HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local teenager is drawing on his experience from his days in an after-school program to help other students.
His volunteer work encourages other children to expand their minds and put them on a path for career success.
Meet Angel Sandoval, a junior at Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, but that's not where he is on a late afternoon.
He is navigating a second-floor classroom at Maple Manor Middle School in Hazleton. It serves as home to the after-school program called SHINE, which stands for Schools and Homes in Education.
Angel is a SHINE volunteer passing out posters, giving advice, and lending a hand wherever the after-school students may need one.
"Usually I help them with, if they have math problems, social studies, I usually help them with their homework," explained Angel.
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He says he finds it personally rewarding.
"It's always really exciting to see the students get involved, get engaged with the activities, and it's always fun just doing anything that they do here," said Angel.
SHINE is familiar territory for Angel. He was enrolled in the program for several years, including as a third grader when he and a couple of other students collaborated on writing a book called The Three Lost Dinosaurs.
"So they worked together as a team, and they tried to show a lot of leadership skills. It works on their grammar, their spelling, and they also do get to draw a little bit," said Katie Lykon-Bond, director at SHINE.
Lykon-Bond worked with Angel for several years, serving as a mentor to him.
"So throughout the years, I've seen him grow through leadership skills, his volunteer skills. He's dedicated, and then he promotes a lot of positive energy for the students as a role model. They look up to him," stated Lykon-Bond.
She is not the only one to take notice of how far Angel has come.
"I've just seen him grow as a person, you know. Just, you know, be able to you know speak up for himself and you know help others, and it's been great to see him, watch him grow," said Kelly Cook, lead teacher at SHINE.
"The SHINE program has really shaped who I've become. It's helped me be more extroverted more, it's really helped me broaden my horizons," said Angel.
And now Angel wants others to have the same results. It is why he is serving as a SHINE volunteer and helping in any way he can.
"He's a wonderful kid. He is such a great role model for the students here, and he's just a wonderful representation of what we want our students to become," explained Cook.
"I would really like to set an example to other students, to give back to their community, give back to the people who have given so much to them," said Angel.
SHINE has nine centers and six participating school districts.
Roughly 450 students are enrolled in the grant-funded program.
Here's to you, Angel.
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