Passionate about community service
BY JONATHAN KANE
Wood River High School senior Indie Landon enjoys community service.
Indie Landon has a passion for helping other people. A Wood River High School senior carrying a 3.6 grade point average, Landon won the Platinum Community Service Award last year for 290 hours of service.
She is also a member of the singing group Colla Voce, co-president of the W.A.T.E.R. Club and a member of National Honor Society. At Wood River High School, Landon has taken Advanced Placement courses in U.S. History, Language, Micro Economics, Macro Economics, Government and Psychology.
While studies are important to Landon, she said she also learns a lot from community service.
“I just love helping people,” she said. “I feel that I could help people around the world, but I want to see direct results, so I want to help people in our community. I started in the eighth grade by working at the animal shelter and the senior citizens’ center and now I help with suppers at the Catholic church.”
Landon also spends a lot of time volunteering as a camp counselor at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church performing arts camps.
“At the animal shelter, I usually walk dogs or groom cats for a few hours a week,” Landon said. “I love animals and I’ve grown up with them. I think that this Valley is a great place for them.
“I also love working with children at the camps. What I like the most is that I’ve been doing it for so long that I have watched the kids grow up and get better every summer. It’s so funny because at that age – mainly first- and second-graders – they’re so brutally honest and they think that everything they say is correct. They are just not afraid to be themselves. I also babysit, so by working at the camps I meet a lot of families.”
Landon said she has a simple answer as to why she loves community service: “I believe that the main way to happiness is by seeing other people happy. By doing community service, I can see their reactions and see them smile.
“It’s also such a great community that it’s upsetting to see people that are down or having a bad day. Giving back to people is my favorite thing to do.”
Landon is also a singer and performer.
“It’s a great love of mine, but I don’t think I’ll pursue it as a career,” she said.
Landon started singing in the first grade.
“In the second grade, my music teacher said I should be in advanced choir, so I moved up. I remember that when we gave a performance to the parents, it was so cool being in an environment where people loved what I was doing. The other children and the audience shared the same passion.”
Landon now sings in the all-women’s group, Colla Voce.
“This is my second year and I tried four times before I was accepted,” she said. “I was so happy because I could see that all the hard work and dedication paid off.”