Meet Tuleen
When she was seven years old, Tuleen began attending our After-School Program at the Seeds of Hope Cultural Center and was a regular at our annual Summer Camp. As she grew up, Seeds of Hope was an integral part of her life.
“I was always grateful and inspired by the leaders who guided me and showed me the right path,” shared Tuleen. “They were true role models to me.”
Tuleen was so impacted by our leaders and volunteers that she wanted to get more involved. At the age of twelve, she started volunteering at the Cultural Center. “Over time, I realized that the kindness the people had given me had a profound impact on my life, and I knew it was time to give back,” she remembers.
Tuleen had an early interest in videography and photography, and she put her natural abilities to work at the Cultural Center. Now 16, Tuleen shoots and edits video, photographs events, and shows up whenever there’s a need to serve other students who were just like her.
PHOTOS: Tuleen at her first Summer Camp in 2016, and at a recent Seeds of Hope event.
“Volunteering with Seeds of Hope is unlike any other experience,” said Tuleen. “This environment, filled with passion and love, inspires every volunteer to work wholeheartedly and give their very best.”
For Tuleen, Seeds of Hope has helped her grow in her skills, as well as her character. “Seeds of Hope gave me the opportunity to learn and grow, not only as a student but also as a leader,” she told us. “Through the continuous support and encouragement I received, I’ve gained greater confidence in myself and developed a strong belief in my ability to take responsibility and create a positive impact on those around me.”
“Tuleen is like no one else I’ve ever met,” says Regina Shaheen, who taught Tuleen in the After-School Program. “Ever since she sat in my classroom, I knew she was one of a kind. She took every word to heart. She did everything with a genuine, humble, and sincere heart and attitude. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Thanks to you, our programs and community helped Tuleen develop her passions, grow in her leadership, and pass that benefit on to other students coming up behind her.
“Today, I can confidently say that Seeds of Hope helped me discover my potential and has become an essential part of my personal journey,” Tuleen said. “If I had never met the people at Seeds of Hope, I believe I would be a completely different person from the Tuleen I am today.”
Tuleen is a real-life example of your impact in motion, and it doesn’t stop with her. While she continues to serve and reinvest in the programs that helped shape her, she is also shaping the next generation. As Tuleen shared with us, “I am confident that the children who go through this experience will grow up carrying the same gratitude and pride toward Seeds of Hope that I hold within me.”
When you give to Seeds of Hope, you help children like Tuleen grow up believing that they can have a positive impact on the world around them. In short, you help us fulfill our mission. Please consider supporting Seeds of Hope so that we can impact even more students and, together, create lasting, generational change in Jericho and beyond!
