Junior pursues passions through teaching, volunteering, working

    Junior Vincent Man was dressed in his tae kwon do uniform: a white top with hints of black, black pants and a black belt with his name embroidered on it. With a smile on his face, he welcomed the two white belts who would be entering his class at Hidden Dragon tae kwon do that day: Kayden and David. Soon enough, Man was thoroughly engrossed in the lesson, teaching the two 8-year-old-boys three skills so intently that he forgot about the time, until one of the boys pointed out the lesson had gone 30 minutes over the allotted time.

    “I was trying to make them black belts within their first hour of experience with tae kwon do,” Man joked.     

    When Man was 6, he needed a way to lose weight and lower his high cholesterol. His parents’ solution was tae kwon do. Today, that decision still rings true as one of the best he has ever made. During the summer and the first half of the fall, man spends his Monday and Wednesday evenings teaching this martial art form to other children at Hidden Dragon Taekwondo, located in Milpitas. During the second half of fall, he volunteers there on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Man began teaching at Hidden Dragon after getting his black belt when he turned 13, motivated to give back what he had learned. For him, teaching there has always been fun because he gets to share his interest with new students who have untapped potential.

But Hidden Dragon is far from the only organization Man volunteers for. He has been a regular volunteer since seventh grade, with over 660 volunteer hours through coaching middle school volleyball and fundraising and working at the American Cancer Society.

During volleyball season, Man spends up to eight hours each week in the fall coaching a team at Sacred Heart. He coaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. during the second half of fall.

“Last year was my first year coaching volleyball for sixth  graders from Sacred Heart,” said Man. “I was nervous, yet confident that I was capable of training these students to get better.”

Under Man, the team achieved its first-ever win. The challenges as well as the fun Man experiences teaching the kids motivates him to be a leader for these younger students.

“I volunteer at these places because they are related to me as an individual,” Man said. “I love doing what I do, especially if its means improving someone's skills.”

Man also gives back to the community through methods besides teaching. He works for the Los Gatos Discovery Shop for the American Cancer Society every Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. The shop sells used goods to raise money for the organization. Man decided to work at the American Cancer Society’s discovery shop due to his family's extensive medical history with cancer.

As customers walk through the doors, Man greets everyone with a smiling face, eager to start a conversation with anyone. At the same time, he organizes the shop and sorts through donations.

“The ambience is mainly very hectic but enjoyable,” Man said. “Sometimes, [I get] so caught up in what to do next that two hours pass by really quickly.”

Despite the large time commitment Man has assigned to volunteering, he always exudes a somewhat cherubic demeanor, making it hard to believe he is a high school junior. This year, he is taking two AP classes, so Man must balance his commitment to volunteering with his schoolwork, which he accomplishes through extensive planning and support from his family.

“School is a priority, so I try to shift my schedule around for these activities. My family is willing to support me all the way in anything, and I love that,” Man said. “They drive me everywhere and love my involvement in the community.”

As a majority of his volunteering occurs on weekends or after school, Man says he prioritizes volunteering over hanging out with friends as his little break from school. He describes volunteering to be similar to a sport or other extracurricular activity.

Despite Man’s effort to plan his schedule, he sometimes is left with only three hours to sleep on some nights. Yet, Man says he would never give up his commitment to community service.

    Man’s love for service has inspired him to continue throughout the future. After high school, he plans on looking for other volunteering opportunities to balance with his schedule in college.

    “I don’t think I’ll ever stop volunteering because it means so much to me,” said Man. “Being able to give back to my community is so rewarding, and it definitely defines my character.”