Leading with Compassion: Two Sixth Graders Making a Difference

At Seven Arrows, we believe education must nurture not only strong minds, but strong character. Academic excellence is deeply important to us, but equally essential is helping students grow into thoughtful, compassionate, and ethically grounded human beings who understand their responsibility to others. Through programs like Ethical Leadership, students are encouraged to develop empathy, moral courage, and a sense of service — learning that leadership is not defined by recognition or authority, but by integrity, kindness, and the positive impact they have on the lives of others. These values are woven into the fabric of our community because we believe they prepare children not only for future success, but for meaningful lives of purpose and contribution. Every graduating Sixth Grader from Seven Arrows is required to complete an Ethical Leadership Project in support of a cause they care deeply about. Additionally, many students in across grades choose to complete these projects throughout their time at Seven Arrows. 

This year, two of our sixth graders, brothers Calvin and Jackson, embodied those values in particularly powerful ways through projects focused on serving vulnerable members of our broader community.

Calvin chose to partner with the Children’s Refugee Center, an organization devoted to offering hope and support to refugee children and families as they build new lives in the United States. The center provides a wide range of services, including legal support, educational programs, and a vibrant community garden where families grow plants from their native countries together.

Recently, the center has faced significant challenges, including a decline in participation as many families have become fearful about gathering publicly. Calvin wanted to help restore a sense of welcome and community. Inspired by the center’s beautiful garden space and their program that nurtures discarded plants back to life, he organized a community barbecue designed to bring families together in joy and connection. Through fundraising efforts, Calvin worked toward donating a Blackstone grill to the center and helped provide full meals for forty participants. He also spent time engaging directly with the children through games and activities. His father and mother joined him in preparing and serving the food — a reflection of a family deeply committed to service and human connection.

Calvin’s brother, Jackson, focused his project on supporting unhoused individuals through North Valley Caring Services, which shares a campus with the refugee center and serves many overlapping families and community members. The organization provides critical resources including a food pantry, shower services, outreach programs, afterschool care for children, and technology opportunities for teens.

Wanting to offer both dignity and practical support, Jackson assembled fifty care kits for individuals experiencing homelessness. Each cinch sack bag included essential hygiene items such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, wipes, combs, and warm socks. Through this project, Jackson demonstrated that even small acts of care can communicate respect, humanity, and compassion.

Projects like these remind us that ethical leadership begins with empathy — with the willingness to notice the needs of others and respond with action. We are deeply proud of Calvin and Jackson for modeling the values we hope all of our students carry into the world: kindness, responsibility, service, and the belief that every person deserves dignity and care.

To explore our Ethical Leadership Program in greater depth, CLICK HERE.