{"id":21477,"date":"2026-08-11T09:55:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=21477"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T13:55:59","slug":"diana-volunteer-story","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/ko\/news-and-announcements\/diana-volunteer-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Diana&#8217;s Volunteer Story: Mentoring High School Students Through the College Application Process"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Apex for Youth, our volunteers support young people at every stage of their journey, from elementary school to college and beyond. Our College Access Program (CAP) is where volunteers help 11th and 12th-grade youth through one of the most important transitions of their lives: the shift from high school to college. Through CAP, students explore their interests and future pathways as they prepare for the college application process. They receive individualized support to navigate any barriers they may encounter during college applications, financial aid, and scholarship searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year, we are proud to recognize Diana Weng as our College Access Program Volunteer of the Year for her two years of dedicated mentorship to Apex\u2019s high school youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From Baruch Classrooms to Apex Mentor<\/strong>ing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diana is a Chinese American and the first in her family to be born in the U.S. She is originally from Tampa, Florida, and has lived in New York City for four years, where she worked as an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Baruch College-CUNY. For the past two years, she has volunteered with Apex\u2019s College Access Program. She is moving back to Tampa, Florida, to work as an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of South Florida and will fly back to finish this College Access Program cycle with her youth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diana\u2019s path to Apex started with mentoring her own college students. \u201cI mentor my Baruch students, who are juniors in college. I thought maybe I could make an even bigger impact at earlier critical forks in the road, so I searched for opportunities to help high school students.\u201d What keeps her coming back, she says, are, \u201cthose little moments that can&#8217;t be planned, the ones where you really connect with the kids, when they open up to you, the ones that can only happen through repeat experiences, especially in person. It doesn&#8217;t happen every time, but when it does, it reminds me why I volunteer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Moments That Matter Most<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Diana, the clearest sign that her presence matters is simple: \u201cWhenever one of my mentees opens up to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working with high schoolers, she says, has a way of making time fly. \u201cI often forget my age. Volunteering with high school kids reminds me of myself when I was in high school, then I realize how long ago it was and how much I&#8217;ve changed since then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Volunteering Gives Life Meaning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diana says volunteering reflects the life she wants to live. \u201cOne of the reasons I volunteer is I want my life to have meaning. I want to feel good about how I am living my life and to make a positive impact on others. Volunteering feels very much in alignment with my values, so it makes me feel at peace and complete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" src=\"https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-1300x867.jpg\" alt=\"high school, college application, mentor, volunteer\" class=\"wp-image-21479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-1300x867.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-650x433.jpg 650w, https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/ClaraHungPhoto_ApexforYouth_VolunteerAppreciation_260624_038-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Hidden Curriculum<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked why mentorship is important, Diana points to many things students worry about: the unwritten rules and the fact that there truly is no book on how to navigate college properly. \u201cWhen you enter a new space, there are all these unwritten rules that nobody tells you, but you&#8217;re somehow expected to know them,\u201d she says. \u201cNot only did I not know the hidden curriculum, I also wasn&#8217;t even aware it existed. To me, part of mentorship is someone who will tell you what others won&#8217;t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That mindset has also shaped how Diana approaches each student and their journey individually. \u201cEvery one of my kids is so different, both from each other and from me,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat this has taught me is to let go of my view of the world and what I think is the &#8216;right path&#8217; to help them find what is best for them. What is &#8220;right&#8221; might only be right for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advice for Future Volunteers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diana\u2019s advice for prospective volunteers is simple: show up because it matters to you, not because you are trying to impress job recruiters. \u201cVolunteer because it matters to you,\u201d she says. \u201cIf it&#8217;s for a line on the resume, you might not consistently be there, and I mean both physically and mentally. The kids deserve more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Heartfelt Acknowledgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jia-Ming Tuan, High School Opportunities Manager, shares Diana\u2019s dedication, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI am incredibly excited to present CAP\u2019s volunteer of the year award to Diana, who has been the most amazing college guide to three of our youth over the past two years and the most helpful volunteer that staff could ask for! Diana\u2019s open communication, determination to see her students succeed, overwhelming kindness, and generosity stand out in CAP. Last year, Diana\u2019s student joined our program with no college application knowledge and lots of anxiety, but he graduated our program showing immense growth and appreciation for Diana\u2019s support, which he bravely voiced in his senior speech. This year, Diana has spent extra time outside of our workshops to cultivate truly transformative relationships with her two new youth by taking them out for fun events and working on outside applications with them. We are truly grateful for Diana\u2019s dedication and incredible heart. Diana, please come up to accept CAP\u2019s VOTY award!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inspired by Diana\u2019s story? You too can make a difference. Become a volunteer with Apex for Youth and help open doors for the next generation.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diana Weng went from mentoring college juniors to guiding high schoolers through the college process. Read her volunteer story.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":21478,"template":"","class_list":["post-21477","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Diana&#039;s Volunteer Story: Mentoring High School Students Through the College Application Process | Apex for Youth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Diana Weng went from mentoring college juniors to guiding high schoolers through the college process. 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