UAlbany Junior Participates in National Youth Service Summit
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2024) — When presented with the opportunity to apply to “The Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit,” Jaden Gabb thought the experience sounded too good to be true.
Students from across the United States were flown out to Chicago from Sept. 27 to 29 for a weekend of collaborative activities aimed at empowering them to serve and improve their communities. The summit was hosted by the Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity and funded by The Allstate Foundation.
Gabb, a junior political science major minoring in business and Spanish, was one of 75 students from 500 applicants selected for the program.
“It was so inspiring to see so many young leaders working together,” Gabb said. “It was life-changing, inspiring and empowering.”
Gabb’s roots in public service lie in his hometown. A native of Far Rockaway, Queens, he began his mission to uplift his community with an Eagle Scouts project that would transform an abandoned lot into a park suitable for neighborhood events, like karaoke — his favorite.
This passion project would kickstart Gabb’s commitment to giving back to his community. In Queens, he volunteered at food pantries, worked at a public defense firm, and became the youngest member of the Queens Community Board 14.
At UAlbany, he continued to gain leadership experience. Gabb is a resident assistant on Indigenous Quad, a Purple and Gold Ambassador, on the executive board of the on-campus performing arts organization Phenomenal Voices, and a content creator for the University’s social media platforms — just to name a few of his positions.
He has also been recognized by UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez for his excellence, receiving the Great Dane Award for Leadership last semester. Gabb noted that UAlbany is a special community and there is always someone cheering him on or supporting him.
“Service is an action, it’s a verb. It’s everything you do every day. Community is in every little thing you do. It doesn’t have to be going to a summit. I started off working at a food pantry. These little actions make you care and want to be there.”
Gabb has plans to build a community center in Far Rockaway that focuses on music education in local high schools. He said the Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit furthered his devotion to public service, and to being a kind, driven person.
“[I enjoy] just talking to people and being a friendly, vibrant person. Showing love to people is what I try to embody in my role,” Gabb said.