GW senior Shafkat Anwar was recently sworn in as a youth commissioner on the District of Columbia’s official Commission of National and Community Service. He is one of the two youth members who have a vote in the body.

The commission promotes community service and volunteer participation to strengthen D.C. communities. It was relaunched this year after being eliminated six years ago, Anwar said.

The commission is comprised of 25 members from a diverse political and service background, Anwar said.

There is a lot of good energy, he said. The people I work with are all leaders in their fields who were brought together because they all care about service and want to do something about it.

Anwar, a human services major, began taking part in community service in high school. During his sophomore year at GW, Anwar became an Americorps member with the Neighbors Project, a student-run service program at GW that coordinates student volunteerism in the Shaw neighborhood and other D.C. communities.

Anwar continued to work his junior year as the volunteer coordinator for Martha’s Table, a tutoring program for District students.

Anwar said he found out about the commission through Americorps.

After applying in October 1999, he waited almost a year before he received the position. Anwar was sworn in Aug. 7, and the commission has been in full swing since August, Anwar said.

Anwar said the purpose of the commission matches his own goals for community service at GW.

The biggest thing I try to do is connect the experiences I’ve had and link organizations together, he said. The commission is working on the connection theme, but on a much larger scale.

I would like to connect GW to service opportunities throughout D.C. GW students, and youth in general, have a lot of energy and ambition. By connecting them to service in the community, they will then feel like they’re a part of D.C.

Anwar uses his position on the commission’s public relations subcommittee to get more people involved in community service.

Right now we are focusing on strengthening the subcommittees, finding focus areas, making partnerships and finding out what the community needs. Anwar said. We are striving for the highest level of quality. We are in D.C., the nation’s spotlight, and we want to prove ourselves. We will prove ourselves.