlanta Intown’s “ 20 Under 20” Honoree—community service means so much more.

In her freshman year, Araya followed her older sister’s footsteps by joining the school’s main community service-based club, 21st Century Leaders. The club organizes food and clothing drives, organizes volunteering opportunities for students both at school and in the community and sends students to conferences like the Goizueta Youth Leadership Summit. After four years of volunteering through the organization, Araya found herself as one of the primary leaders of the group–21st Century Leaders does not have positions like president; however, they do have an executive leadership board, of which Araya is a part.. As such, she helps to plan the projects, meetings, guest speakers and get-togethers—such as holiday parties—for the school.

Her four years on 21st Century Leaders did not go unnoticed. In addition to the many people Araya has worked with while giving back, Grady college advisor Tenisha Peterson realized that Araya had a passion for giving back to others that should be celebrated. It was for this reason that Peterson nominated Araya for Atlanta Intown’s 20 Under 20.

“[Araya] displays model character through her thoughtful interactions with peers and teachers,” Peterson said. “Her level of concern for others and intellectual curiosity encourage me on both a professional and personal level.”

After writing a recommendation letter, Collin Kelley choose Araya as one of the honorees out of an application pool of almost 70 due to her commitment to giving back.

“[The difference between Araya and the other candidates] was the accumulation of what she has been doing for the last four years of her high school career,” Kelley said. “Most students don’t get involved [in community service] at all or until their junior or senior year.”

In addition to her dedication to helping others, Peterson and 21st Century Leaders teacher sponsor Mary Carter Van Atta have both recognized Araya as a motivated student with a compassionate, friendly character.

“[Araya] is known for taking initiative,” Van Atta said. “She doesn’t wait around for people to offer her things; she goes out and seeks what she wants and she does so in a very gracious way.”

Peterson also believes that Araya will be able to use her altruistism and her compassion to help others to excel in college.

“[Araya] realizes that [hard work] provides greater definition to a person’s character and does not try to take the easy route,” Peterson said. “I believe her willingness to work hard and do necessary research will provide to the overall integrity of any organization she chooses to be part of—or organize. It is her thoughtfulness and humility as a leader that will provide more engaging classroom discussions and greater depth to her networks in college.”

While in college, Araya plans to major in public health.

“I’m going to focus on STD and STI prevention, which kind of is community service because I will be doing research,” Araya said. “I will be going out and doing outreach and and helping people.”

Part of her interest in that field spurred from her love of volunteering at MedShare Atlanta, an organization that sends unused medical supplies from hospitals in the USA to hospitals in underdeveloped countries. Araya also mentioned that giving back to the community will continue to be an important part of her life during her college years and beyond.

“[Giving back] is what I was made to do, so it’s something I’m going to continue to do [for the rest of my life],” Araya said.

Peterson has faith that Araya will thrive in her life as a public-health researcher due to her humanitarian nature.

“She is a gifted student,” Peterson said, “but what I find most compelling is that she views her talent useless if she cannot use it to help another.”