2008 State Honorees & Distinguished Finalists
Two young Americans—one high school student and one middle-level student—in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia were recently named State Honorees in the 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. These Honorees will receive $1,000 awards, engraved silver medallions, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May 2008 for four days of recognition events.
View the State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists by selecting a state below.
View the State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists by selecting a state below.
Alabama
State Honorees
Diedre Graham, 17, of Mobile, Ala., a junior at Murphy High School and a member of the Alabama Cooperative Extension 4-H, produced and starred in a dance benefit titled "IMAGINE Me: Image in Me" to raise awareness among teenage girls about body image and self-esteem. "This project was born after I encountered a negative experience as a ballerina of color and was denied an opportunity to perform a pointe role because of my 'body type,'" said Diedre. When other girls with the same body type but different skin color were cast in pointe roles, Diedre decided to stage her own production and send a message that "regardless of how you look and what people say, be who you are and be the best 'you' possible," she said. "What an exciting way to overcome my personal pain by channeling it into something positive."
Diedre secured a venue for the event, recruited 28 African-American dancers; selected costumes; and choreographed a program that included ballet, jazz, pointe, and African dance. She then scheduled months of rehearsals; promoted the production with flyers, brochures, mailings, and an article in a local newspaper; and prepared a PowerPoint presentation based on research into girls' body image and self-esteem. More than 300 people attended Diedre's benefit, which raised more than $2,000 to support a local YWCA chapter and to provide scholarships to a nonprofit dance studio. "When I began, I was hurting, and doubting my self-worth and value. The fact that I contributed to a positive message about myself and girls who look like me made me feel even more proud," said Diedre.
Jake Martin, 13, of Birmingham, Ala., a seventh-grader at Highlands School, has volunteered for the past three summers at Mitchell's Place, a summer school for children with special needs. "I have two brothers who are autistic, and one of them goes to summer school at Mitchell's Place," said Jake. "After seeing how disadvantaged my brothers are, I began to think: How could I help?" Then he heard that teachers at the school were looking for volunteers. "I figured that if they needed help, I would give it to them," he said.
Initially, the teachers gave Jake simple assignments such as handing out snacks. But Jake wanted to do more, and soon he was spending eight hours each day helping the children paint, draw, read, participate in sports and playground activities, play musical instruments, and do math. He even recruited some of his friends to volunteer. "What I got out of my work was a greater ability to help special-needs children excel. I learned that no matter how hard something is, you can do it—no matter what," said Jake, who is looking forward to volunteering at Mitchell's Place again next summer.
Distinguished Finalists
Grant Atkinson, 16, of Alabaster, Ala., a sophomore at Thompson High School, is raising money to erect a bronze statue to honor Civilian Conservation Corps workers who developed state parks and public lands in Alabama. When completed, the statue will be placed at the highest point in Alabama, in Cheaha State Park.
Julie McCall, 18, of Pelham, Ala., a senior at Hope Christian School, leads a project through her high school's Key Club to distribute "goody bags" to adult chemotherapy patients at area hospitals twice each year—just before Christmas and in the spring. Julie, whose mother underwent chemotherapy as a cancer patient, has coordinated this project for more than three years.
Stephenie McGucken, 18, of Phenix City, Ala., a senior at Central High School and a member of the Russell County Red Cross, organized an antismoking campaign that involved educating school children about the dangers of smoking, encouraging the City Council to ban smoking in public places, and urging teens to take a no-smoking pledge. Stephenie worked with fellow students and other community organizations to create "Kick Butts Day," school presentations, and other elements of her campaign.
Katie Rigdon, 17, of Talladega, Ala., a senior at Coosa Valley Academy in Harpersville and a member of the Talladega County Red Cross, has been helping special-needs students participate in athletic activities since she was in the fifth grade. She teaches the students swimming, bowling, and track and field skills and helps coordinate athletic competitions at the state and local levels.
Alaska
State Honorees
Ariel Lyon, 17, of Juneau, Alaska, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School and a member of the Tongass Alaska Girl Scout Council, created a comprehensive resource guide to help local teenagers find fun things to do as well as places to go for help. Ariel realized there was a desperate need for such a guide after seeing friends run away from home, drop out of school, become sexually active, and turn to drugs and alcohol. Despite the perception that there was little for teens in Juneau, Ariel realized that resources were available—but not enough kids knew about them.
