Meet Mitzi Harris, a multi-talented and inspirational Jewish teen in St. Louis who is making a significant difference in the lives of less fortunate children and their families abroad. 

“I get such a warm feeling in my stomach when I am able to help someone, and I never want to stop making people feel happy,” said Mitzi, a senior at Mary Institute and Country Day School and a member of Central Reform Congregation. “Providing support, comfort, and a source of hope to people in need is what energizes me.”

Mitzi channeled her passion for volunteering during the summer of 2014 on a month-long community service trip to Tanzania with Overland Summers, a travel program for young people offering worldwide opportunities for community service and adventure. In Tanzania, Mitzi cultivated a nurturing environment for at-risk children in an Arusha orphanage, offering them constant care and encouragement. She fostered close connections with these children and developed a deep commitment to providing them with an educational, supportive, and loving family environment.

“One night, I had the amazing experience of cooking 10 boxes of spaghetti, tons of jars of meat sauce and hand-scooping ice cream onto leftover cookies for dessert for the kids,” Mitzi said. “The smiles I saw that night while we ate and watched ‘The Lion King’ were the greatest smiles I have ever seen. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.”

Alexandra Highet, field studies group leader for the Tanzania service trip, expressed great admiration for Mitzi and her dedication to the needs of those less fortunate. Highet remarked on the infectiousness of Mitzi’s enthusiasm for bringing joy to poor, abused and neglected children in one of the most deprived areas of the world.

“Mitzi emerged as a natural and inspirational leader within our group, demonstrating maturity beyond her years, ebullient and constantly encouraging with a dynamic personality and skill set that led us to overcome our toughest challenges,” Highet said. “Mitzi was always very vocal and positive about what she was learning and her reactions, which brought the quieter group members out of their shells and was critical in our group forming a strong and productive relationship.”

Tanzania was only one of many international service trips Mitzi has taken to help those in need. Her passion for improving the lives of others also took her to Costa Rica, where she provided underprivileged children with support and attention, and became handy with a hammer and screwdriver to improve the physical living conditions and create a better future for citizens.

“We laid floors in some of the houses, played with children at an orphanage (which was my favorite thing to do always), picked up trash from the streets, taught English, painted a school with inspirational quotes and pictures, and helped many of the women carry water to their homes,” Mitzi said.  “Then, we spent another week staying on a farm, where we laid the foundation for another building and sanded the wood that would be used to build it.”

Mitzi’s ability to inspire those around her to embrace volunteerism and strive for their personal best is also evident in her everyday life here in the United States. While maintaining First Honors throughout her high school career at MICDS, taking the most rigorous classes offered, and playing tennis, soccer and squash, Mitzi also finds time to volunteer for the Youth Council of Children’s Hospital and serve as its president for her junior and senior years.

“We organize around 250 teens in St. Louis who have either a drive to learn about the medical industry or a strong desire to help others,” Mitzi said. “We have hosted a wide range of events, from lemonade stands and bake sales to hat and glove drives for the Healthy Kids Express Vans,” 

MICDS Varsity Tennis Coach Julie Johnson said that Mitzi’s genuine enthusiasm for helping others and extraordinary ability to be a supportive friend motivates both students and adults to model her behavior and become better people. 

“Hands down, Mitzi’s outstanding character separates her from her peers, and you can see these wonderful qualities shine through in all she does,” Johnson said. “She is unfailing kind, exceptionally generous, brimming with warmth and compassion, and makes it a point to include everyone when we are together as a team.”

MICDS Dean of the 12th grade, Nicole Trueman-Shaw, marveled at Mitzi’s ceaseless dedication to the interests of her class. In fact, Trueman-Shaw praised Mitzi’s remarkable leadership role, noting that she served as a representative for her class on Student Council throughout all four years of high school and is now Senior Class President. 

“Mitzi is known for her honesty, compassion, strong sense of character, and willingness to lead by example,” Trueman-Shaw said. “Mitzi thinks about the needs of the class constantly, and her thoughtful and reflective process informs her planning, outreach, and ability to partner with students to further the growth of the class as a whole.”

As Mitzi looks forward to the next phase of her life, she envisions community service continuing to play an integral role. Her natural leadership gifts, innate warmth and nurturing personality as well as an authentic desire to help others, ignite her passion.

“When I graduate from college, I want some part of my lifelong career to be based around helping others feel happy, comfortable, and loved,” Mitzi said. “Volunteering is too big of a part of who I am that I don’t think I will ever stop.”