Senior Lia Mirzaian was born in Iran, but her family immigrated to the United States when she was two years old. As a true Nitro, she is very involved on our campus, holding the positions of Letters for Rose Club president, ASB Director of Academics, Model UN Club secretary, and the director of publicity for BOTH the Hunger Heroes Club and the Make-A-Wish Club. Whenever she can sneak in some free time, Lia enjoys baking, spending time with her sister, and playing games on her phone. (Don’t we all?!)
Lia founded the Letters for Rose Club last year, after hearing about the organization, which started on the East Coast when two girls began sending letters to their local nursing home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The name comes from an elderly woman named Rose, who was among the first people to benefit from the organization’s project.
The club hosts several drives throughout the school year, where members can make several contributions, consisting of letters, artwork, or other hand-made items that are sent out to a local nursing home. One member even donated crocheted hats!
Lia believes that this club is a very meaningful addition to our campus, because it provides a creative outlet for many people, like herself, in the form of writing or creating art. The club also allows students to develop meaningful connections with members of the elderly community. “High school is a time when some people may struggle to communicate and build relationships, so having a pen pal can ease everyday struggles,” Lia said.
Club meetings take place every Thursday in Mrs. Keefer’s Room, 2232, and they are very fun and collaborative. Members bring in their donations for the current drive, or they discuss what they are working on, to give others ideas on what can be donated. Each drive has an overarching theme; for example, the most recent drive was themed around springtime.
Club members can also receive community service hours for their donations. Lia explained that “each letter or piece of art is usually [worth] one to two hours of community service, but more detailed creations receive a greater amount of hours.”
Lia wishes that future club members can have the chance to visit the local nursing home to meet some of the folks who had received their donations. “Having a pen pal is nice, but meeting someone in-person is a whole different experience,” she admitted.
Lia wants YOU to join the Letters for Rose Club because she has seen many people come out of their shell through these projects, and she believes that it can be beneficial to everyone. There is no pressure associated with these projects because everything stays between you and your pen pal.
Lia hopes to attend a four-year university following graduation and work in the field of psychology. We are all going to miss her here at GHS.
If you are interested in joining the Letters for Rose Club, please email Mrs. Keefer at [email protected], or you can text @glenlfr to 81010 to join the club Remind.