So, with help from a fellow Girl Scout, an adult adviser, and her mother, Ariel researched every local organization of potential interest or use to teens and conducted an assessment of young people's needs. She then compiled a directory of more than 100 services and activities in the Juneau area, detailing where to go for help with health, school, and family problems; eating disorders; sexual issues; job searches; and transportation needs, as well as where to find fun things to do and places to hang out. Ariel posted her "Juneau Teen Resource Guide" on the Internet at www.JuneauTeen.com and packaged it as a booklet for distribution around town. Ariel said she hopes the guide "will make a lasting impact on the lives of youth for years to come."
Noelle Schmitter-Schrier, 14, of Soldotna, Alaska, an eighth-grader with the Connections Homeschool Program, spent five months last year teaching English to children and teens in a small mountain village in El Salvador. Noelle, a 4-H member, had been an avid volunteer for many years, so when her family traveled to El Salvador in September 2006, she wanted to make a difference there as well. "I had never seen such extreme conditions," Noelle said, referring to the desperate poverty and unsanitary living conditions she witnessed. She was surprised, however, to find that what the people there needed most was to learn English. "If they know English, it improves their chances of getting a job that pays more than $2 a day," she explained.
Noelle and her family spent many hours designing lessons and creative activities and preparing for the classes. Then Noelle and her younger sister taught 200 students basic English skills in 45-minute sessions for four months. They also taught 50 students in an advanced English class for another month. "One of the most difficult things for me was teaching students who were the same age as me or older, to obtain confidence in front of them," she said. By the time the classes concluded, Noelle's students were able to carry on basic conversations and read simple books. "For me, the 4-H pledge to serve my world really came alive during our time in Central America," she said.
Distinguished Finalists
Vienna Schmitter-Schrier, 11, of Soldotna, Alaska, a sixth-grader at Soldotna Montessori School and a member of the Kenai Peninsula 4-H, taught English classes to children and teenagers in El Salvador during an eight-month family visit to that Central American country. Vienna helped plan the lessons and led classroom teaching sessions designed to give students the English skills they needed for better-paying jobs.
Molly Watkins, 17, of Kenai, Alaska, a junior at Kenai Central High School, created an environmental awareness campaign called "Make a Switch, Make a Difference" to encourage Alaskans to replace standard incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. She has written newspaper articles about the topic, conducted home show demonstrations, developed brochures and children's programs, and collected pledges from more than 800 individuals to switch to the energy-efficient bulbs.
Arizona
State Honorees
Kaitlyn Mulhollan, 18, of Chandler, Ariz., a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, has helped build 10 houses for needy families over the past five years as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and now serves as a team leader for the local Habitat chapter. Accompanied by her father, Kaitlyn worked on her first house when she was just 13 years old, and she has since shown up early every Saturday morning when projects are under way (about 35 Saturdays per year). "The moment you arrive on a Habitat site you know that something great is being done for the community and the people involved," she said. "The attitudes and personalities that surround you create a positive atmosphere that's hard to ignore."
Three years ago, Kaitlyn was promoted to team leader, with responsibility for guiding and assisting small groups of volunteers in their assigned construction tasks. In addition to laboring on the construction sites, Kaitlyn has worked to educate others about Habitat for Humanity's mission; recruited friends and classmates to join the effort; and persuaded her employer, California Pizza Kitchen, to provide meals for construction volunteers. "I not only have learned the techniques and skills required to build a house from the ground up, but also have been shown the difference a small group of people can make to their community and to the world," said Kaitlyn.
Kaycee McNutt, 13, of Yuma, Ariz., a seventh-grader at Castle Dome Middle School, has devoted more than a year to training a puppy to be a guide dog for a blind person, and also volunteers each week at a local veterinary clinic. Kaycee, a longtime animal lover and pet owner, decided to become a guide dog trainer after a teacher at her school brought his puppy to class and talked about the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. "I really enjoyed working with the pup, and later in the year I decided to attend some monthly meetings with our local guide dog group," said Kaycee. "The more meetings I made, the more I realized what a great program it was."
Kaycee received a puppy to train in October 2006 and has since spent almost every waking hour with Blaze, teaching him to walk on a leash, go potty on command, and obey nine verbal commands. In addition, Kaycee takes Blaze with her everywhere she goes, including public places, in order to socialize him at a young age. "Although raising a guide dog takes a lot of time and effort, I feel like I am doing something that can change the life of a blind person for the better," she said. Kaycee also enjoys working at the Desert Veterinary Clinic every Friday after school, where she cleans floors, kennels, and treatment rooms; calms scared animals; helps with paperwork; and pitches in wherever needed.
Distinguished Finalists
Grace Do, 17, of Chandler, Ariz., a junior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, leads two tutoring programs in her community that help recent immigrants learn English. Grace, who used to struggle with English because she spoke Mandarin Chinese at home, is now co-director of the Chinese Immigrant Tutoring Center at her church, where she has volunteered for five years. Three years ago, she co-founded a similar tutoring program at a local library.
