Bay View Girl From EP is the 26th Metta Student

On Monday, June 1, Leah Sirmalis, an East Providence resident and sophomore at Bay View Academy, became the 26th student to win a $1,000 award from the Metta Students Foundation, an organization that rewards students for acts of kindness. Leah was nominated for the award due to her extensive volunteerism. In less than a year she recorded over 357 volunteer hours, doing everything from volunteering as a Water Safety Instructor at Girl Scout Camp to depositing cans and using the returns to purchase food to donate to a food bank. Additionally, Leah has earned the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve, the Gold Award. Her award was based on a comprehensive service project; she implemented her original LEAHSTAR Program for the City of East Providence’s Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative.

LEAHSTAR is a summer program for children from six through fifteen years old, with the goal of teaching kids to be healthy by staying hydrated, eating right and exercising. According to Leah, it is designed to enable children to participate in sports with confidence. She proposed the program and was given approval by the City of East Providence’s Recreation Department. LEAHSTAR includes a robust lineup of activities and instructional material, varied by the age of the campers and making appropriate allowances so that students with different disabilities can participate. Leah ran the camp for 180 campers, broken out into four groups. She even created a cookbook for each camper to take with them, featuring her own healthy recipes.

Part of the Girl Scouts Gold Award project requirement is that the project be a sustainable endeavor, meaning that someone else can pick up where one Girl Scout leaves off. Leah made sure her program would continue with ease. She left behind a book she created with all of her directions, pictures of the program in detail, a slide show and all of the equipment from the agility course she created. Leah says she earned confidence from her project and had the chance to be a teacher, a leader and a good role model. “I am very happy with the outcome of my program,” she says, “knowing that the kids will live a healthier lifestyle.”

Norm Kelly, the founder of Software Quality Associates in Providence and creator of the Metta Students Foundation, came to Bay View to present Leah with a $1,000 check at a gathering with her classmates. “Metta means love and kindness,” states Kelly, “and we are proud to be able to give recognition to all of those bright lights who give back, not because they have to, but because they are truly good hearted and want to make a positive difference.”

Leah thanked Mr. Kelly for the award and recognition. “I feel that the Metta grant has opened a new door for my future,” she said, “I really appreciate the Metta Foundation for recognizing the service and volunteer work that I have done over the past year.”

Photo Credit: Lori DesVergnes

Leah Sirmalis Metta Foundation: Norm Kelly, Cecilia Pate (Upper School Associate Principal), Leah Sirmalis and Colleen Gribbin (Upper School Principal)