Creative, committed and passionate are just a few words that describe Jefferson County Public Library volunteer Zayne, but Standley Lake Teen Librarian Meagan wants to add three more.
"Zayne is one of the kindest, sincerest and most imaginative teens I've had the privilege of knowing," she says. "He keeps an upbeat attitude about everything he does, and his ideas are limitless."
Zayne started his volunteer journey helping with Raise A Reader, JCPL's early childhood literacy festival. He absolutely loved it and decided to get more involved, so he applied for a volunteer role in Library Operations.
"Ops is fun because I love all the Pages, and it's very calming — you can just zone out," Zayne says. "You can scout books for yourself, and I memorized the Dewey Decimal System." (Memorizing the Dewey Decimal System isn't a requirement for volunteers — Zayne is just that good!)
"Zayne is an awesome volunteer who can handle absolutely any situation," Operations Supervisor Natalie says. Anytime they were in a bind, "Zayne flew in like a superhero and fixed everything."
Zayne is humble about his accomplishments and explains that the personal connections he made at JCPL kept him coming back year after year.
"I love the people here," Zayne says. "I really, really love the people. The staff and the volunteers are so incredibly friendly, and I've made some close friends here.
"I initially came here because I love books, but I stayed for the people," he continues. "They are so welcoming and comforting."
An Artists at Heart and a Chemist off to College
"After volunteering for a while, Meagan, the teen librarian, told me about the Teen Advisory Board," Zayne says. "I went to a meeting and loved it. It's such a silly group, and Meagan lets our imaginations run wild. She gives us a lot of ability to shape teen events. Meagan is just the best!"
Zayne's favorite event is the Anime Prom.
"It's been going on every year for a long time — since before I've been in TAB," he says. "In the past, we made giant cutouts of "Demon Slayer" characters, ate candy sushi rolls and added our favorite anime ships to the Ship Wall. It's so much fun."
TAB events also give Zayne a chance to flex his creativity by creating displays and decorating.
"I'm a huge painter — I love love love painting, mostly in acrylic," Zayne explains, adding that he started painting in high school. "I stole my sister's art supplies and went from there."
#NoFilter“#NoFilter”
Foreign“Foreign”
In My Bubble“In My Bubble”
Paved Paradise“Paved Paradise”
Yoda“Yoda”
Zayne's paintings run the gamut from portraits to pop culture to explorations of his Chinese heritage and identity. Every piece features vivid colors and rich detailing, showcasing his strong artistic style across a wide range of subject matter.
As for Zayne's college plans, he'll be attending the University of Colorado Boulder this fall and plans to study chemistry.
"I love how chemistry is the art of how things come together," he says. "You take all these simple materials and, through different reactions, create complex structures."
Zayne isn't sure where his path will take him after college, but he is already planning on continuing his education and going into a PhD program. He's excited to live on campus his freshman year because Boulder has such amazing access to nature and great public transit.
"I'm a huge transportation nerd," Zayne laughs.
When choosing books to read, Zayne gravitates towards sci-fi but has recently been dipping his toes in historical fiction. Some of his favorite sci-fi books incorporate some philosophical or dystopian elements. He recently finished reading Marisa Meyer's Renegades series and loves classic dystopian novels like "Fahrenheit 451" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four." His all-time favorite is the Scythe series.
Zayne has made a lasting impact on staff and the rest of the volunteer team during his six years of volunteer service.
"Zayne is humble about his talents and skills, but anyone who gets the opportunity to meet him and talk to him can immediately tell there's a world of intelligence, generosity and humor behind that delightful smile," Meagan says. "I am excited for Zayne's future and grateful that I got to claim him as a Standley Lake TAB member for as long as I did."
Luckily, Zayne promises to come back to visit often on school breaks. Thank you for your innumerable contributions to JCPL, Zayne!
