Filter heroes statewide, by region or by cause.
4932 Middlebury Drive
Hero Story
Since 2023, Mantra has volunteered and worked tirelessly for Key2Finesse, a student-run nonprofit dedicated to supporting local charities and creating future leaders. In conjunction with Key2Finesse, Mantra has been wholeheartedly supporting the Abhi Shah Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit organization working towards improving the lives of foster children and victims of human trafficking. Combined, Mantra has dedicated over 400 hours of his time over the past 2 years to these organizations and their causes—a remarkable display of selfless dedication to community service.
I met Mantra for the first time at the Abhi Shah walkathon in early 2023, and I found him immediately charming and mature. Working alongside him to lead our registration table and register over 500 people for our 5k walkathon was truly a memorable experience for me. Since I work with tens, if not hundreds, of different volunteers each year, I often tend to confuse names and forget individuals. In Mantra’s case though, his diligent efforts on that day were so impressive that just one interaction was enough for me to realize the value he brought to our growing organization.
Fundraising door to door for ASF, Mantra poured his heart and soul into spreading awareness for our cause and securing corporate sponsors across the metro-Detroit area. Despite multiple rejections from large businesses that had already filled their charitable donation quotas for the year, Mantra was undeterred. Earlier in the year, Mantra had attended an eye-opening event to meet the children at the Vista Maria Center, a shelter home for foster children under the ASF program. Moved by the stories of children whose challenges were unimaginable, he committed to making a difference in their lives.
He brainstormed numerous innovative ideas to raise awareness and funds for these unlucky children until he thought of something remarkable. One day in early August, I was going through my morning routine – getting dressed for work, combing my hair, making my coffee – when I received a call from Mantra about his exciting new venture: teaching children tennis for free. Combining his athletic passion with his fundraising, Mantra would undertake a level of dedication that I had never seen in a high-schooler before. I was skeptical that he could raise enough money to offer real support to foster children, but when I visited one of his tennis clinics, I was blown away. With almost 100 kids and over 10 coaches running around 8 tennis courts, Mantra had put together a vibrant tennis community—all to improve the lives of the children he had seen that day at the Vista Maria Center. To take it even a step further, Mantra raised over $6000 for these children through his tennis lessons and taught over 200 children, connecting with hundreds of families along his journey.
From that day forward, Mantra proved to me, as well as the two other co-founding members of ASF, of his unquestionable leadership qualities and contagious volunteerism. Within a year of being a volunteer, Mantra demonstrated characteristics of a true leader, earning him a spot on the team of 20 executive board members who run the entire organization. Within 18 months, Mantra became the fastest growing member of Key2Finesse, moving up the leadership ladder in record-breaking time.
Over the past two years of fundraising, Mantra has been responsible for mentoring 6 volunteers per season, coaching each one of them on fundraising effectively. He always provided creative ideas to expand the organization through his volunteers and constantly encouraged them to provide for their community in unique ways. Finally, Mantra has inspired a true feeling of connection with the Abhi Shah Foundation, making time every day to advise his volunteers and motivate them. As a result, he brought out the best in his volunteers, transforming them into successful members of the Key2Finesse.
In these two years, Mantra has not only been a hard-working volunteer and board member, but he has also ascended to President of Key2Finesse, playing an instrumental role in transforming the culture of both Key2Finesse and ASF. Mantra’s insistence on heartfelt volunteer work, instead of mindless tasks, has elevated our team—helping us become agents of meaningful change in our community.
Even though he was a busy junior in high school, Mantra has handled the heavy workload of being a Key2Finesse executive board. He has taken our motto—“creating leaders for tomorrow”—to heart as he became one of the most reliable board members. In the Finance department, he successfully kept detailed records of over $146,000 in funds raised, maintaining 100 percent clarity of the finances. In addition to speaking on stage multiple times throughout our awards ceremony in front of a crowd of over 300 people, Mantra took on the responsibility of running the thinking room, where the impromptu speaking competition took place. As both a volunteer and a board member, Mantra has continuously conveyed his love for the organization through his focus and commitment.
Furthermore, Mantra played a major role in spreading awareness regarding ASF’s mission to support disadvantaged children. For example, he led multiple outreach events and informational sessions to teach individuals about this cause, especially through the supportive work Key2Finesse was performing. In these events, Mantra went above and beyond by building interest among new people, educating the community, and raising funds using his natural charm and obvious humanitarian passion.
Recently, Mantra was promoted to become President after consistently displaying his leadership attributes and selflessly working for both Key2Finesse and the Abhi Shah Foundation. As President of Key2Finesse, Mantra has continued to inspire other members through his impeccable work ethic, guiding one the state’s leading youth fundraising organizations to new heights of service and impact. As a dedicated advocate for foster children and victims of human trafficking, Mantra continues to lead other motivated young people on their mission to improve our world through the power of persuasive fundraising and cooperative volunteerism.
