Eighteen-year-old Ethan Yochum is a recent graduate of El Dorado High School in Placentia. He is attending the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) as a freshman this fall. He says his philanthropic work began in 2021 with his work with Boxes of Love and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Among his many awards are The California State Seal of Civic Engagement, El Dorado High School Spirit of Commitment Award, El Dorado High School’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, El Dorado High School’s Terry Conley Athlete of Character Award.
“Giving to me can be carried out in many forms, yet I believed it was my duty throughout high school to share my opportunities and connections with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. My Dad, who previously worked with the Foundation, always shared stories about the perspective he’s come to experience due to his journeys with wish granting. It was necessary to share these feelings throughout my school, subsequently passing to parents, staff and students all around. It’s why I give, not just to help the less fortunate, but to serve as an example to others to give into the euphoric feeling of giving and fundraising. Even the smallest donation can spark ripples in the pond that is giving back.” – Ethan Yochum