Volunteer Spotlight
Yawen Xue
Volunteer
Mission San Jose High School
2022
If time travel was possible, what year would you travel to?
I'd travel to 1974 if time travel were possible. It was a time when rock music was flourishing, and music inspires me a lot in my writing. It's also thought-provoking. I'd want to know about David Bowie's writing process and thought process for his album Diamond Dogs.
If you have the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?
If I had the power to change on thing in the world, I'd remove prejudice. It unnecessarily drives people apart and could lead to violence. If people could tolerate those different from themselves, and be kind to them, humanity as a whole could accomplish much more. There's also the added benefit of less hatred and less fear.
What’s one thing that you wish you could tell your younger self?
I wish that I could tell my younger self to take advantages of opportunities, but not take on so much that I'd be stressed out. I haven't actively searched for opportunities often, and some great chances -- some clubs in junior high, for example -- slipped by. This is tied in with "no procrastination." I want to start making things happen rather than letting them happen to me.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?
I'd eat blackberries. They are borderline reasonably nutritious enough that I won't die. They also don't have much of a strong salty or rich flavor, so I probably won't get sick of eating them. Also, they're among my favorite foods.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your life?
The most valuable lesson I've learned in life is to always be open-minded towards others. It doesn't matter what conflicting opinions they have, what controversial problems like addiction they might be facing. So long as someone is not being intentionally harmful, it's not a good idea to act with prejudice towards that person. I learned this through experiencing and reading about many different kinds of people.
What is guaranteed to make you laugh every time?
My friend Illi could make me laugh every time we have ridiculous conversations. Her family probably thinks I'm crazy because I carpool with them and we always laugh like mad in the car. We have an absurdity-linked sense of humor, and the random ideas that pop up during our conversations -- giving someone a scarecrow for Christmas, for example (I actually did it) -- could always make me laugh.
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
I don't believe in God, but if I could ask the universe any question, I'd want to know what exactly instigates creativity, and how it's linked to compassion.
What is one of your favorite memories or events from HIM?
My favorite memory linked to HIM is today's volunteering at the SF food bank. If I remembered correctly, we packaged a bit over a ton of rice. My job was sealing the bag and putting it in the cardboard box, and somehow it didn't become tedious for about two hours. It's surprising in a good way to know that we potentially helped so many people.
How has your experience been working with HIM?
So far, I've enjoyed working with HIM. It's exhausting most of the time (like having to get up at 4:30 occasionally), but it's also very refreshing to do something new and benefit the community. Be it encouraging runners or packaging food for people facing hunger problems, it's great knowing that I have helped someone in some way. I'm a fairly introverted person (a bit of an understatement), and HIM has helped me connect with others sometimes.
How has HIM affected your life so far?
HIM has affected my life by forcing me to download two apps on my phone and get more organized about things. It's also made me focus more on thinking about improving the world (such as reducing, ideally ending, starvation). There are rarely activities such as marathons in Fremont, and it's eye opening to see the community experiences. Overall, HIM made me a happier individual because volunteering gives me a sense of accomplishment.
