Pictured: Terry Shen, Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab volunteer and youth leader. Photo courtesy of Shen Family.

Terry Shen, a rising senior of Pine View School from Osprey loves serving the community. As a volunteer at Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab, a non-profit organization serving Sarasota/Manatee Counties, he has taught STEM and Robotics classes to many younger kids for the past few years. 

“Volunteering at the Fab Lab has been a fantastic experience. I love teaching younger students because I can really see a part of me inside them,” he says. “I used to be someone who wanted to learn more about science, technology, engineering, arts and math. And now that I have the ability to give back and teach those younger versions of me, it’s really amazing.”

In addition to his time spent volunteering, Terry has recently been named as "Governor" out of 500 Florida boys, the highest elected position for the 80th annual American Legion Boys State program, a premier youth leadership program. The program took place in Tallahassee and included a gathering of around 500 boys (rising seniors only) selected as delegates, representing the top talent of that age cohort, from all high schools in the state of Florida. Established in 1935, Boys State aims to foster leadership skills among young men. This program builds a mock government from the ground up and teaches the way our democracy functions at the city, county, and ultimately state level. Terry had the honor of being elected as city mayor, county commissioner, Senator, and finally Governor–the highest elected office–for Boys State 2024 among approx. 500 best of best boys in Florida. 

“I found out about Boys State through a documentary and I learned that it teaches civics, leadership and service--all things I'm really interested in,” explains Terry. “As one of 461 delegates chosen, I got the chance to go to FSU, the place where all the magic happens and I was extremely excited to go. As Governor, I began signing bills into law, I appointed nominees to the Florida Supreme Court and I assigned a cabinet where we could make all these things happen that real leaders in our state do. It was definitely an honor to be a part of this program.”

As the high school junior and senior year class president at Pine View School, and vice president of the Speech and Debate Club (with 200+ members), Terry has excellent academic success. He is fluent in English and proficient in Spanish and Chinese. With an interest in journalism, Terry is managing editor and sci-tech co-editor of  Torch, the school magazine of Pine View School, and he was chosen as the only young high school journalist to represent Florida to attend the prestigious Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington DC. 

“I'm really thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to me,” Terry adds. “My parents are the most wonderful parents I could have asked for. They've supported me every step along the way–not just in bringing me to Boys State–but also with their support throughout my whole life.” In addition to his parents, Terry credits Pine View and Suncoast Science Center for giving him the tools he needs to serve in a leadership role and give back to the community.

Pictured: Terry Shen, Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab volunteer and youth leader. Photo courtesy of Shen Family.

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