Daniela “Dani” Tejada ’21 has been an engaged leader in the Pine Crest community since starting on the Fort Lauderdale campus in seventh grade.
Dani has been involved in numerous clubs and sports on campus. She served as Director of Community service for the Latinx Student Association, was a member of the Black Student Association, and was a student-athlete on the soccer, crew, and track and field teams. However, her true passion is the organization she started as a fourth grade student in 2012, Meds4Kidz.
Dani Tejada ’21 and her sister Ariela ’27
The Meds4kidz Foundation is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that helps sick children in Bolivia get the medicine and medical equipment they need. The organization’s primary mission is to help children who live in extremely poor, inaccessible areas.
Dani started the organization after visiting the United Nations on a school trip. “I felt empowered to do my own thing,” she said. “I didn’t have to wait to grow up to create change and make a difference.”
Dani’s family is from Bolivia, which makes her work there especially meaningful. She was inspired to start Meds4Kidz by the words of her grandfather who told her that children in Bolivia do not die due to illness, but due to poverty.
A family affair, the organization is run by Dani and her younger sister Ariela ’27, with their parents, Alejandra and Joel, supporting them every step of the way.
She and her family travel to Bolivia and personally purchase and deliver medication and medical supplies directly to some of the world’s most vulnerable children. Dani explains, “When I visit the orphanages, I see myself in those boys and girls. I want to bring them joy. I want to help them to have a better life.”
A part of Dani’s work is fundraising. She began by making and selling rainbow loom bracelets to support Meds4Kidz and has expanded her efforts to include an annual 5K run, a gofundme page, and social media outreach on their Facebook profile. Dani explains, “I will do anything I can to raise funds. This past Easter, we delivered eggs filled with treats to families in exchange for donations.” She and her family then take the funds collected and purchase medications and supplies in Bolivia where the money raised goes a long way.
Dani recently expanded the mission of Meds4Kidz to help children in the South Florida community. She partnered with local businesses such as Orange Theory Fitness, Costco, and The Smiles Foundation. Through those partnerships, Meds4Kidz has delivered toys, food, and other necessities to hundreds of local children in need.
Her advice to other young people is simple: “All of you are capable of making a difference,” she said. “Go online, find a cause you are passionate about, and do something to make a change. Put in the time to do something for someone else — once a day, once a week, once a month. If everyone becomes a mini social entrepreneur, we have the power to solve the issues threatening our world.”
A passionate reader and researcher, Dani looks forward to new adventures after graduation but is grateful for the amazing friends and inspiring teachers that she met during her time at Pine Crest. “The opportunities here are incredible,” she said. “Access to the iLab, our School’s makerspace, and other resources were invaluable to me. Many of my teachers guided me and helped me become who I am today. I will definitely miss that support system.”
In the fall, Dani looks forward to studying psychology at Duke University. She plans to take Medz4Kidz to the next level through DukeEngage, a summer immersion program where students and faculty work with local partners to address societal issues while learning how communities develop solutions and create change.
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