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Beckham Xu, 14, appreciates the volunteer opportunities in Richmond.
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Teenage Richmondite motivated by volunteering
By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Published 11:03 PST, Fri February 4, 2022
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A Grade 9 student at McRoberts secondary, 14-year-old Beckham Xu’s favourite part of the city is its wide range of volunteer opportunities.
Xu currently volunteers with groups including the South Arm Community Centre’s youth council and the Vancouver International Volunteer Association.
“I really like to volunteer because I can meet lots of good friends. I'm an outgoing person (and) that’s very useful in volunteering. Also, I think I can learn a lot,” he says.
Xu, who moved here from Shanghai in 2018, says his mom chose Richmond as the family’s destination because of its academic background and international school system. After working hard to learn English, he also struggled with homesickness, particularly with the onset of the pandemic. But his family has settled into the city well.
With more free time during the pandemic, Xu has been working on his piano skills and also recently attended a Model G20 summit.
While he likes all his classes at school, his favourite is social studies. And, in addition to his English speaking and vocabulary skills, he says the most important thing he’s learned here so far is information about different cultures, as well as the history of Canada’s Indigenous peoples.
After high school, Xu plans to stay in Canada and complete post-secondary education at a school like the University of British Columbia or University of Toronto. He thinks his mom and grandma will probably stay for a while as well.
“Originally my grandma came here to visit me to see how Canada is, and if everything is doing well, but because of the pandemic she is stuck here,” he adds.
When he’s not studying, volunteering or working on hobbies, Xu’s favourite areas to visit around the city are Richmond Centre and Fisherman’s Wharf.
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