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OFFICERS

President

Chantal Lin Lopez is an honor student attending her senior year in the Science and Mathematics Academy at Secaucus High School.  Her academic performance and PSAT scores has also garnered her recognition by the College Board as a National Hispanic Scholar.   While Chantal is studious and takes a rigorous academic course load in her high school, she also has a passion for the arts, and is a ‘triple threat’ performer (sings, dances and acts).   She currently takes private voice and acting lessons, and has studied various forms of dance (tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, ballet, pointe and hip-hop) since the age of 3. She is an alumni of Camp Broadway, where she performed in the finale of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC last fall, and attended the Tony awards this past summer. Chantal also spent two summers at the week-long Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive in New York City, where she was able to perform in Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater.  As a member of her dance school’s award winning competition team,  she performed for many charitable events, from putting on shows at hospitals, senior citizen centers and churches, to performances which raised funds for Hurricane Katrina victims, breast cancer research, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Tomorrow’s Children Fund.  

Chantal was selected from a pool of national and international students who auditioned last winter for the Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory.  She spent a month this past summer at this rigorous boot camp, enhancing her acting, singing and dancing with noted professionals and faculty.  She will continue her performing arts training by attending classes, workshops and auditions throughout New York City during her senior year.   Looking back, there have been several events in Chantal’s life that have contributed to her drive to ‘give back’ and promote tolerance. As an infant, Chantal developed a lip disfigurement known as a hemangioma, and while it receded by time she became a teenager, it has made her want to help others through organizations such as Operation Smile.

Chantal also came to the realization at a very young age that even when affected by negative events, one can have a positive impact on the world. Chantal had just begun the fourth grade when the events of September 11 unfolded. While other children whose parents worked at or near the World Trade Center were not as fortunate, Chantal was able to be reunited with her mother, who escaped from the 97th floor of the second WTC tower. It was these events that led Chantal and her family to join the People to People International's GIFT chapter. Through community service projects and cultural events, Chantal has learned that we can make the world a better place through education (to understand and accept different cultures), and by helping those less fortunate.  Chantal plans to continue her community service work in college and beyond. 

Vice President

Laura Mondadori is a senior at Secaucus High School. She has been a member of PTPI GIFT Chapter since 2004. She is an honor student and participates in many extra-curricular activities, including President for the Class of 2010 for the past three years, Captain on Girls Varsity Soccer, Lead for Diversity delegate, and Treasurer of the National English Honor Society. Laura is very dedicated to her school work and school spirit. She enjoys giving back to her community while volunteering at the local hospital because she plans on becoming a nurse one day. She has helped at homeless shelters, food kitchens, senior citizen centers, and other community events such as Relay For Life. Laura's favorite hobby is photography and last year she won the Grand Prize for Herald News Travel Photo Contest. She plans to keep PTPI GIFT chapter successful and lead it into greatness.

Treasurer

Corresponding Secretary

Bonnie Wong is a senior at Secaucus High School. She has been a member of the People to People International GIFT chapter since 2007 and has been actively involved in the variety of activities the group has worked on. In 2008, she became an Officer in Training (OIT) and later on she was elected for the position of Corresponding Secretary. While being an active member of the PTPI GIFT chapter, she is also a diligent student while being an active member and officer in a variety of school clubs, honor societies, and is in the varsity girl s tennis team in Secaucus High School. She has also been involved in the community event - Relay for Life for the past 3 years and has been captain in the year 2007 and 2009, and was also in the Youth Committee in 2009.

Bonnie is very enthusiastic while volunteering because of the experiences she had traveling to different countries in the world. From the experiences she has had gained throughout her life, she has enjoyed helping others and learning different international cultures. She would like to learn through more diverse projects and events she gets involved in to understand how to communicate with others and help others. Using the skills gained from the past years she will get other youth members to be involved and learn through the experiences.

