Pictured from L to R: Brenda Rosas, Isaac Towett and Evan Almanza. Photo courtesy of Sylmar Biotech Health and Engineering Magnet.
In November 2024, SkillsUSA advisor Edna Losa sat down with students in the SkillsUSA chapter at Sylmar Biotech Health and Engineering Magnet in Los Angeles to ask them what SkillsUSA competition they would like to be involved with. Out of the 77 students in the chapter, 18 decided to compete. Students Isaac Towett, Evan Almanza and Brenda Rosas decided to complete a community service project as a team to advocate for the safety and prevention of school violence in their school. Their choice for the project was influenced by an incident earlier in the year when two students were in a fight and a gun fell out of a backpack.
“There was also a separate incident when a threat was made on social media about a potential shooting directed at a list of schools, of which our school was included,” says Losa. “There was a lot of tension in the school and parents were very concerned.” Towett commented, “I even ended up staying home a few days because I was kind of afraid of what might happen.”
Towett, Almanza and Rosas decided to call the project “One Hello,” modeled after the project the students in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting created called “Start with Hello Week” to help students to feel safe again after the incident. It was a week-long event consisting of different activities every day. The students created a flyer and posted it around the school. Each morning, they made an announcement to the school about the different themes for the day.
- Monday was Hello Monday and students were encouraged to say hello to everyone they saw across campus. Some students stood at the entrance of the school to greet students as they entered.
- Tuesday was Two Tuesday, where students were encouraged to find a buddy to spend the day with.
- Wednesday was Wow Wednesday and students encouraged to wear green to sow their support since green is associated with nature and goodness.
- Thursday was True Thursday, where students were asked to be true friends to all by including people in their groups who could use a friend.
- Friday was Fun Friday, and the students celebrated a successful week by having a potluck lunch.
They even created a video for the Los Angeles United School District’s campaign “No Room to Hate.” The video was selected as one of the best featured.
The project meant a lot to the three students and to the entire school. “Change doesn’t wait — it starts with us, right here, right now,” says Rosas. “Being kind is a daily decision — and every day, we choose to change the world,” added Almanza. “Kindness isn’t weakness — it’s how we make our school stronger,” Towett said.
The difference-making team chronicled their service efforts for the year and submitted them to the SkillsUSA California State Leadership & Skills Conference where they won a bronze medal.
“SkillsUSA changes lives,” Losa adds, “and many lives were changed through this community service project — including their own. “When students lead with kindness, they plant the seeds of peace that grow beyond the classroom.”
