CAITLIN GORSKI

Caitlin Gorski is a student at Hopkinton High. She is a quietly commanding junior who serves as Class President, actress, varsity volleyball player, artist, Church youth leader, community service volunteer and honor student. Caitlin believes relationships and people are most important. She values the years her family spent in Marlborough before moving to Hopkinton. There, the diversity gave her a great foundation for the work she is doing now.

Caitlin recently participated in the three-day, 60-mile Avon Breast Cancer Walk, and she raised over $2,800 for research. In addition, Caitlin has served with the Ambassador’s Club – welcoming new students to Hopkinton High School, Gospel Road – a volunteer group that works in soup kitchens and visits the elderly and the Bottle Drive for victims of the September 11th tragedy. Caitlin has also sponsored a child in a third world country, worked with DEL – a leadership workshop for children, the Connectors Club, Youth Outreach Weekend, Girl Scouts and Teenagers Against Drinking & Drugs.

A visit to a homeless shelter in Boston inspired her next project. Caitlin met a homeless man at the shelter who was getting up in early morning everyday to look for a job. She respected and appreciated his daily struggle to provide basic needs for himself. That moved her and changed her perception of those who were living in the shelters. Caitlin wanted to create a job fair for the homeless. In order to gain the skills necessary to move forward with her job fair, she applied for the “Take the Lead” program.

Chosen as one of 38 from a pool or more than 600 high school students nominated by teachers and community leaders, Caitlin is now a part of Mount Holyoke College’s “Take the Lead” program. She and the other participants were chosen because of their potential for leadership and ability to make a difference. This program entails the youth attending workshops in team building and organizational skills, and the participants work on a project of their choice under the guidance of a mentor. Caitlin’s project advisor advised that she exhibits commitment, passion and compassion when articulating her desire to reach out to the homeless. She believes that Caitlin will be a wonderful agent for positive change in the world.

Caitlin is working to implement a job fair for jobless and economically disadvantages individuals. This event has grown from an idea to a large event that will occur on May 20,2003 at City Hall Plaza in Boston. It will be called “Job Fare 2003” and her slogan for the event is “ Putting Care Into Careers.” Caitlin has reached out to St. Francis House, Impact Employment Service, Community Work Services and Boston Employment Services. All of them have offered their resources to assist with Job Fare 2003. Caitlin has assembled a committee of individuals from these organizations to guide her in creating an important event that could potentially improve the lives of people who are currently facing serious economic challenges. She is doing the fundraising, contacting of employers and organizing the specific details.