One-thousand service hours sounds like an unattainable goal, yet junior Isabella Puglisi, part of the business STEAM Program, has accumulated that many.

A tennis player who was born and raised in Miami, Isabella also plays also for the varsity team at ILS. To be more precise, Isabella plays number one in doubles and number two singles, having has played tennis competitively since she was 10.

Selected as a Disney Dreamer, an Academy where over 20,000 apply in the hopes of attending, she was among the fortunate 100 chosen. Throughout this four-day leadership retreat meant to inspire young students to dream big, Disney Dreamers Academy offers superior educational experiences, such as interactive career workshops, inspirational presentations, and networking opportunities. While there, Isabella noticed that most of the participants came from lower income families, therefore, it was their first time being in Disney.

“It’s very enjoyable because it gives all participants a chance to motivate themselves on the path to success,” she said.

The Miami Herald wrote an article featuring Isabella’s participation at Disney Dreamers.

With her fellow Disney Dreamers, Isabella created a nonprofit  organization called Blue Sky Initiative. This is because sheand her peers noticed a gap in the underserved community. Just by meeting the kids who were selected for the Disney Dreamers, she realized if the trip needed to be paid, most of the participants wouldn’t have been able to afford it.

Blue Sky Initiative gives a prompt about something that is lacking in the world or a problem that deserves fixing, and through projects, they come up with solutions. Young people who apply to Blue Sky Initiative then present their project for a winning prize—a free trip to Disney. 

“I am the treasure CFO of this organization, part of the board of directors, the board of officers, and I am also the committee chair of finance and marketing,” explained.

In addition to Blue Sky Initiative, she also works for an organization called ACEing Autism, which connects kids with autism to the sport of tennis, allowing them to also interact with other kids with autism, volunteers, and directors.

“This is probably the most life-changing experience I had,” she said.

For ACEing Autism, Isabella serves as program director for the Miami Gardens chapter. Along with her two brothers, they hold training sessions twice a year with one in the fall and one in the spring. The next encounter scheduled would be from January 14th through February 18th every Saturday  from around 9-10 a.m, where new volunteers are welcomed.