Benjamin Lam was accepted into Boston Latin School during grade seven and will graduate as a member of the Class of 2002. He currently lives with his parents and sister in the community of Roxbury.
During Benjamin’s years at Boston Latin School he spent his time enjoying the competitive spirit of his peers and joining clubs, such as the badminton club and Asian Students in Action (ASIA). He will also be playing for the Varsity Football team at school, and looks forward to continuing spending time with this friends.
In his spare time, he is a video game buff. He delights in competing with himself. He also derives joy from listening to punk rock music. Benjamin also works hard to maintain his physique by using the gym, playing basketball, and skateboarding.
Benjamin has been employed by the Oak Street Youth Center, which is part of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, for two years after school and during the summer. His first priority was to be a role model in front of the many teens at the Youth Center. Part of his time there was also spent tutoring newly arrived immigrants in their academics and helping them adapt to the lifestyle of Boston. He was also part of the “You Lead” group which planned organized, created, and presented workshops to educate teens on current teen issues such as drugs, sex, nutrition, racism, etc. After one successful year as part of the group, he now runs the group as the supervisor. To Benjamin, the Oak Street Youth Center fueled his interest in being a leader as well as giving aid to the community.
Benjamin looks forward to furthering his knowledge of politics and maybe running for office someday. He is also interested in pursuing a career in executive agencies, such as Federal Bureau of Investigation or even the Pentagon.
Benjamin’s sponsor is the Boston Public Schools Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant. He hopes that the Fellowship will give him the chance to affect change the community and help him discover more about himself and his interests.