Scholarsbr& Athletes Serving Others Combines Philanthropic Work and Personal Growth
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Submitted by Lauren Hill
High school years can be confusing,brcomplicated and contentious, especially between teenagers and their mothers.brWhile most students are struggling to balance academics, extracurricularbractivities and a social life, mothers are struggling to provide guidance andbrcounsel. Seeking to strengthen this bond and broaden the horizons of highbrschool boys and girls is Scholars & Athletes Serving Others (SASO), a 501c3brnon-profit organization that combines philanthropic work and personal growth.brThe organization's name represents its all-inclusiveness, which is at the heartbrof its mission.
"Whether you're a footballbrplayer, in the band or on the debate team, you are welcome at SASO,"brstates Laura Hill, a founding member who has been involved for the past twobryears with her son, Trent, a junior at Carroll Senior High School.
Founded in 2011 by nine Southlake mother andbrson duos, SASO was originally formed to provide community service projects forbrteenage boys and their moms, but added a girls group this fall that is run by abrseparate board of directors.
According to Hill, girls were notbrintentionally excluded, but it was coincidence that all founding members hadbrteenage sons.
"A group of mothers gotbrtogether one day and decided to do community service with their sons ̶ everything we do is charitable work. We wantbrour boys to have opportunities to be better citizens," she explains.
Unlike other servicebrorganizations, SASO's only requirement to join is the student be in grade 9-12 andbrlive in Southlake (do not have to attend Carroll ISD). Currently, there are 448brmoms and sons in the SASO boys group, with a waiting list to join. The girlsbrgroup, which held its inaugural meeting October 31, quickly reached its 50brmember maximum for the first year. Students must re-apply each year andbrapplications are accepted in the order they are received ̶ the sooner the better.
Funded entirely through membershipbrdues ($100 per member), SASO partners with several organizations to host eventsbrthroughout the year (see sidebar). The philanthropic opportunities are selectedbrby the boys and girls. Students and their moms are required to participate inbrat least three philanthropic opportunities together duringbrthe school year. In addition, the students are required to attend at least onebrpersonal growth meeting with topics such as local and state government, moneybrmanagement, how-to prepare for college interviews, and even tough subjects likebrdrugs & alcohol and how Teen Court works.
"We really felt there was abrneed to reach all boys in Southlake and we welcome everyone with openbrarms," says SASO President, Tina Wasserman, a founding member with herbrson, Bryce, a senior at Faith Christian. "We try to balance our servicebrprojects both outside of Southlake and in our own backyard. If your heart isbrright, come join us and we'll make a difference."
SASO has proven so successful inbrSouthlake that new chapters are forming out-of-state, the first being inbrFairfield, CT, and several others are in the process.
"We want to help kids getbrconnected and get involved ̶ Ibrbelieve this can change lives," Hill adds.
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