Justina Wong is the youngest child out of four daughters of a hard working, Chinese immigrant mother. Justina’s father had passed away when she was only ten, leaving her mother as a single parent raising four children. In order to support the family, her mother had to carry on two jobs, which prevented Justina from spending a lot of time with her. Being raised by a parent who had to work two jobs a day meant less opportunity to see the world and less discipline. It almost automatically spells out doom for the future of the child. However, Justina’s mother, being the strong, intelligent, and excellent role model that she is, took advantage of all of the aid that the community or government had to offer in order to raise her children in the right way.
Every summer Justina and her older sister are enrolled in summer camp provided for low-income families living in the Chinatown area. Through summer camp she was able to see different parts of the city. It enabled her to go on field trips to places that her mother would never have been able to bring her to, such as Georges Island and the Science Museum. It also provided her with a social and educational environment. In summer camp, Justina met new friends and learned new things outside of school. Aside from learning new things she was also able to get review or help on things that she struggled within school; her mother being a Chinese immigrant, was never able to help her with schoolwork as other parents did.
Justina has volunteered at Chung Wah Academy, an after school program at the Josiah Quincy School, (a local elementary school in Chinatown), and the Boston Public Library Teen Council. Through these programs Justina has realized the significance of youth opportunities as she witnessed other youths going through similar struggles. Justina hopes to be able to repay her community in the future for all that it has done for her by helping with other adolescences. She believes in the importance of government as well as community involvement with youth activities. The only way to achieve a better future is to educate and provide opportunities for the younger generation and for the younger generation to act upon these great opportunities.
Justina is currently a rising senior at Boston Latin School. She entered Boston Latin as a seventh grader and has been actively involved with many of the amazing opportunities offered at the school. She is co-founder of the BLS Stock Market Team, vice-president of BLS Red Cross, and member of the Recycling Club, BLS Musician Society, After School Tutoring, Wolfpack Volunteers, and BLS Invisible Children. Justina is currently exploring many different fields of interest in hopes of discovering her future path and career. She hopes to widen her options in order to have a meaningful life and career.
Justina Wong’s sponsor this summer is the Speaker of the House, Robert A. DeLeo.