These past few months, we’ve highlighted student volunteers who’ve shared their time and talents in support of Operation Walk. During this special edition of our newsletter, we celebrate the graduation of eight promising young team members. Thank you all for being a part of the OpWalk family. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of you.
Middle School Graduates:
Madison Yamaguchi, Haley Ahir, Ethan Chang, and Alex Mendez
Westside Neighborhood School
We are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the WNS (Westside Neighborhood School) SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion) team: Madison Yamaguchi, Ethan Chang, Haley Ahir, and Alex Melendez, who recently graduated from WNS!
Over the past two years, they have demonstrated compassion, leadership, and a strong commitment to service through their partnership with Operation Walk Los Angeles.
Their journey began in the 7th grade with SPLASH (Solving Problems for Los Angeles’ Society and Health), the first phase of their two-year capstone project. During this phase, they collected toiletries and assembled post-op care bags for patients in the Philippines and Cuba in 2024.
In the 8th grade, they launched the second phase of their project, SWIM (Solutionary Work In Motion), building on their previous efforts to make an even greater impact. The team met with medical professionals, including Dr. Paul Gilbert, Michelle Sullivan, and Amy Hirata to learn more about Operation Walk’s mission. With the support of Amy Hirata and Felicia Renty, they organized a successful equipment drive at Verdugo Hills Hospital, collecting walkers, crutches, and canes. They also designed and assembled additional post-op care bags and helped organize and pack cargo for the upcoming Cuba mission in 2025.
May they continue to inspire others through their dedication, heart, and leadership.
We wish them the very best as they begin the next chapter of their journeys:
Madison Yamaguchi – Geffen Academy at UCLA
Haley Ahir – Geffen Academy at UCLA
Ethan Chang – Crossroads School
Alex Melendez – Pacifica Christian High School
High School Graduates
Molly Anderson and Sarina Parks
La Canada High School
Molly Anderson has been volunteering with Operation Walk since she was just five years old. She has worked on countless fundraisers, packed endless amounts of cargo and joined us on missions to Guatemala and Cuba. Next year, she plans to attend Santa Barbara City College and study law.
Sarina Parks has volunteered with Operation Walk for the past two years, helping to collect donations of Durable Medical Equipment for our 2024 missions and accompanying the team to the Philippines last summer. This fall, she plans to attend Brown University and join the Track and Field team. Sarina will focus her studies on the Biological Sciences in hopes of pursuing a career in the medical field.
College Graduates:
Elin Kairies and Samantha See
Cornell College
Elin Kairies joined us for our mission to the Philippines last July. She graduated this spring with her BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and has recently moved to San Jose, CA, from her home in Minnesota. Currently, she is working on obtaining her Phlebotomy license and will apply to medical school in the next two years, focusing on schools found both on the West Coast and in the Midwest.
Samantha See volunteered in 2023 on our mission to Arusha, Tanzania. This May, she graduated from Cornell College with a BA in Kinesiology – Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology. In August, she will begin a 1-year ABSN (accelerated bachelor of science in nursing) program at Drake University in Des Moines, and test for her RN at the end of next summer. Since graduation, she’s been back at home in Decorah, Iowa, working at WinMed hospital as a Patient Care Tech on the Med/Surg floor.