Community Corner
Whiz Kid: Christ Ordookhanian Pays It Forward
Local teen volunteers hundreds of hours at the YMCA.
- Name: Christ Ordookhanian
- Age: 17
- School:
- Community Center: Crescenta-Canada YMCA
- Accomplishments: When it comes to volunteering, Christ goes above and beyond the call of duty. He has given more than 750 hours of his time to the Crescenta-Canada YMCA Aquatics Program. He started out as pool deck assistant to lifeguard, became swim instructor and then a supervisor. Now, he assists Director of Aquatics Heather Wilson in implementing the Lifeguard Training Program. “Christ is really committed,” Wilson said, “and he is willing to help in any way needed. He picks up on things quickly and is respected by his peers.”
- Key to Awesomeness: Christ gives so freely of his time because he feels an obligation to give back to the community that gave so much to his family when they first moved here in 2000. “We came to the Y and they made us feel so welcome,” Christ said. “It’s a funny thing because when my mother first brought me here, they had to drag me into the pool crying. Now I love being in the water.” Christ also enjoys getting to know members at the Y, particularly doctors, who have given him plenty of career advice.
- About Christ: Christ is very motivated when it comes to his future. He plans to major in anatomy and physiology, hopefully at UCLA, and would love to one day be an emergency room physician or surgeon. He uses summers to get a jump start on pre-requisites at Glendale and Pasadena City Colleges and has already secured certifications through the Y, Glendale Adventist Hospital and CompTIA in the health and computer technology fields.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
