On a cold snowy day, Alex Pietraszek holds the door for swarms of students coming in to the high school after gym class. The junior greets each and every student as they walk past him. The cold makes his teeth chatter, but he can’t help but smile when he sees the grateful expressions of his peers. Their smiles remind him of his own joy when Quinn Davis, a junior who is now his best friend, greeted him for the first time in fifth grade.

Alex stays humble and focused by concentrating on giving back to others through random acts of kindness such as holding the door for people or greeting his classmates in the hallway. Inspired to give back, Alex said he feels it is his job to spread the kindness that God, his friend Quinn, and his parents have shown him.

He wasn’t always friendly and outgoing. Alex said he used to be shy when he attended The Frances Xavier Warde School, a Catholic elementary school in downtown Chicago. He said his trouble focusing led him to have hard time relating to others. He only truly came out of his shell when he began attending middle school at Lab.

Alex still remembers how happy he was when Quinn came and said hello to him.

“Quinn’s friendliness helped me feel accepted and make new friends,” Alex said. “That experience taught me the value of everyday interactions such as saying hello or holding the door.”

Quinn remembers that first meeting just as well as Alex does.

“I remember going up to him because he seemed like a cool kid, but not many other people were approaching him,” Quinn said. “We became friends really fast. He is one of the most caring people I know. When I broke my leg, Alex was the one who always walked me to class and helped me carry my stuff, while my other close friends were more absorbed with themselves.”

Alex said his parents’ relationship is another source of inspiration for his desire to give back. According to Alex, his parents’ relationship models selflessness and kindness. He said he feels lucky to come home to such a loving home everyday.

Alex, who is Catholic, said his faith plays a key role in his desire to spread kindness

“I read the Bible every day,” Alex said. “I know that God is watching over us, and that he does make sure that bad things don’t happen, but God can’t be everywhere at once. My faith in him is what makes me strong, but I know it’s up to me to spread kindness.”

Alex wants to pursue a career in data management because it will provide him with many opportunities to help a good cause, allowing him to keep his faith and values as a focus. 

“You can write computer programs to help kids in poor countries get an online education,” Alex said. “You can also analyze statistics to identify problems, or you could make grids for farming. There are so many opportunities to give back in computer science.”

Currently, Alex volunteers every week at the World Computer Exchange, a nonprofit organization that sends computers to children in developing countries to help them get an education. Alex been volunteering at the organization since last year, mainly checking and repairing computers but also writing programs.

He said, “I love what WCE does because I think children’s education is one of the most important causes out there.”

Alex said that no matter what path he will go down, he would always hold firm to his belief that it is his job to spread the kindness that God, his friends and his family have shown him. If you run into someone 20 years from now holding the door patiently for streams of people at Starbucks, take a closer look. It just might be Alex from high school.