Championing Culture, Engagement and Service: A Multifaceted Impact

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Majdi Alameddine. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Majdi Alameddin is a dynamic force for youth-led change, cultural advocacy and community service. At just 16 years old, this Lebanese-American student from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has already made an indelible impact both locally and nationally. As the founder of Arelvo, Majdi is transforming how students engage with Arab American and AAPI history, ensuring that their narratives are woven into the fabric of American education. His work doesn’t stop at history—he is deeply involved in public policy and civic engagement, serving on the Tennessee Youth Equity Board and as a civic innovator with Civics Unplugged. 

Majdi’s leadership extends to grassroots and national service efforts. Through his role as national U.S. outreach officer for EcoBrothers, he has helped distribute over 225,000 books to underserved communities and raise more than $165,000 for literacy access. He also manages data for OutsideConnection, a Supreme Court-backed NGO connecting more than 10,000 formerly incarcerated individuals with second-chance employment. These experiences are part of a broader mission: building systems of opportunity, particularly for communities historically excluded from full civic participation. 

Within his school community, Majdi is just as impactful. He founded the Chess, Science Bowl and Science Olympiad teams, promoting STEM engagement among his peers and helping foster a culture of curiosity and excellence. Beyond academics, he also helped lead his school’s soccer team to a state championship, showing the same spirit of teamwork and resilience that fuels his advocacy work. His initiatives through Nexus Learning have raised over $5,000 for childhood cancer research, and he continues to mentor others with a focus on local leadership and service. 

Majdi’s service and scholarship have earned widespread recognition—including accolades from U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, Presidential Candidate Dr. Ben Carson and prestigious honors such as the Cornell National Contribution Project Award and National STEM Challenge Finalist. Yet what truly sets Majdi apart is his ability to lead across disciplines: blending research, policy, education and direct service into one cohesive mission to build a world where all can thrive. 

Tell us about your role with Arelvo. 

I started Arelvo and run our blog, podcast and ambassador program. We’re expanding this summer, so I’m mainly onboarding new volunteers while juggling writing posts, booking guests and convincing Arab Americans to share their stories. Some days I’m recording episodes. Others, I’m in the community talking with our members. 

Why is this issue so important to you? 

I didn’t really see many Arab American youth-run organizations out there. There are a lot of Arabs doing incredible things in America, but I wasn’t seeing anything led by young people like us. I wanted to show what we’re doing and represent young Arab Americans through Arelvo. 

What inspired you to get started with this initiative? 

I wanted to share Arab American stories. I didn’t see young people like us telling our own stories and I realized we had so many voices in our generation that truly weren’t being heard. It was much needed to create a platform for young Arab Americans like myself. 

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization? 

Our long-term goals include reaching as many people as possible and partnering with other organizations that truly support our mission of uplifting young Arab American voices. The dream is that people will start to support our Arab Americans, especially youth, and start to see us as leaders instead of stereotypes. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

It’s been rewarding growing the team and watching this community of Arab American youth come together. The best part, for me personally, is meeting and talking to incredible young Arabs in America. Our podcast episodes have typically been around 8 to 15 minutes, but the actual one-on-one conversations last longer and are around 30 to 40 minutes. These make for truly long-lasting connections with people I’ll never forget. Every week, I meet someone from our generation changing the world and I get to basically tell our audience, “Hey, look at this amazing Arab American young leader!” 

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

I’m excited about our partnership we have currently like the one with Bring Arab Youth Together (BAYT). We’re brainstorming events that show young Arab American talent and stories. It’s going to be a celebration of what our generation is accomplishing. In the future, we hope to partner with more Arab organizations that support our mission. 

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about? 

Because complaining doesn’t fix problems. When you genuinely get involved, especially when you’re young, there’s an opportunity to find others, just like you, who truly care. It definitely feels amazing being part of something you care about. When you actually care about something, the work doesn’t necessarily feel like “work,” but rather like something you actually want to do to benefit society. The world is in great need of more young people who care.  

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

Do things you actually care about. If you don’t care about something or are doing it just to say you did it, genuine impact won’t be brought at all. Also, your love for what you’re doing will never be there. You’ll eventually get to a point where you don’t want to do it anymore. Additionally, find like-minded people and connect with them. Before anything else, make sure it’s something that genuinely matters to you first and only makes the world a better place. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Majdi? Find local volunteer opportunities.