By Jociel Colon

“I hope that I get to reach out to more people and that they feel more comfortable talking to me less as a leader, and more of a friend or a peer, or someone they can resonate with.”

Very few people come around with a real passion for helping, including, and understanding- not only their peers in the student body but also the community they live in. Nevaeh Sim-Son is one of these few but important students on McCaskey Campus.

Nevaeh is involved in several clubs here at McCaskey. She is a member of Health Occupations Students of America, a student in the National Honors Society, and a co-creator of McCaskey’s Book Club. Outside of academics, she created Visionary Voices around the Fall of last year.

Visionary Voices is a youth-run organization based in the heart of Lancaster City. It gives a safe space for high school students within the community to make friends and learn to express themselves in whatever they’re interested in.

“I knew when I first started the process of making new friends, especially within school, going into the IB career program, going into the Health careers program, I never knew where to start and never really had support and didn’t have an adult to turn to,” Nevaeh stated on why she created Visionary Voices. “I wanted to have that open creation and that opportunity for my peers to know that they always have a safe space to confide in.”

“An impact that I look to have is helping their process run smoothly, no matter if that’s applying to college or getting into college, making that choice. Even just getting a first job or internship and stuff like that. Kind of  just guiding them and being a support system for them, even if it’s not for advice and just having someone to listen to them.”

Nevaeh mentioned her younger siblings and cousins as her prime motivations for helping those around her. She also got into the University of Pittsburgh as a first-generation university student and is planning to double major in Sociology and Economics. “I’m really excited to know that my family and my siblings have something to look forward to.”

When asked about what impact she hopes to have later in life, she left off by stating, “I hope to help serve some social justice.”