Cool Kid raises funds for St. Barnabas Parish School computer lab

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- This week's Cool Kid is a high school student in Long Beach giving back to his elementary and middle school. Jonathan Sy saw a need for St. Barnabas Parish School to upgrade its computers. So he got some donations together to make it happen. His service impacted his community.

Jonathan attended St. Barnabas from kindergarten to 8th grade. He's a senior at Long Beach Polytechnic High School now, but he got word that the computer lab at St. Barnabas was in dire need of a major "reboot."

"It wasn't really the type of the best, most conducive environment to learning for the kids here," said Jonathan. "And I know the school didn't have any money saved up allotted to renovations."

So Jonathan gathered up donations and volunteers to give the school a much-needed upgrade. He says it felt great to complete the plan for students to use now, but he also realizes how helpful it'll be for kids in years to come.

"It felt very heartwarming, I thought, just to know that I was able to do this for them, and to impart some sort of improvement to their lives that they would hopefully remember and inspire them to do other projects like this," said Jonathan.

Jonathan's care for his community is nothing new to those who know him.

"Jonathan would help anybody at anytime to his own detriment, to his own expense," said St. Barnabas Principal Jennifer Kellam. "He would stop whatever he was doing to help anybody at any time."

He is grateful for all who have helped him. But he also sees the big picture of how service can really impact people.

"I would not be who I was today if it was not for this school and the community around it. And so shaping the community and giving back to it improves the lives of both myself and everyone else in my life," said Jonathan.

Jonathan Sy is a Cool Kid always looking to lend a hand.

Get more Cool Kids »

volunteerism, cool kids, danny romero

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