- Joseph Seta
- Senior, Holy Spirit Preparatory School
Joseph Seta plays defense on his school soccer team and also runs cross country to stay in shape. However, Joseph is not simply defined as an athletic high school student. He has committed himself to hundreds of hours of community service at the Chastain Horse Park.
At the horse park, he helps children with physical and mental disabilities ride horses to help them improve their balance, coordination, muscle strength and flexibility. By improving these areas, Joseph is able to give the children self-confidence.
“This is my favorite community service activity because I can help children and also work with animals at the same time,” Joseph said. “It is a very close-knit family here. I love working with the kids and seeing their excitement when they ride the horses.”
He has worked at the horse park since his freshman year at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, but started getting significantly involved at the beginning of his sophomore year. Along with the countless hours of service at the horse park, Joseph has also worked at Canine Rescue, Zoo Atlanta, and volunteered at the Barrow County Humane Society.
Donna Peterson, the volunteer coordinator of the Therapeutic Riding Program, said, “Joseph has made significant contributions to Chastain Horse Park over the last few years. He is well liked by the children that he works with, the other volunteers, and the instructors.”
He also works at the Gwinnett Animal Hospital as part of the kennel team. “It’s been a great experience because that’s what I want to do and I really enjoy it,” Joseph said. “We take care of boarding cats and dogs. We take them to the restroom and on walks. We do the maintenance to keep the hospital clean and going.”
Joseph has also been in the Atlanta Boy Choir since age 11. He now performs with the Men’s Ensemble, which is the choir’s alumni group. He has had the opportunity to travel to Russia, the Ukraine, Austria, the Czech Republic, the western United States, Alaska and Italy. He also performed at the Vatican and a community near his father’s home town in Italy. This summer, he will be traveling with the choir to Nova Scotia.
“The boy choir is a great place to grow up. We’re a group of boys and men from very different backgrounds who have formed a close friendship through our common appreciation of music,” Seta said.
Joseph says he hopes to continue singing with the choir and working at the horse park while he attends college at the University of Georgia next year. “It’s not too far to drive back to Chastain Horse Park,” he said.”
What’s Next:
Joseph plans to attend the University of Georgia. He plans to major in animal science in the pre-veterinary program. He hopes to become a veterinarian who works with farm animals, cats, dogs and horses.
This article was reported and written by Parker DeFreese, who attends Marist School.