Senior learns from Gleannloch seniors

Brandon Roye has accomplished a great deal in his high school career, from serving two years as drum major in the band to being inducted into the National Honor Society, but he has truly developed a name for himself with his extensive community service.

Roye, a senior at Klein Oak High School, began his volunteering duties mainly as a way to meet the requirements for the international baccalaureate program at his school, which mandates that students fulfill a certain number of creativity, action and service hours.

Over the course of his service, however, Roye discovered that he had a true passion for the work he was doing, and he has ultimately gone far above and beyond the call of duty.

Although Roye has volunteered for a wide variety of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life, he has spent the most time working with the Village at Gleannloch Farms, a local retirement community. He has developed a strong bond with its residents, and he has participated in a broad range of activities, from setting up holiday events to simply sitting down and watching baseball games with the men and women who live there.

“I think a lot of people have the misconception that whenever you go to a retirement home, all you’re doing is giving your time, and you’re not getting anything out of it,” Roye said.

But, Roye says, he is also gaining a lot of valuable information by spending time with the residents. After graduation, he hopes to attend the University of Southern California, and he discovered that one of the men at the home went to college there as well.

“There was a man that I served dinner to every night, and he went there and told me about it, about the campus and that kind of thing,” Roye said. “He gave me a lot of advice on college admissions. They’re really, really smart people.”

In December 2011, Roye turned his volunteering into a part-time job, and he now waits tables at Gleannloch Farms, though he still takes time to enjoy activities with the seniors. After four years working at the center, he has nothing but praise for the establishment.

“It’s a really great place, and even when you walk in, it’s really high class,” Roye said. “It’s just a great place to work and to live.”

ABOUT BRANDON ROYE
Age: 17
Occupation: Student
Community Connection: Senior at Klein Oak High School
Fast Fact: Has run a part-time pet sitting service for six years