By Carly Gaspari
Staff Writer
It seems that most high school clubs meet for only a few minutes during the lunch period each week. Costa sophomore Hanna Watkins invested time outside of the lunch period when she spent two weeks of her summer bridging cultures and enhancing the lives of children in Vietnam.
Watkins, sophomore Brooke Gleason and sophomore Danielle Major founded Kleats for Kids in fall of 2012, a club at Costa that collects sports equipment and soccer jerseys for underprivileged children. Through a service group called Youthlinc, Watkins traveled to Song Cau, Vietnam for two weeks to deliver equipment the work of the club.
“I wanted to see the world and help people at the same time,” Watkins said. “This trip seemed like an opportunity to do both.”
In Vietnam, Watkins taught children English, played soccer and helped establish profitable programs for the village.
“My contribution to the community were the Kleats for Kids soccer balls, jerseys, mini goals and equipment,” Watkins said. “The kids loved the soccer stuff. They went crazy [about it].”
Watkins assisted in setting up a system called Micro Committee in which some villagers in Song Cau were given a cow to generate income. She also worked to build new housing in the village.
“It was the most rewarding feeling to be able to help these people, and I have never been so happy,” Watkins said. “The job was simple, I was working to make people smile and give them a better life.”
Before Watkins traveled to Vietnam, Kleats for Kids focused on donating to local schools in the Los Angeles area. According to Watkins, Gleason and Major, the club is now able to expand its services worldwide.
“It was great for our club to collect so much equipment for Hanna to take,” club member sophomore Hannah Ortega said. “Going to Vietnam was an amazing experience for Hanna.”
During her time in Vietnam, Watkins was able to break the language barrier and connect with the kids she taught. She found the members of the village to be open and welcoming to her.
“It was one of the most special experiences of my life,” Watkins said. “I formed relationships with some of the kids as if they were my [own] siblings.”
In addition to changing the lives of the people in the village, Watkins claims that her own life was changed. She hopes to incorporate service into her future travels.
“I have gained a greater knowledge of the world and its opportunities,” Watkins said. “I have learned that I will always [have a tendency] to help others.”
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