Dominick Fink:
A Beauty with a Big Heart and Lots of HUGS

Can you imagine starting school without having the proper supplies? No pencils, paper or notebooks? Imagine how difficult that must be. As you well know, this happens to students every day, in possibly every school nationwide.

A rising sophomore at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Dominick Fink has taken the personal challenge to help as many girls (and boys) possible through HUGS (Helping Underprivileged Girls Succeed). This is a program she started to give students the supplies they need. She also tries to help them grow in self-confidence and poise.

Dominick grew up learning to be comfortable on stage herself. Starting out as a youngster entering pageants, she developed stage presence. To enhance her talent of dancing, she studies at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk and takes private lessons at the TR Dance Studio, weekdays until 6 p.m.  All her hard work has paid off.

In June this year at the Roanoke Civic Center, this former Miss Virginia Outstanding Preteen 2007 was crowned Miss Virginia Outstanding Teen 2011. This was the third year she competed in the contest. The two previous years, she was first runner-up. Dominick says it was her time this year after having worked so hard for it.

Winning has its perks, one perk being $1500 in scholarship money. This title qualified her to compete for Miss America Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Florida; which is quite an accomplishment for someone in her freshman year of high school. The competition will involve an interview, evening gown competition and talent. Her talent at this event will be a jazz dance number. The stakes are even bigger at the national competition which offers the Miss America Outstanding Teen a scholarship of $30,000.

After the competition in Florida, she plans more of her charity work. In light of what she has done in her life already, she likes giving back to her community. Dominick, to date, has filled at least 500 tote bags of school supplies to underprivileged children. She takes donations she collects at various events and even donates her own allowance toward this cause. Her wish is to also solicit aid from big companies.

Buying tote bags off e-bay in bulk at 100 per box, she fills them with notebooks, pencils, folders, glue sticks, crayons, rulers and scissors. She gets the school supply lists from elementary and middle schools.

These are placed in plain canvas bags that bear no logo. She doesn’t want to draw attention to the bag in any way, just like she doesn’t like the photos taken of her distributing them to show any students’ faces. Dominick feels it would embarrass those who are the recipients of the school supplies. It’s obvious she has a big heart to not only feel moved to give to those less fortunate but also considers their emotions and feelings connected to this charity work.

“I go to church after-school programs to distribute the bags to those who need them. It makes me happy to feel that I’m helping somebody,” she said. “It’s a really good feeling.”

With the jobless rate what it is today, there will be more and more students who show up at school lacking proper materials.

“It’s surprising how many students ask for supplies,” said Lesley Anderson, her mom. “I’m sure teachers put a lot of their own money into supplies and room decorations.”  

Dominick has given away these tote bags in Richmond and Portsmouth.  She also helps with after-school mentoring programs.  At one church in Portsmouth, she worked with a program that was attended by 100 children. “I tell them not to be afraid to ask for help and to never give up. It’s important that they just be themselves.”

Dominick shared photos of students lined up to be given tote bags at one of these programs. Smiling and wearing her tiara, she was a good example of how hard work and a firm belief in yourself can help you get ahead. This is something that she wants to impress upon young minds. “I get a lot of questions from those I try to help. They get very excited when they see me. My wish is to brighten their day and make them feel good about themselves. I learn from my own mistakes. It makes you try even harder. I tell them it doesn’t matter where they come from, that as long as they are good students, things can come to them.”  

(Contact Dominick Fink at nikfink96@gmail.com to contribute to her school supply donating efforts.)