If you’ve noticed a subtle glow around campus lately, classmates smiling wider than usual, or that faintly “High School Musical” vibe where it almost feels like someone might burst into song, you’re not imagining it. The reason isn’t a surprise pep rally or a sudden spike in
caffeine consumption. It’s something much smaller and more heartfelt: a trail of blue and green sticky notes and a slightly cleaner campus.

Each note, carefully stuck onto someone’s binder or backpack, doesn’t say the typical “kick me” or feature doodles from a bored student. Instead, they share something heartfelt with simple, powerful words.

“Don’t light yourself on fire to make others warm.”

“Don’t rush, those who do only reach death first; take your time.”

“I hope you heal from all the struggles you don’t talk about.”

The notes form a kind of Hansel-and-Gretel trail of encouragement, and if you follow them, you’ll find yourself at the source: sophomore Rene Kim.

“I’m thankful that he not only does help others but enjoys doing it. He’s very bored without it, so I’m glad it’s something that’s helping out the community,” Rene’s sophomore brother Jaiden said.

Kim is the quiet force behind both the sticky notes and the mysteriously cleaner lunch area. During his lunch break, while others chat or sneakily scroll on their phones, Kim can often be found walking around the quad picking up trash. Some might acknowledge him with a quick glance or hello but many wonder why a person might spend some of their only free time doing something so mundane.

“It honestly began as something more for myself than anything else,” Kim said. “In seventh grade it served as a distraction for my recent diagnosis of (MES) or Musical Ear Syndrome. I remember the doctor had told me all in his years of working he’d never seen a case like mine, which of course made me feel lonely.”

MES is a rare condition where individuals hear music or other sounds that are not present in their environment or known as a type of auditory hallucination.

The act of cleaning up, inspired by his brother’s old habit of picking up trash wherever he went, became a grounding ritual.

“One, two, three four,” Kim remembers counting off each piece he threw away, turning it into a rhythm, something that brought order to the noise in his head.

Over time, what started as a distraction became therapy.

As Kim entered high school, that small habit became a part of who he is. Keeping his area of the school tidy wasn’t about detention or an environmental pledge, it was about
peace.

Then came the blue sticky notes. After seeing positive content on his social media feed, Kim decided to bring that same kindness to Granada Hills Charter (GHC). Kim gets up early each morning before school and jots down a few inspirational quotes off the web. He uses these sticky notes to help himself be transparent about his mental challenges and share his thoughts with the people around him, encouraging others to be vulnerable with how they feel as well.

“I think the bravest thing anyone can do is to ask for help and that’s something I really respect,” Kim said.

His quiet kindness has not gone unnoticed, especially among his classmates in the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

“I talk with Rene everyday in English class; he is a very compassionate person, and it shows through his kind words and ability to put others before himself,” sophomore Joseph Cheng said.

Between the trash he collects and the messages he leaves behind, Kim has found a way to do more than just clean the campus. He’s helped people uncover the hidden, softer parts themselves, and that’s what makes him cherished at GHC.

Looking into the future Kim said, “We’ll see.” He dreams of being a content creator, to make videos on his favorite videogames such as ULTRAKILL, while also supporting
his viewers’ emotional well-being. If not, he still plans to go into the psychology field and make an impact through becoming a therapist. Kim’s story shows how beautiful things can stem from the things we can’t prevent, so in the words of Maya Angelou, “Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.”

Thanks to Kim and his pocket-sized affirmations, our campus is a little cleaner and the people in it a little kinder.