Operation Smile

To say that Skyler Griswold is precocious may be an understatement. The now-17-year-old began volunteering with Operation Smile when she was just 11 years old. “As an energetic third grader, running around the house and probably driving them crazy, my parents decided it was a good idea to channel my energy into something productive,” she says. 

Since then, the teenager has gone on to do more incredible things. In 2018, she launched Future Generations Now, a nonprofit aimed at getting middle and high school students engaged in social issues both locally and around the world. “We act as a funnel to both create funds and awareness on issues surrounding education, equity and the environment,” she says of tackling the world’s problems between studying for the SATs and student council. “We recruit people my age—my peers who want to get involved but just don’t know how.”

Here, we check in with the young humanitarian. 

Where did you develop your passion for service and helping others? 

My parents instilled the importance of giving back in me. Growing up, I never had to worry about having a roof over my head or food in my fridge and I soon came to realize, that is not the case for everyone. I decided it wasn’t enough to sit back and recognize my privilege but to use it in a way that could benefit others.  

You volunteered on Operation Smile medical missions when you were younger. What do you remember from those mission trips? 

I’ve had the amazing opportunity of going on two medical missions—one in Cebu, Philippines and the other in Lima, Peru. I remember being so excited to help children in need of life-changing surgeries, but what I failed to recognize is that they would change my life.  

I will never forget the look on Gabriela’s face when I handed her child Leao in the recovery room in Lima. I had the privilege of handing a child back to a teary-eyed mother whose words could never fully express how grateful she was. I looked in her eyes and connected with her on such a deep, human level. We both knew that something profound had just happened. And it wasn’t because of me, or even the doctor in the operating room. It was because of the enormous community that supports Operation Smile.

I will never forget the look on Gabriela’s face when I handed her child Leao in the recovery room in Lima. I had the privilege of handing a child back to a teary-eyed mother whose words could never fully express how grateful she was. I looked in her eyes and connected with her on such a deep, human level. We both knew that something profound had just happened. And it wasn’t because of me, or even the doctor in the operating room. It was because of the enormous community that supports Operation Smile.

Was that your most memorable experience with Operation Smile? 

Yes, just everything that happens in the recovery room.  The operating room is an experience in itself, seeing these doctors work hours on end with no break. But it’s the recovery room, the calm after the storm that made the biggest impact.  I remember in Peru, I sat next to these beautiful sleeping infants who had just received new smiles. I was able to see why all these volunteers do what they do, and I was just happy to be a small part of it. 

Don't forget—now through the end of September, Veronica Beard will donate proceeds from every veronicabeard.com order to Operation Smile. Learn how your donations help here. "Please get involved, make a difference, volunteer and donate today," says Hearst. "As little as $240 helps provide surgery to a child with a cleft condition."