Left Hand Laurel - Lydia Moy

School volunteer Lydia Moy looks at every opportunity and raises it up a notch. "Your job is not to do 10,000 cutout Valentines for second grade, your job is to spread the love," Moy said.

Moy has been spreading the love for 14 years in elementary, middle and now high school. She's a realtor who used to work with emerging markets in finance, which she said helped her think about the big picture, "I'm a long term person."

That mentality influences the way she approaches volunteering. When she was president of the Parent Advisory Council at Sunset Middle School, she worked on replacing multiple fundraisers with a big, successful one that focuses everyone's time and energy, the Fall Crawl. It's an annual event that continues even as she has moved on to working with the music department at Niwot High School.

"Everything that we start up, she wants to live on afterward," said Donna Blondeau, president of Niwot High Boosters Club. "She doesn't want to set something up for a one-time deal. She doesn't want to just fundraise for one instrument that has fallen apart, year after year, she wants to set up a fundraiser that will allow them to be constantly updating their instruments."

Moy is especially passionate about music and the arts, "I believe in a well balanced life. I think everyone needs to learn some type of art. I don't care if it's painting, drawing, music. I think life is hard. Academics is one thing, you can be smart, but when life is hard you gotta do something else," Moy said. "Pick up tennis - sports are important. Fine, do something else. But you can't be all academic. I don't think that's healthy."

Part of Moy's big-picture approach has been to involve the larger community in school programs. She's been working closely with music teachers at NHS to expand their concerts beyond friends and families by advertising to the community and pairing the concerts with other musical acts that could draw a wider audience. While in-person concerts have been on hold due to the pandemic, she's been eyeing the future - talking to people, gathering ideas, considering sponsors and partners.

"I'm excited to go to the drawing board and revamp this whole thing. We realized with this lockdown there is going to be a boom in the next six months in performance and art. People can't wait to be together," Moy said.

Her vision and enthusiasm are welcomed. "She's the kind of help I feel very happy to have because she has her own initiated efforts that do not need to be prodded along," said Keynes Chen, Director of the Niwot High Orchestra and Longmont Youth Orchestra. "She comes up with great ideas - she is telling me ideas. That's really great to have that energy and support."

That energy also helps inspire those around her. "She expands my thinking about things. I just think she's a deeply insightful person," said Blondeau.

Moy immigrated to the United States from Indonesia when she was 13. She was strongly influenced by her father who was an educator, loved music and taught her to be observant. "Since then, I realized there is a lot you can do by sitting and watching. It's important. You just sometimes sit and watch and you think. What would look like if I would have done it this way? And that's when you know when you need to step in, when you step out, when you can be a good partner and be a good companion."

Moy's father lived at a senior living facility in Longmont. When they couldn't see him in person, she encouraged her three boys to play music outside his window and also outside the windows of other residents. "There is a lot of loneliness out there," she said.

In January, Moy's father passed away in January due to COVID-19. She was devastated, but heartened by the outpouring of support from the Niwot High and other members of the community. She got emotional while talking about how people brought her food when she had to quarantine after being with her father during his last, dying days. "It's humbling because you just don't know. You don't go in there and volunteer because you want something back," she said.

Volunteering is its own reward, Moy said, "These memories, they're irreplaceable." She especially loves spending time with the kids, being a champion for them and helping them find their path. "I want them to have the opportunity to live their best life. And what that means is explaining to these young minds what that looks like. Explain to them that success looks different for everybody. You can't look at the person next to you," she said.

Moy said she misses spending time with the students, but her long range vision can see a brighter future for them and for herself as she regroups after her father's death. "I'll be back and I know our department is going to be stronger than ever."