From Staff Reports
Colin Poon is having quite a summer.
The 2024 Apopka High School graduate was not only recognized by Orange County Schools for bringing sun-safety education to the attention of OCPS but also by Bank of America as a student leader.
On its Facebook page, OCPS wrote:
"We want to give a big shout-out to Apopka High School student, Colin Poon! Colin wrote an email making a strong case for why sun safety education should be a part of the OCPS curriculum. 
His request reached the superintendent, and as a result of his well-researched explanation, sun-safety education will be a part of the biology curriculum and promoted during physical education and health classes starting in the upcoming school year!"
Poon was also honored this summer by Bank of America as one of four 2024 Central Florida Student Leaders.
"Bank of America recently announced four Central Florida high school juniors and seniors were selected as Student Leaders® (#BofAStudentLeaders), an eight-week paid summer internship connecting students to employment, skills development and service. These community-minded students will gain practical work and leadership experience and receive financial education coaching from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits curriculum, while working with local nonprofits, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, all while earning competitive wages.
This is the 20th year Bank of America has offered this competitive paid intern program in Central Florida, with nearly 100 high school students having been selected as Student Leaders since the program began in 2004.
By providing career and leadership development opportunities for teens for 20 years, we continue to help develop the next generation of skilled workers, which is essential to the region's long-term economic growth," said Naveed Shujaat, president, Bank of America Central Florida. “The exceptional teens selected for the Student Leaders program will not only gain practical work and life experience, but the community will in turn gain help from local nonprofits and a diverse pipeline of talent as these young adults enter the local workforce.
Colin Poon, a recent graduate of Apopka High School: As an Asian American, Colin has found multiple ways to bring together Asian American students, promote cultural understanding and connect students with the larger Asian American community in Central Florida. He does this by serving as co-president of Recognizing and Experiencing Asian Cultural Heritage (REACH) of Central Florida, which organizes cultural events throughout the year. He is also the president and founder of Asian Students in Apopka (ASIA), the first organization on his school campus to educate students about Asian culture."
From July 22-27, the Student Leaders will travel to Washington, D.C. for a week-long, all-expenses-paid, national leadership summit to learn how nonprofits, governments and businesses collaborate to meet local needs.
According to his LinkedIn page, Poon was ranked 4th out of 800+ senior students. An advocate for Asian American cultural heritage inclusion and sun safety education, Colin works to make Central Florida a more multicultural and robust region for all of its residents. Currently, he is working with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida for the summer of 2024 to serve underprivileged children in Apopka.
For the 2024-25 academic year, he will learn Mandarin Chinese with NSLI-Y under a full-ride scholarship at Tamkang University in Taiwan. He will consequently attend the University of Florida as a Class of 2029 Lombardi scholar to double major in international studies (Asia-focused) and public relations (public interest communications-focused). In the future, Colin aspires to work in the field of American public diplomacy, particularly in relation to Greater China.
Congratulations, Colin, on a great senior year, and good luck in Taiwan and at the University of Florida!
