Meet our Youth Board: Sebastian Weise

GiGi’s NYC is thrilled to have our Youth Board host Dancing For Down Syndrome again this year! Hear from Sebastian, member of our Youth Board, about his inspiration to support the GiGi’s NYC community:

How and when did you first get involved with GiGi’s NYC? I first got involved with GiGi’s NYC in the fall of 2021 through a recommendation from my mom. I am very interested in the teaching space as a whole and was looking for good communities that I could volunteer with. 

Why did you decide to join the Youth Board? I decided to join the Youth Board because I wanted to get more involved with GiGi’s NYC as an organization and the wonderful community that has been built. I loved teaching GiGiFIT and all of the people I got to teach, so I wanted to do more for the Down syndrome community. 

What does GiGi’s NYC mean to you? GiGi’s NYC is a place that I come to every week and I always leave with a smile on my face. No matter what is going on in my life, I can always rely on GiGi’s NYC to be a truly amazing place full of amazing people. 

What do you do on the Youth Board? As a member of the Youth Board, I help plan events such as the Fashion Show or the upcoming Dancing For Down Syndrome as well as fundraise for GiGi’s NYC as a whole. 

What is your favorite thing about the GiGi’s NYC community? My favorite thing about the GiGi’s NYC community is the immense positivity that every member of the GiGi’s NYC community always seems to have, whether they be parents, volunteers, or students. 

What does Down syndrome awareness and acceptance look like to you? To me, Down syndrome awareness and acceptance is treating everyone with the same level of respect, dignity, and kindness regardless of any physical or mental trait. It is taking the time to talk to someone different from you so you can learn about them before making an opinion of them. 

GiGi’s NYC is grateful to have a growing number of high school students advocate for the Down syndrome community in such an impactful and thoughtful way. We are thankful to Sebastian, and the rest of the Youth Board, for spearheading this event for the second year in a row. To learn more about Dancing For Down Syndrome, please visit our website. We hope to see you there on June 10th!