Club president wins Ray of Hope award

Published by The Boston Globe

When Jay Curtin moved to Needham as a 12-year-old , he was shy and preferred spending time alone. When he graduated from Needham High School this spring, he was president of the Anime Club and recognized by his town for reaching out to others.

Curtin, 18 , received the RAY (Recognize a Youth) of Hope Award from Needham Youth Services for the month of June. Recommended by his guidance councilor Chuck Cittadino, Curtin said he hopes that he passed on his love for life and making new friends to his fellow students at Anime Club.



“I not only just had to be a leader because that’s what you kind of have to do, but … I wanted to have positive impact on people,” said Curtin. “I wanted to give people a good reason to come to club.”

Curtin moved from town to town several times as a child, but his last move was from Dedham to Needham when he was in sixth grade. Though he felt like an outsider at first, Curtin made an effort to reach out to others. Experiencing family problems himself, Curtin said he realized that his peers might act negatively as the result of inner pain.

“You can’t keep yourself in the dark or reject a lot of people,” Curtain said. “Even a cheery guy like me got down quite a few times, but that’s just in the grand evolution of a teenager. Just try as hard as you can to be friendly.”

Curtin continued that tradition of making friends throughout high school when he joined the Anime Club. As a freshman, he was intimidated but intrigued by the club members, who had facial hair, long locks and extensive Anime knowledge. The club also, however, had a vibrant energy and welcomed everyone.

“I think that’s what the anime club really is, you don’t have to act cool and reserved. You can just be yourself,” Curtin said.

As vice president his junior year and president senior year, Curtin approached the club members individually as much as possible to make them feel part of the group. If he saw people eating alone at lunch or by themselves after school, Curtin would try striking up conversation.

“Sometimes they show it, sometimes they don’t, but in my heart, I believe a lot of people have been affected by what Anime Club has to offer,” he said.

Needham Youth Services awards a small check from the Needham business representative to a student every month for the RAY of Hope Award, said Carol Rosenstock, a spokesperson for Youth Services. The winner can be a student of any age giving back to the community in a variety of ways, she said.

“[Curtin] helped make kids feel welcomed,” said Rosenstock. “The award is not all for kids just doing the obvious things.”

Curtin said he thinks developing the skills for making friends has made him stronger as a person and ready for the next step in his life when he attends Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH. this fall. Though his major is undeclared—he’s pondering taking up history, anthropology, theater and math—he has already signed up for Anime Club, Video Game Club and an Independent Movie Club.

“Life is to be enjoyed with other people,” Curtin said. “Material things and positions of power in whatever you do only last for so long, but friends … will last for a very long time, hopefully for me, it’s for life.”