Gillian Grabowski makes time for others

Gillian Grabowski has spent nearly her entire life in Yorktown, and her bond with the town resonates in every note she plays and every community project she embraces.

The 17-year-old Yorktown High School senior’s packed schedule combines a demanding course load with music, theater, and a range of clubs and organizations—yet on top of it all, she finds time to serve with the Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

“It's never been a question for me. I want to do things and become more involved in the community—it’s the way I’ve grown up,” she said.

As the youngest of three, Grabowski watched her siblings dive into volunteer work and local service. At school, she gravitated toward peers who shared that same drive to contribute.

“It’s all about just hanging around people who like similar things,” she said.

At school, Grabowski has found a home in the performing arts. From what she calls “a language of its own,” learning to read music and hearing melodies in the background has benefited her far beyond the stage and classroom.

“Music is just a passion,” Grabowski said. “It's just brought me so much more than I've ever thought.”

While she plays French horn, Grabowski learned trumpet to fill a need and also helps lead her peers across a number of ensembles. She has been involved in musicals, including this weekend’s “Wizard of Oz,” and participates in other ensembles, strengthening both her musical skill and collaborative spirit while learning leadership, teamwork, and the joy of shared performance.

Band Director Emily Kluga called her “one of the most giving students I have ever encountered” and said she has helped cultivate “a band family.”

Kluga recalled how Grabowski “has volunteered hours of her free time after school to support this cause” simply because she loves music—for example, helping to lead the jazz band trumpet section and making time to offer extra-help sessions for horn players.

“Through these efforts, and many more like them, Gillian has taken her commitment to the highest level—putting her energies towards the betterment of our program and ensuring its continued quality for the future,” said Kluga, who called her “one in a million.”

Grabowski has applied the same commitment and leadership to the Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps Youth Group.

She joined in May 2024 and, after a six-month probationary period that included mandatory CPR and first-aid training, was voted in as a full member of the youth group, giving her the right to vote and hold office. In August 2025, she was elected second lieutenant, and this February she was elected captain, giving her responsibility over the other line officers.

YVAC Youth Group Advisor Anthony Cillis called Grabowski "a delightful young woman" who's always ready to step up.

"She is always volunteering whenever a special project needs help, works very well and compassionately with the younger members who need assistance and seems to be tireless whenever work needs to be done," Cillis said.

Grabowski has also achieved cadet status, reaching the highest position possible for a youth group member. Selected through interviews by senior advisors, Cadets ride on actual EMS calls (under supervision), providing care and assistance and gaining hands-on experience, especially valuable for those interested in medicine. Of 46 youth group members, Grabowski is one of only two to earn cadet status, which makes her eligible to go on calls with corps.

“I have always admired the people that do a lot of work for a community, especially EMTs and the ambulance corps," she said.

While she’s not yet sure what she will study in college or where she will attend, Grabowski said her involvement with the Yorktown Volunteer Ambulance Corps Youth Group has sparked her interest in healthcare, and she is also drawn to psychology.

“I am certain she will excel in whatever profession she chooses to pursue,” Cillis said.

In addition to volunteering with YVAC, Grabowski gives her time to the Yorktown Youth Council, which she joined as a freshman in 2022, when the group was in its pilot stages.

Liz Talbert, the council’s adult advisor, said Grabowski has been a key to the group’s outreach and works to foster connections between the town’s youth and senior residents—an interest inspired by her close relationship with her own grandparents.

She put this vision into practice by helping to organize the council’s senior breakfast last spring at Beaver Ridge. Talbert said they hope to repeat the event this year.

“That's always been my normal, connecting with my grandparents, eating dinner with them every night,” Grabowski said. “I think that's something that gave me passion—coming up with this idea of wanting to connect to youth and elderly, which I thought was lacking.”

Talbert called Grabowski “hardworking, multifaceted and deeply thoughtful.”

“It gives me great hope to see such compassionate and engaged young people in our community,” Talbert said. “Gillian is a shining example of that.”