Five High School Fencers Team Up to Do Good by Volunteering in NAC Cities, Hoping to Recruit Others to Their Cause

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Theo Lin had a problem. Every year, he and his brother would miss Community Service Day at their school because they were fencing at the April NAC.

But instead of completing that service to his community when he returned, Theo had an idea: Why not bring that spirit of service to the NAC itself? Every city has community organizations in need of willing volunteers — including those cities that host USA Fencing North American Cups.

Theo, along with four friends and fellow fencers from the Tri-State Area, teamed up to found DoGood, a nonprofit designed to give fencers a way to give back during the NAC.

They formally launched their nonprofit at Summer Nationals in Columbus in July 2024 with an event that featured 33 fencers completing six different volunteer projects. They tallied 104 service hours that student-athletes can use to fulfill school obligations. DoGood’s team will sign the necessary paperwork to certify the completion of these hours.

“With the increasing number of fencers participating at NACs, our fencing community has an unbelievable potential to do a great amount of good,” Theo says. “I’ve used the analogy of a pebble in a pond before: one pebble thrown into a pond doesn’t change the pond that much, but a hundred, a thousand pebbles thrown into that pond will have a profound impact. So, together, the fencing community can have a profound impact on all of these local communities.”

Philip “Theo” Lin is the founder of DoGood and serves as its Head of Community Engagement and Operations. The saber fencer at Scarsdale Fencing Center scouts out local organizations and works with them to develop service projects that will have a lasting positive impact on the local communities.

He looks for community organizations that will accept high school-age volunteers and are within walking distance of the competition venue.

But even though DoGood was Theo’s idea, he doesn’t do the work alone. He’s part of a five-person leadership team.

Catalina Berrios of Scarsdale Fencing Center is the Head of Social Media for DoGood, meaning she shares the work of DoGood on Instagram and Facebook and recruits volunteers using those channels as well.

“I became involved in DoGood because I heard about all of the wonderful things they did for the communities they visited,” she says. “I wanted to be with a team that truly cares about making a big difference.”

Ryan Katz of Stamford Fencing Club serves as Head of Communications, working to inform local media outlets and others about the good work of DoGood.

“Originally, I barely spent any time in the cities I traveled to for NACs, the only exception being hanging out with my friends,” Ryan says. “However, I now see how fortunate I am to live the way that I do, and how so many people lack that privilege. DoGood gives me the power to better people’s lives while also enriching my own.”

Esha Nayak of Long Island Fencing Center is DoGood’s Head of High School Engagement, meaning she helps fencers certify their service hours and connects with high schools to ensure they’re aware of DoGood.

“Everyone should participate because every single hour spent volunteering makes a huge difference in the community,” she says.

And last but not least, Lucas Suba of the Peter Westbrook Foundation works as Head of Registration and Onsite Project Management. That means he helps fencers register for a volunteer opportunity and works onsite to organize project logistics.

“I chose to join DoGood because I wanted to be a leader to other fencers who want to help out local communities and to be able to make an impact in others’ lives,” he says.

Theo, Catalina, Ryan, Esha, and Lucas encourage their fellow fencers to visit fencersdogood.org to learn about future service opportunities at NACs, including three service opportunities already planned for the October NAC.