Citizen of the Week: Krystal Tee Au Yuik

Published 10:57 pm Friday, February 13, 2015

After the Dalton State College Rotaract Club was inactive for several years, the Rotary Club of Dalton reached out to Krystal Tee Au Yuik to reestablish the group on campus.

“We were impressed by her enthusiasm,” said Scott Rhoden, director of Compassion House and a Dalton Rotary Club member. “She is very upbeat and loves to volunteer.”

The Rotaract Club is a student affiliate of the Dalton Rotary Club that does volunteer work throughout the community. The first attempt at having a Rotaract Club on the Dalton State campus failed due to inactivity. What they needed was a leader. According to the group’s adviser, Derek Waugh, Dalton State’s athletic director, “Krystal Tee is a great leader.”

It seems that Yuik was the perfect candidate for the job. The club has only been active less than a year, and Rhoden said, “Even at this young age, the club has already participated in a number of volunteer activities.”

Yuik has the club serving the community as much as possible. The club volunteers every two months serving meals at Providence Ministries. Last December, Yuik organized a group of members who helped the Salvation Army bell ringing outside of local stores. This past fall, the group volunteered at City Park Elementary’s Panther Day. They are preparing to help with the Dalton Rotary Club’s Ronnie McClurg Invitational Track Meet in March.

“I enjoy volunteering in the community because being able to help people gives me strength,” said Yuik, an exchange student from Malaysia.

Yuik’s next project is organizing a group that will visit local orphanages.

“There are really strong children out there that struggle with their lives but stay strong for different reasons. These children deserve to have a genuine smile on their faces,” said Yuik.

When Yuik is not volunteering, running a fundraiser or heading meetings, she is recruiting new members. Yuik said her main goals are for the community to know that the Dalton State Rotaract Club is here to help and for the club to flourish long after she has graduated.

“Her motivational leadership style has done a great job at raising officers to take over once she is gone,” Rhoden said.

For her efforts in organizing a group to help serve the community, The Daily Citizen names Krystal Tee Au Yuik Citizen of the Week.