The Dedicated Purpose Leadership Academy takes a group photo in Jenny Macartney’s room. Photo courtesy of junior Benjamin Morales
Dedicated Purpose Leadership Academy, a club started by a group of friends at San Luis Obispo High School, has been a great help to many people, even themselves, as they participate in grade checks and other tasks to keep students focused on their academics.
“DPLA began with a group of sophomores. So it was Chris, Brandon, Daniel, Bryan, and basically the whole friend group. In that friend group, we were not making the best decisions, but then we changed that, and we turned that around and made it something more meaningful to be better people,” said junior Sergio Vargas Acevedo.
Given DPLA’s active involvement in volunteering and community service, it’s worth considering the true impact of their contributions on the community. Have they made a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve?
“DPLA has a huge impact. I think that with all the community service such as building pantries, doing cleanups, and events like that that we host, our impact is slowly rising more and more with every year and every project we do, we’re doing more things, helping more people, and then more people feel that they want to be a part of it and try to help. It’s like a snowball. We only get better and better,” said junior Chris Estrada.
With a range of impactful opportunities to support our community and meaningful volunteer options, what inspiring initiatives does DPLA envision to drive positive change?
“We’re setting up pantries; one near the City Hall, and other pantries are still being worked on. So that’s what we’re doing right now. However, we have a lot of ideas that are not just for community service, but also aim to make someone’s day, to make them feel like they’re seen. So yeah, that’s one of the few things that we’re doing,” junior Tina Gonzalez.
DPLA meets every Thursday at lunch in Macartney’s room, room 159. As DPLA continues to grow as a group, they focus on helping their community and empowering others. DPLA can make a positive impact and foster personal growth for everyone involved.