Alyssa Goya, 13, of Phoenix, Ariz., an eighth-grader at Mountain Trail Middle School in Scottsdale, has organized a variety of fund-raising activities over the past five years that have collected more than $30,000 to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant wishes to terminally ill children. Alyssa also started a Make-A-Wish club at her school and serves as vice chair of the foundation's "Kids for Wish Kids" program.
Akhila Narla, 17, of Chandler, Ariz., a senior at Dobson High School in Mesa, founded a service and leadership Key Club at her school and currently serves as its president. The club, which boasts more than 70 members, has raised money for breast cancer research, wrapped and delivered gifts for the poor, conducted environmental cleanups, visited the elderly, and conducted many other volunteer activities in the community.
Reed Pratt, 17, of Tucson, Ariz., a sophomore at Sonoran Science Academy, has volunteered for a homeless-feeding program for the past two years, first as a food server and more recently as a "peacekeeper." He helps with crowd and traffic control, ensures that the program's location is smoke- and drug-free, administers first aid, and assists homeless clients who are seriously depressed.
Kenneth Sanchez, 18, of Prescott, Ariz., a senior at Heritage High School, co-founded and is president of Youth Ventures Unlimited, the only e-waste collection and recycling business in northern Arizona. Thanks to this organization, more than 70,000 pounds of computer and electronic waste have been recycled rather than sent to landfills.
Megan Yee, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., a senior at Desert Mountain High School, organized a series of computer classes to teach members of the Phoenix area's Chinese-American community how to use word-processing programs, spreadsheets, email, and the Internet. Megan designed the curriculum, recruited volunteers to teach classes, prepared lesson plans, and taught classes herself.
Arkansas
State Honorees
Ewald Visser, 15, of Bella Vista, Ark., a freshman at Bentonville High School in Bentonville, conducted a school and community campaign to collect new and gently used books for school libraries in South Africa. During a family visit to South Africa, Ewald discovered that many school libraries were in dire need of books. "This was an upsetting discovery for me, as I love to read," said Ewald. "I could not help but wonder how I could help these schoolchildren to experience firsthand what I feel so passionate about."
With help from his parents and school principal, Ewald developed a plan. He placed posters all over the school to solicit book donations and promoted his effort on the school's TV station. Both students and teachers responded enthusiastically; teachers even contributed small prizes for children who brought in books. When a local newspaper and television station picked up the story, donations began flowing in from community members as well. Ewald labeled and packed the books and found a cargo company that agreed to transport the boxes to South Africa free of charge. "If I have made the difference in just one child's life by introducing him or her to my love of reading, then this whole project was indeed worth the time and effort," Ewald said. "Great things can be accomplished when many people work together."
Haydn Bryant, 13, of Morrilton, Ark., a seventh-grader at Morrilton Junior High School, raised more than $5,000 for cancer research, education, and patient care by organizing and leading an all-youth team for the annual Conway County Relay for Life. Haydn wanted to get involved after seeing both of his grandmothers' battles with cancer. "Because of this, I thought I should do something about ways to prevent this disease, which takes so many lives each day and every year," Haydn said.
With help from his mother and younger brother, Haydn recruited friends to form a team called "Kids Crushing Cancer." The team organized three skating parties and a letter-writing campaign to solicit donations and then walked from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on the day of the Relay for Life event. "Someone from our team was on the track all night long," Haydn said. The result: $5,250 for the American Cancer Society. Haydn plans to lead a team again at next year's fund-raiser. "I would encourage other young people to get involved with Relay for Life or any other cancer awareness program so they can feel good about helping millions of people across the world."
Distinguished Finalists
Staci Ashcraft, 17, of Rogers, Ark., a senior at Ashcraft Academy, organized and led a summer lunch program for disadvantaged children and adults in her community. After receiving permission from local officials, Staci solicited free and low-cost food and supplies, planned menus, recruited volunteers, advertised the program, and coordinated the preparation and serving of more than 2,250 meals.
Zachary Early, 16, of Austin, Ark., a sophomore at Cabot High School in Cabot, sparked the creation of a free day camp where more than 400 disadvantaged children have learned about environmental topics and substance abuse over the past five years. With the theme "Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs," Zachary plans camp sessions and activities; recruits and trains volunteers; publicizes the camp in newspaper articles and backpack flyers; and builds children's self-esteem and teamwork skills by teaching them how to fish, cook, clean trails and parks, plant flowers and trees, and make crafts.
