Poly Student Apollo W. ’27 Recognized by Dragon Kim Foundation for Glean On Me

In the spring of 2025, Apollo W. ’27 founded Glean On Me, a student-led project dedicated to fighting both food waste and hunger in the San Gabriel Valley. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories of fruit-picking in his grandparents’ backyard and his volunteer work at homeless shelters, Apollo created Glean On Me to rescue fruit from local backyards and botanical gardens and deliver it to food-insecure families.

“Glean On Me is a student-run organization in the Pasadena area that aims to reduce food waste by harvesting unused fruit from local volunteering properties, improve food security by donating the fruit to those in need, and educate students through fun harvest events and hands-on experience,” Apollo said.

As part of his work, Apollo applied for and received a $5000 grant and leadership training through the Dragon Kim Foundation (DKF) last winter, which supports high school students launching community service projects as an “incubator for social entrepreneurship.” Apollo joins numerous Poly winners of the award including Steven Li ’23 and Madeleine Kashkooli ’25 and Giuliana Nelson ’25, who have encouraged submissions from the community.

Apollo was accepted into DKF and worked closely with the foundation from February through August, attending monthly training sessions and collaborating with an adult mentor and DKF intern twice a week. Out of roughly 600 applicant teams, Glean On Me was ultimately selected as a Finalist (top 5) in the 2025 Dragon Challenge competition.

The name Glean On Me reflects Apollo’s thoughtful approach to his mission. “I came up with Glean On Me by combining the word ‘Glean’ with Bill Wither’s classic song ‘Lean On Me.’ I liked the word glean for its three definitions: to glean historically relates to harvesting, to glean means to use what would otherwise be wasted, and to glean also means to learn (ex: I gleaned something from that lecture). I wanted all of those themes of food, sustainability, and education to be present in our name. Of course, Wither’s song about community spirit and helping one another was also a natural fit.”

From June through August 2025, Glean On Me organized eleven harvest events at private backyards in Pasadena as well as at the Huntington Library and the LA Arboretum in partnership with the nonprofit Food Forward. These efforts yielded more than 5,700 pounds of fruit, providing the daily fruit intake for approximately 5,300 individuals facing food insecurity. The initiative drew over 100 student volunteers representing 16 different schools, and the donations supported eight local charities including Union Station, Friends In Deed, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. The project’s impact even reached national audiences through coverage on CBS Evening News.

In addition to its wide reach, Glean On Me proved highly cost-efficient, harvesting fruit at just 15 cents per pound compared to the $2 market price—an estimated $10,000 in fruit market value donated to the community.

Looking ahead, Apollo plans to continue the work as a Poly club, expand partnerships with more schools and community groups, and explore new opportunities for gleaning, including grocery and warehouse produce rescue.

“Apollo’s work with Glean On Me has not only supported the San Gabriel Valley, but also inspired Poly’s student community engagement efforts. Apollo has led with an electric tenacity that has invigorated others to step up for community members in need, truly the heart of what we hope to achieve through our student-led community-engagement clubs and initiatives,” said Renée Larios, Student Community Engagement Coordinator.

Reflecting on his journey, Apollo shared, “Over the last year, Glean On Me has taught me that leadership and making a real impact is not about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, rolling up your sleeves, and inspiring others to do the same.”