Amanda Perez-Berrios
A J.P. Taravella High School student has been honored as Broward County Public Schools Youth Volunteer of the Year.
Amanda Perez-Berrios already wears many hats at J.P. Taravella High School: freshman class valedictorian frontrunner, AICE Cambridge scholar, Student Government class president, Mu Alpha Theta math whiz, and Everglades Committee advocate.
But this past week, Perex-Berrios added a new distinction—Broward County Public Schools Youth Volunteer of the Year, an award reserved for students who exemplify good community service.
The 15-year-old was honored during the district’s annual Community Involvement Awards at the KC Wright Administration Building in Fort Lauderdale. Perez-Berrios was celebrated for logging hundreds of service hours at Coral Springs’ Riverside Elementary and Ramblewood Middle, as well as her high-school campus.
“I volunteer because I’m passionate about giving back,” Perez-Berrios told Coral Springs Talk after the ceremony. “Winning an award was never the goal—it’s the impact on kids that means the world to me.”
Perez-Berrios tells Coral Springs Talk that her charitable résumé began in middle school, when she staffed after-school events. Soon, she arrived early to set up and lingered late to clean.
Continuing her work as she entered the ninth grade, Perez-Berrios became an Algebra tutor. This led to weekly sessions with Riverside Elementary’s math coach, Kim Spayd, to develop younger students’ core skills.
Despite a loaded academic schedule, Perez-Berrios tops her class while juggling an AICE course load. She explains that she treats service like a sport.
“People make time for practice; I make time to volunteer,” she said. “My motivation is my future and the kids’ futures, too.”
Alongside math tutoring, she champions Everglades literacy. Through JP Taravella’s Marine Club, she helped steer the school toward “Everglades Champions in Action” status, integrating environmental modules into classrooms.
With her recent county-wide recognition, Perez-Berrios hopes to unlock more service opportunities and college scholarships. In the long term, she plans to parlay her leadership into a career that will keep her “benefiting the youth.”
Her advice to follow students who may be hesitant about volunteering is to find something they’re passionate about or something vital ot them.
“Look into places where you enjoy being or believe in what they do,” Perez-Berrios said. Volunteering is fun when it’s something you’re passionate about, so I would encourage people to find a place they’re motivated to be in and enjoy putting their time into.”
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