“Don’t wait for somebody else to come along and do it. Think, ‘if I don’t, who will?’ Be that person who takes action because there are so many people who cannot wait for the next person to come along. You have the ability to make change— in high school, in middle school, even in elementary school. All you have to do is make the decision to be committed.”
-Affy Kazmirski ’22, 2026 Young Alumni Awardee, sharing what motivates her community service work
Congratulations to Affy Kazmirski ’22, the recipient of the 2026 Charles River School Young Alumni Award! Affy was presented with her award at CRS’s Final Assembly on June 10.
Affy joined the CRS community in Grade 5. She immediately wowed her teachers with her artistic talents, love of reading, and fierce intellectualism. Over time, Affy developed into a quiet leader in the classroom, and she was lauded by teachers and peers alike for her thoughtfulness and her kind disposition. She cared deeply about her classmates, her younger brother Shah, and the world around her.
After graduating from CRS, Affy went on to Dover-Sherborn High School, where she continued to excel. Academically, she challenged herself to take one of the most rigorous academic schedules available. She took 3 Advanced Placement Courses as a junior, scoring a perfect 5 on all of the AP exams, and managed 4 AP classes as a senior, as well as honors coursework in her other subjects.
But AP classes alone do not define a student’s academic journey. Affy, in the time-honored tradition of decades of CRS graduates before her, chose to balance her academic load with other pursuits led by her curiosity and her purpose.
A gifted visual artist, Affy has received many accolades for her work. She has been published in Runes, the esteemed literary magazine for Dover-Sherborn students. She was the winner of the 2026 Kymera Greeting Cards Contest and a 2025 finalist for the Naomi Rabb Winston Scholarship.
Affy has helped to lead TEDx Youth talks at Dover-Sherborn High School, and is a member of the National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society (having begun her exploration of French at CRS with Madame Julie Weeden), and the Chemical Society Olympiad.
Nearest to Affy’s heart is giving back to her community. She believes deeply in equity and justice. Throughout her high school years, Affy has been a part of Mission at Eastward, spending a week at a time each summer in Maine repairing homes for seniors and economically disadvantaged neighbors. She has also worked with CityReach, engaging with unhoused individuals in Boston, and has raised money for the Greater Boston Food Bank.
In 2025, Affy was motivated to found her own nonprofit organization, A Book for Everyone.
During her junior year of high school, Affy learned that over 60% of low-income families in Massachusetts have no children’s books in their homes. Knowing that early literacy leads to higher academic success in the future, Affy vowed to make a difference by founding her charity. Through her diligent outreach and passionate advocacy, Affy helped to supply new books for students at Hooks Elementary School in Chelsea, MA, and Helman Elementary School in Ashland, OR.
Affy will continue her academic career at Davidson College in North Carolina in the fall of 2026.
The Young Alumni award is given every other year to a member of the alumni community who graduated in the past five years and has demonstrated excellence in personal achievement or community service since leaving CRS.