Recording Secretary

 Riya Desai is a senior at Secaucus High School. She has been inducted into all of the 5 Honor societies, participates in various clubs and is the President of the Business Club. She is in the varsity girl’s tennis team and her other extracurricular activities include chorus. Riya was the recipient of the 2008 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business principles and the 2009 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Business.

In the summers of 2007, 2008, and 2009 she has taken extensive courses at Columbia University enhancing her learning in various fields of business like marketing and advertising.  She has also participated in the National Student Leadership Conference for Business and Entrepreneurs. To further her education in the work field, Riya has been working part time with an Accounting firm and a Marketing firm since 2007 where she conducts research and branding for firms like Procter & Gamble.        

In 2009, she was elected as recording secretary for PTPI Gift chapter and has also been actively involved in cultural events and community service projects with Wrap 4 A Smile Foundation Inc.  By using the leadership skills she has learned in her field of business, she has been very enthusiastic in fundraising by involving businesses to donate their products for sale to raise funds. Riya hopes to be able to contribute more towards fundraising via innovative methods to help out those who are less fortunate.

Project Manager

Takeru Nagayoshi is a senior at Secaucus High School and the Project Manager of the Secaucus GIFT student chapter. A member of the GIFT since 2008, Takeru participated and volunteer ed for various causes. In his junior year, Takeru supported and helped Wrap4ASmile Foundation Inc., raised anti-smoking measures via REBEL, volunteered at homeless shelters and senior citizen centers, and actively participated in local elections and fundraising events. In 2009, his Relay for Life team H.O.P.E. won the Bronze Award for raising awareness for cancer. Through his duties as Project Manager, Takeru plans to promote "peace through understanding" and hopes to spread and strengthen his philanthropic ideals.

Takeru lived in Japan for four years and returned to the United States during his 8th grade year. Demonstrating his versatility, Takeru is member of all honor societies in Secaucus High School and takes part in numerous extracurricular activities including the challenge team, web crew, literary explorer's club and high school chorus. Now entering his last year in high school, Takeru is the President of National English Honor Society and President of the Junior State of America Chapter in Secaucus. In the summer of 2009, he studied constitutional law at Georgetown University. As a diligent student of government, Takeru plans on studying politics and wishes to give back and c ontribute to society.

Membership Coordinator

Cassandra Penna has been a part of GIFT chapter since 2005, elected as an Officer in training in 2006, and a Vice President in 2007. She also has been a volunteer with the Wrap 4 A Smile Foundation Inc. since 2005. Cassie’s other community involvement activity includes: Junior Friends and Reading Buddies program at the Secaucus Public Library, Relay for Life, the Ronald McDonald House and Cell Phones for Soldiers. Presidential Volunteer Service Awards recipients: Bronze in 2006, Gold in 2007, and Silver in 2008.  

Cassie is a Senior at Secaucus High School - Media Arts Academy, a member of the North Jersey Junior High School Regional Chorus, Dance Team, Concert Chorus, Literary Explorers Club, Rebel, Metamorphosis, and Key Club. In 2003, the essay contest winner for “The Importance of Freedom”. In 2004, a letter she wrote was selected and sent to President Bush to represent her class.

Cassie performed in the High School Musical Beauty and the Beast, as “Madame de la Grand Bouche”, and won the Cappie Award along with other enchanted objects for best ensemble; Hello Dolly as tourist/ensemble; and Guys and Dolls as a Havana dancer/ensemble. Cassie’s other interests are acting, singing, dancing, piano, and guitar. Cassie also performed in the following community productions: The Girl, Witness for the Prosecution- Evoke Productions; Margaret March, Little Women and The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat- McKenzie Music Studio & Productions; Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz- Roche Players; Mr. Stahlbaum; Hip Hop Nutcracker- Action Theatre Conservatory (ATC); Ensemble, The King and I- CAST, and several original Musicals - Broadway Bound.  Cassie has also attended the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts, Asolo Reparatory Theatre in Sarasota, FL., Jamie’s Music, and CAP21 in NYC.