12/07/2023
Cheshire Youth Make An Impact
DECEMBER SPOTLIGHT: LINDSEY CAPLAN
EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENTAL ASSET: EMPOWERMENT
#9 SERVICE TO OTHERS – Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week
#18 YOUTH PROGRAMS – Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community.
Lindsey developed a passion for helping others when she was in middle school. In 2019, she was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah. For her Bat Mitzvah project, she collected new items for dogs such as food, collars, leashes, and toys. Everything collected was donated to the Cheshire Animal Shelter. Since the age of thirteen she has been an active volunteer in her community. Lindsey has attended the Cheshire Yellow House’s Youth Literacy program since she was five. She began attending Yellow House events in fifth grade through eighth grade, and then she decided to volunteer at Youth Literacy program in eighth grade to help others the way her mentor helped her years before. Lindsey has continued to volunteer at other Yellow House programs including RAD LABS to help teach and get young children excited about science. During the Summer months she has volunteered as a Counselor in Training (C.I.T) at Mountain Mist Day Camp in Meriden where she worked with kids ages three to eight and assisted the counselors with a variety of camp activities, she eventually moved on to be a counselor herself. Lindsey also taught cooking classes to children entering grades first through seventh. She has volunteered at Carrington Elementary School to assist in classroom activities for two Pre-Kindergarten classes. She serves as a volunteer at Meriden Youth Theater choreographing dances, assisting in casting shows, planning games and crafts, and supervising children.
Lindsey has been a member of SkillsUSA in her high school since her Freshman year. During her Sophomore year, she competed in Customer Service and Opening and Closing and has volunteer at their blood drive. In May of her Sophomore year, Lindsey was inducted into the National Honors Society and she continues to volunteer, including the NHS Freshman Welcome Night and the NHS bake sale. Lindsey is an honors student in school with a 4.0 GPA and has received the Academic Excellence award, SkillsUSA statesman pin. In 2021, she wrote a mini saga titled “Scalped '' and submitted it to the Young Writers Talent Competition. Her story is now published in the Young Writers Unsolved Reading Between The Crimes book. During her junior year, Lindsey served as a SkillsUSA state representative and worked with the State of Connecticut SkillsUSA director to discuss ways to improve on the State and National Level. Lindsey also serves as class vice president where she has been involved with organizing fundraisers to raise money for prom. In all of her volunteer work through the years, she has received 512 community service hours. In the future, Lindsey wants to continue helping others and have a career in recreational therapy where she can work with people to promote positive activity. She also hopes to pursue her Doctorate Degree.
