Meet Our Youth Service Award Winner Dev Bodalia

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Dev Bodalia, one of Naperville Park District's many youth volunteers, was honored as one of 17 students citywide to receive the 2022 Youth Service Award, presented in the City Council Chambers on November 30, 2022 by KidsMatter.

Volunteer and Events Manager Becca Krzyszkowski and Dev Bodalia at the Nov. 30 award ceremony

The Park District's Volunteer and Events Manager Becca Krzyszkowski explained why Dev was nominated for this award:

"Dev is a standout volunteer! He is always eager to volunteer for events with the Naperville Park District, whatever they may be. The Naperville Park District is lucky to have him! Dev's outgoing personality and positive interaction with event participants aligns with our vision to provide high quality experiences for our community."

In 2022, Dev volunteered for the Flashlight Egg Hunt, the Garden Plot Gleaning, Halloween Happening and Santa's Naperville Workshop. A junior at Neuqua Valley High School, he considers volunteering a way to gain new skills.

Dev with Santa at Santa's Naperville Workshop

"From my experience, I have learned resilience as a volunteer tutor when finding different approaches to help resolve the student's confusion with their homework assignments or projects. While helping with the Garden Plot Gleaning, I learned how to correctly remove produce from the ground, and how to detect which vegetables are still viable to eat. I believe as a volunteer I will learn skills that will last me a lifetime."

Dev also enjoys his volunteer projects. For example, he said that he especially enjoyed the Garden Plot Gleaning project as it was new to him and he enjoyed working alongside the master gardeners. "I had the opportunity to see six- to seven-foot sunflowers and see strawberry plants. From my experience, I learned more about gardening, and I discovered the joy people find in gardening."

2022 Garden Plot Gleaning

In addition to volunteering for the Park District, Dev is a member of the Interact Club at school, which engages students in community service, including volunteering at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. His other extracurricular activities include working as a lifeguard at Pelican Harbor, serving on student council and participating in the Aspiring Medical Professions club and the Business Professions of America club.

The Naperville Park District is proud of student volunteers like Dev who somehow find time to help with our recreation events and who bring enthusiasm for learning new things and serving others.

Interested in volunteering with the Park District? Visit www.napervilleparks.org/volunteer and learn more!