Minocha-McKenney honoured as Amherst’s youth volunteer of the year
AMHERST — Rajan Minocha-McKenney learned the value of volunteerism at a very young age.
The 18-year-old Amherst native got involved in running through the Amherst Striders several years ago in support of his mother. Since then, he has become an ardent supporter of community and school life, giving his time freely to other organizations.
“What motivates me as a volunteer is being able to interact with others so we can achieve a common goal and see a successful outcome,” the Grade 12 ARHS student said. “I really enjoy what I do. It’s not about titles, it’s about creating something and taking those steps to improve our community. The first step is always the hardest, but after that it’s always the smallest steps that make the biggest difference.”
His commitment to community was recognized earlier this year when he was selected Amherst’s youth volunteer of the year. While the recognition ceremony in Halifax was cancelled because of COVID-19, he did participate in a virtual event recently and received his framed certificate in the mail.
“It was nice and really incredible,” he said. “That recognition will hopefully show others that it does make a difference.”
Minocha-McKenney said his parents have long been active as volunteers and it didn’t take much to convince him to follow in their footsteps.
“I followed their lead and developed my own passion for it,” he said.
A runner himself, having recently competed in the NSSAF cross country championships, he was active in the early years of the Amherst Striders, which his parents played a role in organizing along with a group of other runners. They were also active in the creation of the annual Valentine’s Run that has raised money for various community organizations.
“My mom started running and we all wanted to run to show our support. We began running with her and then created the Amherst Striders with a few other friends and then we spread out and tried to help in other ways,” he said.
In the community, he has been active as a member of the Amherst Youth Town Council for five years, while he is also in his second year as president of the students’ council at ARHS.
He said working on the youth town council has been an incredible experience, working with the existing town council to effectively represent the town’s young people, while also striving to engage the town’s youth in the betterment of the community.
“It gives youth a voice at a time that it’s sometimes hard to speak up,” he said. “We reach out to youth to provide that voice if they don’t have one.”
Starting at E.B. Chandler, he is in his sixth year of student government. It’s an organization that plays an important role in student life in school and is the heartbeat of extracurricular activity at ARHS.
“Council works to provide the best possible experience through high school,” he said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, closing schools and locking down many communities, Minocha-McKenney joined a group of young Canadians in SHAD Canada, which normally sends high school students to a university somewhere in the country to explore the sciences, technology, arts, engineering and math. Because of COVID the program moved online.
From that a group of young people came together to create an organization called Race to a Cure that has worked to help youth through the pandemic by providing scientific updates and reliable information to education youth on vaccine development and to assist young people with their mental health during the pandemic.
Minocha-McKenney recently took part in a question and answer session:
Q&A
Q. What is your full name?
Rajan Richard Minocha-McKenney.
Q. Where and when were you born?
Born in Moncton, N.B., on Oct. 14, 2002.
Q. Where do you live today?
Amherst.
Q. What’s your favourite place in the world?
My cottage with my family.
Q. Who do you follow on social media?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ AOC)
Q. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I love creating digital graphics and video/photo editing.
Q. What’s been your favourite year and why?
My favourite year would be Grade 9 (2016); it was a major stepping stone in my life because it was my first year of high school and allowed me to get involved in so many amazing programs with incredible people.
Q. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Run a full marathon, 42.2km.
Q. Can you describe one experience that changed your life?
At the end of Grade 10, I was elected the youngest student council president by the student body at ARHS. This has led me to a plethora of opportunities and lifelong memories.
Q. What’s your greatest indulgence?
Homemade Indian food!
Q. What is your favourite movie or book?
Any comedy or action movie.
Q. How do you like to relax?
By going for a run/working out or watching a movie.
Q. What are you reading or watching right now?
Internment by Samira Ahmed and Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix.
Q. What is your greatest fear?
The fear of missing out.
Q. How would you describe your personal fashion statement?
My personal fashion statement would be to wear what makes you feel happy and gives you confidence.
Q. What is your most treasured possession?
Photos and memorabilia of my family and friends.
Q. What physical or personality trait are you most grateful to a parent for?
My communication skills and ability to work well with others.
Q. What three people would join you for your dream dinner party?
Barack Obama, Bill Gates and LeBron James
Q. What is your best quality, and what is your worst quality?
My best quality is my determination and my worst quality is being a perfectionist.
Q. What’s your biggest regret?
Taking for granted high school and the many amazing experiences it has been able to offer me before COVID-19.
Meet your Neighbour is a regular feature that profiles area residents. Want to suggest someone who should be featured? Email your idea to scott.doherty@saltwire.com.