Lunch date fills little boy's heart

VolunteerNow board member creates ambassador opportunity for Buckner Prep students.

Spring in North Texas is prime time for nonprofits to host luncheon fundraisers.

One of those events did something good for VolunteerNow and something extraordinary for a little boy named Rodrigo Zapata.

Rodrigo and his classmates at Buckner Prep, a Cityscape School, were special guests at the Hearts of Texas luncheon benefitting Dallas-based VolunteerNow.

VolunteerNow Board Member Chitra Raman and her husband Venkat wanted to do something special for this year’s Hearts of Texas following the birth of their first grandchild this year. So, the Raman Scholars opportunity was also born.

The two-month selection process included student reflection, written essays, and staff consideration of several key qualities, including resilience, character, and academic improvement.

VolunteerNow CEO Rachel Truskia said Rodrigo and fellow 4th grader Crystle, along with seventh graders Ivan and Metzly, were chosen to attend as Raman Scholars not just because of high grades but also for their character, perseverance, resilience, and the potential to thrive when given encouragement, exposure, and opportunity.

The event allowed them to see and hear from trailblazing executive Cynt Marshall, who was the guest of honor and received a Lifetime Achievement award.

Rodrigo and his classmates lined up for autographs and words of wisdom from Marshall. In her email to NBC 5, Truskia said when Rodrigo "got back to school, he cried and told his principal, 'today was the most loved I’ve ever felt in my life'."

Truskia says what may seem ordinary to others felt extraordinary for Rodrigo; an introduction to the possibility that filled his heart.

"At its heart, this story is about what can happen when young people are seen not only for where they are, but for who they are becoming," Truskia wrote. "It is about honoring students whose lives, effort, and growth deserve to be recognized. It is also about the power of community to widen a child’s sense of what is possible."