Maxine Acosta – Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Webmaster
Hello! I’m Maxine Acosta, Founder and CEO of HTH Inc. (Happy to Help). I’m currently a high school senior at The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST). HTH began in 2020 when I asked for summer camp supplies for homeless children instead of birthday gifts. Inspired to do more, I organized an online performance in 2021 during Covid quarantine and held our first live event at Lanier High School, featuring various performances and volunteers from local schools. Through HTH Inc., we aim to continue giving back to the community in even more impactful ways!
Vicki Lu – Co-director, Director of Finance
Hello! I’m Vicki Lu, a first-year doctoral candidate in Ethnomusicology at The University of Georgia, focusing on Chinese music and performance. I hold a bachelor’s in music education and flute performance, and a master’s in ethnomusicology from the same university. I’m also the director of Spring Music School. Philanthropic work has been incredibly rewarding, allowing me to connect with various organizations and showcase my love for Chinese musical arts. Working with Maxine Acosta on her dream project, Happy To Help (HTH), is a pleasure as we strive to better the community and students in the Metro-Atlanta area.
Dianne Ji – Director of Marketing
Hi! My name is Dianne Ji and I’m the Director of Marketing. I’m a current Junior at GSMST and thrilled to be working with HTH this year! Some of my personal goals are to be more productive and time efficient this year and to be able to crochet something by December. I hope that I’ll be able to contribute to this event as much as I can!
Fiona Chen – Director of Communications
Hello, my name is Fiona Chen. I am currently a junior enrolled at The Gwinnett School of Mathematics Science and Technology (GSMST). My interests include swimming, origami, drawing, and more recently, learning how to use the Chinese yo-yo. I joined HTH Inc. (Happy to Help charity organization) as a way to give back to my community. Joining this organization allows me to use my creativity and communication skills in order to make a positive impact. Moreover, it allows me to share my passion of helping others. This means a lot to me because I want to be able to put a genuine smile on others faces without expecting anything in return.
Briana Codrescu – Director of Technology, Social Media Director
Hello! My name is Briana Codrescu, a Junior at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST), and I am honored to serve as the Technology Understudy and Social Media Director for Happy to Help Inc. After attending the Have a Great Summer Charity Event last year, I was captivated by the organization’s mission and the profound impact it has on our community. Being able to contribute to this impact is truly fulfilling. As I continue my roles this year, I hope to leverage my skills to better the marketing and behind-the-scenes facets of HTH and its events. The greater the recognition of our name – HTH – the more successful I consider my efforts to be. In my free time, I enjoy solving Rubik’s Cubes and photography, pursuits that have enriched my life for the past 4 years. I am excited about the journey ahead and the positive impact we can create!
Grace Peng – Volunteer Coordinator
Hello, my name is Grace Peng and I am from The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. At HTH Inc., I enjoy working at the events to meet new people, make a difference, and enhance my skills. With my previous experience in communications, such as a tutor coordinator and community outreach officer, I hope to aid the organization to connect our team to our volunteers! I am glad to be able to continue to elevate and utilize my communication and interpersonal skills to help my team as well as grow as a coordinator. My main goal is to create an environment where everyone enjoys volunteering and coming back to these events. In my free time, I enjoy bouncing around different hobbies, but I mainly focus on volunteering, music, and crocheting! With that, I look forward to connecting with others and giving back to the community around me!
William Poernomo – Outreach Coordinator
Hello! My name is William Poernomo, and I am a high school Senior at The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST). Seeing the deep impact HTH has had on my community has inspired me to become actively involved in serving and giving back. I am eager to contribute my skills and enthusiasm to support HTH’s mission and initiatives to the best of my ability. Outside school and my extracurriculars, I enjoy playing sports, like Volleyball and Badminton. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with these fantastic people and look forward to seeing what we can do this year!
Jerry Zheng – Project Manager (Dragon Team)
Tommy Weng – Project Manager & Westminster Upper Schools Representative
Hello everybody, I am Tommy Weng, a freshman from The Westminster Schools. I aim to gain crucial experience in conducting the HTH organization. (eg. personnel management, logistics and coordination, and event organization). My avocation of understanding technological and scientific topics will aid in the optimization of an event’s flow, enabling higher productivity and efficiency with minimal expenditure on human and material resources. In my spare time, I pursue my hobbies such as aviation photography, engineering, and going down Wikipedia rabbit holes. I hope to meet you soon!
Juha Hwang – Designer
Hello, I’m Juha Hwang, a Senior at North Gwinnett High School and designer for HTH Inc.. I joined HTH Inc. as it’s a great opportunity to give back with my artistic skills and to help a friend. I hope to gain more experience designing items for organizations while making a positive impact in our community.
Koko Yazaki – Assistant Designer
Hello, My name is Koko Yazaki, and I am currently a high school junior enrolled in the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST). Last summer, I was able to volunteer for an HTH Inc. event, and there, I was able to experience a wonderful time and immediately liked the environment there. I always wanted to be part of helping and volunteering in communities, and I am excited to bring my creative skills to HTH Inc. as an assistant designer, where I can contribute making banners and flyers for the organization.
Ahnjaline Antilus – Assistant Social Media Director
Hello! My name is Ahnjaline Antilus. I am currently a high school senior at The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST). I joined HTH Inc. (Happy to Help Charity Organization) because I have always wanted to volunteer to step out of my comfort zone and help with an event that will bring people of all backgrounds together to give back to the community. HTH does admirable work within the community and aiding those who are facing homelessness, which holds a special place in my heart. I am excited and honored to take on the role of Assistant Social Media Director since I will be able to contribute to HTH’s social media presence through advertising and marketing, which are things I am extremely passionate about. Outside of social media and marketing, I also love anything art related, photography, film and music which I believe adds to my appreciation for HTH’s annual HAGS event that displays so much local talent including young musicians and dancers.
Katryn Santiago – Video Editor
Hello!! I’m Katryn Santiago, a Junior at Mountain View High School. I enjoy a vast amount of things, constantly jumping among hobbies. However, I enjoy editing and eating the most (as I am eating a donut in my photo). I wanted to become part of HTH to help support social issues, in specifics, homelessness. As the assistant video editor, I intend to format videos raising awareness and by encouraging meaningful engagement to HTH Inc., ensuring positive change for our community!! I have a long history with video editing, being adapted with various softwares ever since middle school.