The Standley Lake Library is home to a robust team of nearly 20 Teen Advisory Board (TAB) members and over 80 Library Summer Challenge volunteers. Among these exceptional volunteers is the teen with the longest tenure, rising senior Sarvesh!
"I've loved reading since I was in middle school," Sarvesh, who joined TAB while he was in the seventh grade, says. "In TAB, we plan a ton of community bonding events. It's a ton of fun because the events extend the Library's purpose beyond just lending books and DVDs. It gives everyone in the community something to do."
Sarvesh joined TAB at the start of 2020 — before even meeting his fellow Standley Lake TAB peers.
"Sarvesh's very first experience with TAB was the TAB Summit, where all the JCPL TABs gather together in one large group," Standley Lake Teen Librarian Meagan says. "I thought to myself, 'Oh man, that's an intimidating introduction to TAB. I hope he comes back.' And he did!"
Sarvesh recently approached Meagan with a program idea of his own: Teen Tech Help. During the program, teens from the Jefferson Academy assisted adults in the community with navigating common social media platforms.
"This was one of my favorite events because it created a link between my school and the Library and got the ball rolling for more programs in the future," Sarvesh explains. "It was great to show people the scope of what the Library can do."
Another favorite program was the Minions Murder Mystery, which Sarvesh helped plan during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It took a lot of planning and was complicated because it was all over Zoom," Sarvesh remembers. "We had to make the event in a way that integrated the computer, and we couldn't use props or anything, so there was an extra level of thinking we had to do. I found a Minion language translator online and used that for some of the clues."
"Through the tumultuous years of 2020 and 2021, Sarvesh diligently participated in virtual TAB meetings and teen programs," Meagan says. "When Standley Lake's TAB was finally able to meet again in person, Sarvesh was there to welcome fellow current members and new TAB additions alike. He's been a rock-solid leader in TAB and a creative advocate for teens and library services for them and the entire Jeffco community."
A Big Heart and a Want to Connect
Sarvesh encourages any Jeffco teen to think about joining TAB.
"You don't have to be crazy talented at reading," he says. "You just have to have a big heart and want to connect with your community."
Outside of school and volunteer work, Sarvesh has a full plate of extracurricular activities. He plays baseball (second and third base), is active in the National Honor Society, dabbles in golf with his friends and is the student body president.
"I love being in school government," Sarvesh says. "Everyone is creative and has similar goals, but lots of different ideas."
Sarvesh is also part of his school's Knowledgeable Team, which competes in trivia with other schools: "We've got a history guy, we've got two people who are really good at literature and English, and my thing is math," he says with a laugh.
Sarvesh plans to put his excellent math and science skills to work in the medical field as a doctor when he graduates next year. He hasn't decided on his top college picks yet but is leaning towards going to school out of state.
"I want to explore more of the country and have new experiences and new stories to tell," he says.
With all his other hobbies, Sarvesh rarely has time to read for fun during the school year, but he is looking forward to digging into a novel series this summer.
"I like series more than standalone books," he says. "You can spend more time with the characters."
JCPL is so grateful to have Sarvesh's voice on TAB. Luckily, Sarvesh's younger sibling joined TAB this year, so the family legacy will continue after he graduates next spring!
Best of luck as you start your senior year of high school, Sarvesh!
