Katrine Lee, a 17-year-old senior at Diamond Bar High School, works as the Diamond Bar District Executive and Humanitarian Committee Chair for the Raising Awareness to Improve Species Existence Humane Foundation.

The RAISE Humane Foundation is a high school-run non-profit organization that works towards environmental sustainability and promotes humanitarian campaigns. Lee says it has been a learning opportunity for her to further her understanding and grow her leadership skills.

As the Diamond Bar District Executive and Humanitarian Committee Chair, Lee works to oversee the high school chapters in the Diamond Bar District. She also works to lead humanitarian and environmental focused projects in her community.

“I’ve always had a really strong pull towards humanitarianism,” she said. “I don’t know enough about our environment but I’m working on it because it’s definitely a huge part of our lives.”

Despite the challenges and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee has led multiple projects to help her community. Some projects include restoring bee colonies and donating isolation gowns and face shields to different hospitals.

“We’ve done a lot of fundraising and collaborations with small businesses to help them out,” she said.

Looking forward, Lee hopes to attend college near Capitol Hill so that she can intern with various congressional committees. Additionally, Lee hopes to pursue her humanitarian efforts by joining different humanitarian-focused organizations in the college. 

“If I choose to be quiet and don’t try to get involved, I’m choosing not to express myself,” Lee said. “That’s not advantageous to myself or to my community.”