St Michael's College School Students Ignite Spark from YINC to Make a Difference

Liam Rutsey and Jin-Rong Cheng are two students at St. Michael's College School who wanted to make a mark in their community. Using their drive, they went through with their intentions and actions. The two grade 10s organized a school-wide book drive, collecting donations from students and staff to get books into the hands of kids who need them most.

It started very simply. They saw an opportunity, they took it and used their drive to make it happen, and YINC gave them the framework and support to get it off the ground. This is essentially what YINC is all about, giving young people a real outlet to create change in their community, not just talk about it. Liam and Jin-Rong took that seriously, and it shows. The goal of the drive was straightforward: collect as many books as possible and make sure they go somewhere meaningful. It is very easy to take books for granted when you have a shelf full of them sitting around, but for many kids and adults who don't have this luxury, that's just not the reality. Access to books, whether it's a novel to get lost in, or something to help with school, can make a genuine difference in a young person's life. This sticks in the minds of Liam and Jin-Rong as they try to make a difference everyday. They realize not everyone is as privileged as them, so they decided to take a stand.

What makes this initiative stand out isn't just the idea, but the follow-through. Many have good intentions, but organizing something at the school level takes a lot of effort. You need to induce the donation and make others care, to actually bring something in, and to keep the momentum going. These two have done exactly that. They've been on the ground at St. Mike's, pushing the drive forward and making sure it doesn't just fizzle out after the first week.

"We wanted to start something that our school could actually rally behind. Books are something everyone has extras of — and for a kid who doesn't, it can make a real difference." — Liam Rutsey & Jin-Rong Cheng

YINC has been a big part of what's made this possible. The organization's whole model is built around empowering young people to lead — not waiting until they're older, not putting up unnecessary barriers, just giving youth the tools and the confidence to go make something happen in their own backyard. For Liam and Jin-Rong, that support made a real difference. It turned an idea into an actual, running initiative.

The drive is still ongoing, and St Mike's responses are very strong. Whether this eventually develops into a one-time thing or something the school continues year after year, the fact that two students decided to step up and see it through is commendable and recognition worthy. This is exactly the kind of thing YINC exists to support, and we couldn't be prouder to have Liam and Jin-Rong representing that mission.