4932 Middlebury Drive
Hero Story
Since 2023, Mantra has volunteered and worked tirelessly for Key2Finesse, a student-run nonprofit dedicated to supporting local charities and creating future leaders. In conjunction with Key2Finesse, Mantra has been wholeheartedly supporting the Abhi Shah Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit organization working towards improving the lives of foster children and victims of human trafficking. Combined, Mantra has dedicated over 400 hours of his time over the past 2 years to these organizations and their causes—a remarkable display of selfless dedication to community service.
I met Mantra for the first time at the Abhi Shah walkathon in early 2023, and I found him immediately charming and mature. Working alongside him to lead our registration table and register over 500 people for our 5k walkathon was truly a memorable experience for me. Since I work with tens, if not hundreds, of different volunteers each year, I often tend to confuse names and forget individuals. In Mantra’s case though, his diligent efforts on that day were so impressive that just one interaction was enough for me to realize the value he brought to our growing organization.
Fundraising door to door for ASF, Mantra poured his heart and soul into spreading awareness for our cause and securing corporate sponsors across the metro-Detroit area. Despite multiple rejections from large businesses that had already filled their charitable donation quotas for the year, Mantra was undeterred. Earlier in the year, Mantra had attended an eye-opening event to meet the children at the Vista Maria Center, a shelter home for foster children under the ASF program. Moved by the stories of children whose challenges were unimaginable, he committed to making a difference in their lives.
He brainstormed numerous innovative ideas to raise awareness and funds for these unlucky children until he thought of something remarkable. One day in early August, I was going through my morning routine – getting dressed for work, combing my hair, making my coffee – when I received a call from Mantra about his exciting new venture: teaching children tennis for free. Combining his athletic passion with his fundraising, Mantra would undertake a level of dedication that I had never seen in a high-schooler before. I was skeptical that he could raise enough money to offer real support to foster children, but when I visited one of his tennis clinics, I was blown away. With almost 100 kids and over 10 coaches running around 8 tennis courts, Mantra had put together a vibrant tennis community—all to improve the lives of the children he had seen that day at the Vista Maria Center. To take it even a step further, Mantra raised over $6000 for these children through his tennis lessons and taught over 200 children, connecting with hundreds of families along his journey.
From that day forward, Mantra proved to me, as well as the two other co-founding members of ASF, of his unquestionable leadership qualities and contagious volunteerism. Within a year of being a volunteer, Mantra demonstrated characteristics of a true leader, earning him a spot on the team of 20 executive board members who run the entire organization. Within 18 months, Mantra became the fastest growing member of Key2Finesse, moving up the leadership ladder in record-breaking time.
Over the past two years of fundraising, Mantra has been responsible for mentoring 6 volunteers per season, coaching each one of them on fundraising effectively. He always provided creative ideas to expand the organization through his volunteers and constantly encouraged them to provide for their community in unique ways. Finally, Mantra has inspired a true feeling of connection with the Abhi Shah Foundation, making time every day to advise his volunteers and motivate them. As a result, he brought out the best in his volunteers, transforming them into successful members of the Key2Finesse.
In these two years, Mantra has not only been a hard-working volunteer and board member, but he has also ascended to President of Key2Finesse, playing an instrumental role in transforming the culture of both Key2Finesse and ASF. Mantra’s insistence on heartfelt volunteer work, instead of mindless tasks, has elevated our team—helping us become agents of meaningful change in our community.
Even though he was a busy junior in high school, Mantra has handled the heavy workload of being a Key2Finesse executive board. He has taken our motto—“creating leaders for tomorrow”—to heart as he became one of the most reliable board members. In the Finance department, he successfully kept detailed records of over $146,000 in funds raised, maintaining 100 percent clarity of the finances. In addition to speaking on stage multiple times throughout our awards ceremony in front of a crowd of over 300 people, Mantra took on the responsibility of running the thinking room, where the impromptu speaking competition took place. As both a volunteer and a board member, Mantra has continuously conveyed his love for the organization through his focus and commitment.
Furthermore, Mantra played a major role in spreading awareness regarding ASF’s mission to support disadvantaged children. For example, he led multiple outreach events and informational sessions to teach individuals about this cause, especially through the supportive work Key2Finesse was performing. In these events, Mantra went above and beyond by building interest among new people, educating the community, and raising funds using his natural charm and obvious humanitarian passion.
Recently, Mantra was promoted to become President after consistently displaying his leadership attributes and selflessly working for both Key2Finesse and the Abhi Shah Foundation. As President of Key2Finesse, Mantra has continued to inspire other members through his impeccable work ethic, guiding one the state’s leading youth fundraising organizations to new heights of service and impact. As a dedicated advocate for foster children and victims of human trafficking, Mantra continues to lead other motivated young people on their mission to improve our world through the power of persuasive fundraising and cooperative volunteerism.