WVCSD Superintendent’s Spotlight: Keira Harrison

The Warwick Valley Central School District recently highlighted WVHS senior Keira Harrison as part of its ongoing Superintendent Spotlight series for her work within the Warwick community. Harrison is also active with WVHS clubs focused on service to the school community and the Warwick community at large, including local EMS, and maintains a personal mission to help provide for local people dealing with homelessness.

Her other accomplishments include being a perennial Honor Roll student and a two-time NYSPHAA Student-Athlete. She finds the time to flex her community-service muscle as senior class secretary of the WVHS Student Senate, a member of the Interact Club, and president of the SADD club. She credits her family and her own childhood health issues for fostering the sense of goodwill towards others that drives her.

“My mom’s a guidance counselor, so she’s always been a very giving person, and my dad is an engineer and gardener who donates plants to the farm workers kitchen at the farm workers center in Goshen,” Harrison said. “My parents have always pushed me to get to where I am.”

From a young age, Harrison’s parents gave her an allowance with two rules: $2 had to go into savings and $2 was earmarked for giving; she could choose what to do with the remainder.

“That’s how it was set up. I always had what we called ‘giving money,’” she said. “I love [New York City], I’m in the city all the time, and I remember going there was the first time I saw people who were living on the street. It always broke my heart, but it also opened my eyes of just how fortunate I am.”

Harrison started saving up her giving money and using it to put together care packages that she and her family took to the city to distribute. “I made something like 80 sandwiches the first time,” she recalled. “It was around Christmas, so the bags also had socks and gloves, some candy. We went and handed those out, and that’s what got me started.”

Today, even though she doesn’t get an allowance anymore, Harrison puts a portion of her paychecks away to maintain what is, essentially, a pantry on wheels in her car. She was inspired by a group of homeless men who she encounters regularly along her travels in Orange County.

“You have to think, how can I help? I have the money to do this. I don’t need more clothes for myself. Am I just going to spend this on Dunkin’? What can I do today to help someone?”

She stops to hand out the packages any time she sees someone in need.

Harrison shared how dealing with health issues as a young child also showed her the power of empathy and compassion. “I was a sick kid, in and out of the hospital,” she said. “And the nurses were just always so caring. One nurse from Westchester Medical Center touched my heart so much, that she’s actually the topic of my college essay.”

Harrison said that being on the receiving end of so much compassion at a young age opened her eyes to how much reaching out to somebody can make an impact. She aspires to pay it forward in a career helping others as a pediatric oncology nurse.

“It’s a tough field on nurses, I know, but those kids need people who will be there for them,” Harrison said.

Harrison has already started along her path toward a medical career. She joined the Warwick EMS Junior Corps when she was 14. Corps members, under the guidance of senior corps advisors, train in CPR, AED, and first aid, and maintain their certifications. After three years, she has ascended to the role of co-captain and is looking forward to beginning ride-alongs.

“I’ve always wanted to work with people, whether that’s the packages, or nursing; you know, just care for people,” said Harrison. “I think it’s how I was brought up, seeing the way my parents did things for me.”