Hello everyone,

I just want to take the time to introduce myself in the hopes that we will form a close community in the coming year. I'm extremely excited about what the Service Scholar Internship entails and can't wait to get started.

I'm Joy, a recent graduate of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California. I just started my freshmen year at Duke University in North Carolina. I've learned some valuable lessons during my four years of high school and gained insight into what I want to dedicate myself to during my time at Duke. I'm a prospective biology major with an interest in doing a global health certificate and visual art minor. One of the major factors that swayed my decision to come to Duke is the work of the Duke Global Health Institute, which is dedicated to reducing health disparities around the world. It's this interest in health and service that led me to the Service Scholar Internship. Through this experience, I hope to gain a more intimate knowledge of NGOs and service projects. In addition, the prospect of participating in social marketing and exploring subjects in global health through blogging is invaluable.

Currently, I'm involved in the Health Arts Network at Duke with a position at the Duke Eye Center. I'm interested in exploring the role of arts in health care, issues in global health, and medicine. During high school, I dedicated much of my time to arts education (especially for children) and it's something that I would like to continue pursuing here.

I hope to get to know many of you in the upcoming year as we embark on this project together. If you have any questions, please always feel free to contact me. I know that this year will be one of transition and much self-discovery for me, and I'm truly blessed to be part of the East Villagers community as I journey through it. The one core factor binding us together is our dedication to service, and that's something we shouldn't forget. Ultimately, I hope that through this experience, we will all have a better understanding of service and our capability to wholly dedicate ourselves to it.

Legacies (Prompt 1)

By Joy Chang Liu

In all my endeavors during the four years of high school, perhaps the most rewarding has been my participation in the Solana Beach Legacies Youth/Elder Project. I learned about the opportunity one Saturday when Mr. Emery, an artistic mentor who opened his studio to me weekly, introduced me to the project. Sponsored by StoryArts, a nonprofit publication organization, Legacies aimed to unite twenty pairs of high school students and elders in Solana Beach to create public art projects that honored the stories and life lessons of the elders and to share them with the greater community.

As a maturing artist striving to elevate the content of my work, I was immediately captured by the project. The Legacies project presented an opportunity to not only develop my artistic skills, but also apply those skills to storytelling and establishing the legacy of the most meaningful content—an extraordinary life. It was a unique volunteer experience and one that would prove to be extremely gratifying.

For the project, I was paired with Mr. Emery, a local artist who I had been visiting for over two years. Every Saturday, I would arrive at his studio to sketch. Likewise, he would sit in the adjacent room drawing. Together, we exuded a focused, inquisitive atmosphere that was conducive to the creative process. Moreover, he often gave me advice and offered me access to his private library—towering rows of bookcases filled with books on nearly every subject imaginable. Mr. Emery offered me all this, and much more beyond that. He gave me a glimpse of his life as a professional artist and nurtured my growing passion for art. Legacies seemed to be his lesson for me to combine that love for art with the spirit of volunteerism.

To begin, the Legacies project entailed a series of interviews with Mr. Emery. During the two-hour sessions, I sat intently listening to him recount the tales of his life. A private person by nature, Mr. Emery had only privileged me with occasional anecdotes about his experiences as a burgeoning artist. Now, he pieced together the entire puzzle, story by story. He told me about the time his head got caught in the train trestle as a mischievous boy playing hide-and-seek during the Great Depression. He narrated a tragic experience of a young Vietnamese compatriot who vanished during the war. He recalled how he returned home to dedicate his efforts to the Boy Scouts of America and teach young boys “how to survive life—not the jungle, not the war—but life.” He recounted his early days in San Diego attempting to sell artwork in Spanish Village before being commissioned to restore the façade of the San Diego Art Museum. All of these tales, all of these pieces of the puzzle, he willingly gave me. I was touched by his gift—a gift that no money could buy, a gift that no other could bestow upon me. With such a canvas to work on, I was inspired to produce a project that would showcase and celebrate his extraordinary life.

To achieve a project fulfilling those desires, I constructed a book decorated with quotes, drawings, textiles, and images capturing the atmosphere and themes of the stories Mr. Emery told me. Planning each page was done meticulously. Each reflected a different piece of the whole, a unique story. On one page, I colored parts of a monochromatic calendar, inscribing events such as “got a spanking from my dad” and “played hide-and-seek” in neon markers next to the phrase “I had fun growing up”—a concise synopsis of Mr. Emery’s outlook on all stages of life. On another page, I constructed a door that opened to reveal the shadow of his distinct profile against stained glass, a haunting representation of the artistic legacy that he leaves behind. Yet another page featured a photograph of him sketching a portrait on stage, his eyes intently gazing at the subject. I peppered the background with vibrant, glistening lights to convey the same animation that he told me the story with. As my final addition to the book, I drew a charcoal portrait of Mr. Emery, trying to capture his reflective yet still playful countenance.

The final product finished, now the task became presenting it to the community. The ultimate goal of the Legacies project was to celebrate the role that elders such as Mr. Emery held in our culture and to create a work that would show his contributions and legacy. A reception displaying all the projects was the answer. At the event, colorful scrapbooks and cultural displays dotted the lawn. Each was a manifestation of the essence of the stories that were entrusted to the young artists. Looking around, I could only hope that the viewers would get a glimpse of the Mr. Emery I knew and admired. In the same way that he had given me the gift of his story, I was giving my gift to the community. I was giving my art—the one priceless gift I possessed.

To me, the experience became priceless when I showed Mr. Emery my project. Flipping through the pages of the book hurriedly, I was nervous and anxious. What would be his judgment? Did he think this project captured the events and significance of his life? It was a heavy burden to place on anyone, but especially a young artist. His keen eyes didn’t miss a single detail. After I finished, he was silent for a moment. Then he nodded slightly, a sign of approval. “Thank you for including the Boy Scouts. It’s important to me.” Out of all the achievements and experiences he possessed, out of all the memories and stories he had given me, the one he thanked me for was his service to the community. It’s quite fitting, I thought.

The Legacies project concluded after months of regional community readings and exhibits, but my own project never really ended since then. Extremely affected by the idea of using my passion for art as a venue for community outreach and service, I began my own projects. I became the Editor-in-Chief of Stand and Voice, a nationwide online literary magazine that seeks to inspire and promote teenage artists. I was grateful to have the opportunity to develop my talents and receive support from artists such as Mr. Emery, but I knew that was not a blessing given to everyone. It was my desire to create a platform for student artists to inspire and support one another, especially for those without many opportunities or words of encouragement. Discovering my passion for art education and outreach in particular, I embarked on other service endeavors, which included volunteering as an art teacher for young children and eventually working at a local cultural school teaching art. In all these pursuits, I was keenly aware of the importance of community and constantly questioned, “how can I contribute my skills to benefit the greater community?”

In this respect, the influence of the Legacies project on me cannot be understated. It changed my perspective and gave me an understanding of effective volunteerism. The ideas for how I could give my time and efforts were boundless. Legacies was not a typical volunteer experience, but in being unique, it reflected the importance of innovation. This visionary project opened doors within me. In turn, I hope to open doors for others. That’s the driving force behind all my endeavors. That’s the motivation behind trying to launch new components for Stand and Voice such as a cover competition. That’s the reason why I constantly seek a new approach to designing fun art classes for children. That is the power of vision in volunteerism. That’s the legacy Mr. Emery and the Legacies project left behind for me.