Roeen is President of the West Springfield HS student organization, Spartans for War Victims (SWV). He says he is motivated by his family’s history of forced displacement as the result of armed conflict even though he himself grew up in the US.

SWV was established by his older sisters, both WSHS graduates and Student Peace Award recipients. The group is dedicated to humanitarian and advocacy efforts that aim to protect human rights and alleviate the suffering of civilians living in war zones around the world. The student organization hosts fundraisers and collects aid to support victims of armed conflict.

Roeen has been an active member of the club since his freshman year, as secretary during his junior year, and president his senior year. Under his leadership this year, SWV has organized a winter clothing and blanket drive for the numerous groups caught in the middle of armed conflict in Ethiopia and refugees displaced by the war in Syria. The club has also expanded its awareness and advocacy efforts, including awareness meetings and advocacy campaigns. For 2024, he plans to organize a canned food drive, political outreach workshops, and interactive awareness campaigns.

Roeen has also been a part of his school’s chapter of UNICEF USA and was the Vice President of the club. During his time with WSHS UNICEF, Roeen helped organize several school-wide events and meetings to engage his community with UNICEF’s goals of providing humanitarian aid to children in disaster and conflict zones.

Along with his initiatives through student organizations, over the past two years, Roeen has personally helped assist several Afghan refugee families who were resettled in the U.S. following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Roeen helped move their limited personal items into their first homes, teach them aspects of American culture, act as a translator when needed, and help their children enroll in and prepare for elementary school. Roeen helped these families transition into and navigate a new life in the U.S. More than a year later, Roen reports that these families have made great progress in settling in and being able to live independently.

Roeen wants to do as much as possible to promote peace and to alleviate the suffering of innocent people caught in the midst of military and political conflicts and natural disasters. In his words, “there’s so much going on around the world. The least we can do is to take the time to learn and find some way to get involved to help. No matter how small our acts may be, what’s important is that we are doing our part to make this world a better place.”

Along with his initiatives through student organizations, over the past two years, Roeen has personally helped assist several Afghan refugee families who were resettled in the U.S. following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Roeen helped move their limited personal items into their first homes, teach them aspects of American culture, act as a translator when needed, and help their children enroll in and prepare for elementary school. Roeen helped these families transition into and navigate a new life in the U.S. More than a year later, Roen reports that these families have made great progress in settling in and being able to live independently.

Roeen wants to do as much as possible to promote peace and to alleviate the suffering of innocent people caught in the midst of military and political conflicts and natural disasters. In his words, “there’s so much going on around the world. The least we can do is to take the time to learn and find some way to get involved to help. No matter how small our acts may be, what’s important is that we are doing our part to make this world a better place.”