When Westmoreland County student Danny Cisneros talks about volunteering, his excitement is contagious.
At 17, he has already become a standout for what young people can bring to their communities: curiosity, discipline, compassion and a willingness to learn.
This summer, his work with the John Dos Passos Institute (JDP Institute) made him an ideal choice for the Volunteer River Counties Volunteer of the Month spotlight, reported project coordinator Elizabeth Richardson.
Cisneros discovered the JDP Institute almost by chance. While walking through Rappahannock Community College, where he is a student in the Chesapeake Governor’s School program, he noticed a speaker, Dr. Lara Coggin, the founder and chief executive officer of the JDP Institute, talking about an internship. “I think it found me,” he said. “It was right up my alley, and I knew I needed to help.”
The short-term internship offered a small stipend, but he was also able to earn environmental volunteer hours which he needs to graduate from his marine science program. At the conclusion of his internship, Cisneros continued volunteering with the JDP Institute. According to Coggin, who nominated him, “Danny’s dedication to his volunteer stewardship is just as serious as his commitment was during the paid internship.”
His first project was ambitious: creating a community walking path through five acres of dense woods. “There were thorns everywhere, branches hitting you in the face, poison ivy all over….