Katelyn Hatfield, 17, of Springdale, Ark., a senior at Springdale High School, volunteered to travel to New Orleans to help disabled and disadvantaged victims of Hurricane Katrina. Katelyn and other members of a church group cleaned debris from the backyards of several homes and a church playground, painted, pulled weeds and planted flowers, and helped reroof a local church.
Emily Noles, 17, of Benton, Ark., a senior at Benton High School, raised funds and volunteered for Safe Haven, a shelter for abused women and their children. After undergoing 12 hours of training, Emily began working seven-hour shifts at the shelter, preparing and serving meals, playing with the children there, and comforting the women residents.
California
State Honorees
Amy Holiday, 17, of Granite Bay, Calif., a senior at Granite Bay High School, organized book drives at five local schools and collected more than 10,000 books to create a lending library at a home for abused and neglected children. While working on previous projects at the Sacramento Children's Home, Amy noticed that the facility had no place for its young residents to find and enjoy books. "I know how comforting books are," Amy said. "To provide a library of books to children who had been neglected their whole lives seemed like a remedy for that isolation and loneliness."
After speaking with the principal of the shelter's school, Amy persuaded administrators at five local schools to let her conduct a two-month book-collection campaign. She delivered speeches at school assemblies, distributed flyers and donation boxes to each school, and picked up donated books twice a week. Then, with hundreds of boxes in her garage, Amy spent weeks sorting the books, placing a label in each one, cataloging them into a database, and finally placing them on newly built shelves. She also obtained donations of library furniture and supplies from local businesses. The new library, Amy said, "will benefit every one of the 1,800 kids who are admitted [to the home] yearly, and for most of those young people, it will be their first exposure to reading." The young residents also will benefit from "Page Turners," a program Amy launched with surplus book donations that allows the children to choose three favorite books to take with them when they move to foster homes.
Cristina Bequer, 12, of Blythe, Calif., a seventh-grader at Blythe Middle School, organized a community campaign that collected more than a thousand handmade greeting cards expressing support and gratitude to American servicemen and servicewomen. When Cristina saw a television ad about a national campaign to collect thank-you cards and letters for U.S. soldiers, she decided to get involved. "I felt this was important because no one in our city was heading this campaign, and I wanted our soldiers to know that the city of Blythe supports them and we thank them for protecting our country," she said.
Cristina announced her campaign at a 4-H meeting; gave speeches about it at local schools, city events, and her church; and arranged for a local newspaper and cable television company to publicize her efforts. She then distributed collection boxes to schools and set up tables at a variety of community venues, where people could sign premade cards and posters for the troops. Cristina ended up with 1,100 cards and letters to contribute to the national "A Million Thanks" campaign. "We were able to tell our soldiers how much they are appreciated," she said. "Everyone loves getting mail, especially when it is a card telling you what you're doing is important and that the people of the United States support you."
Distinguished Finalists
Malik Darwish, 17, of Sunnyvale, Calif., a senior at Fremont High School, resuscitated a chapter of the National Honor Society at his school, then recruited chapter members to offer free tutoring to fellow students four afternoons a week. Malik's "Students for Success" tutoring program helped more than 200 students with their academic studies during its first year.
Michelle Davis, 17, of San Rafael, Calif., a senior at San Rafael High School, co-founded a student health club dedicated to combating obesity at her school. The club has conducted a health-assessment survey of the student body, organized schoolwide events to promote nutritious eating, and created communication materials to encourage students to make healthful choices.
Yeon Grace Lee, 18, of Los Alamitos, Calif., a senior at Los Alamitos High School and a member of the Volunteer Center of Orange County in Santa Ana, organized a writing workshop for local youth, created a presentation to educate fellow students about AIDS, and played a key role in planning and conducting a statewide teen leadership summit.
Richard Li, 17, of Danville, Calif., a senior at Monte Vista High School, co-founded the Sunshine Youth Council, a group of middle- and high school students who provide free English instruction to local Chinese senior citizens. Richard's council has tutored more than 50 seniors in beginning and advanced English classes and an American citizenship class.
Corey Linehan, 18, of San Francisco, Calif., a senior at Stuart Hall High School, created No Child Left Unplugged, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the "digital divide" by providing up-to-date computer technology and training to disadvantaged children. After incorporating his organization and seeking approval from school officials, Corey began soliciting donations of funds and equipment, recruited youth volunteers, and launched a pilot program at a diverse elementary school.
Amanda Martin, 18, of Calabasas, Calif., a senior at Viewpoint School, founded a successful jewelry business called Pick Me that gives 100 percent of its proceeds to a variety of charitable causes. She has been able to donate more than $12,000 to UNICEF, the Heifer Organization, OXFAM, the American Red Cross, and other charities by creating and selling earrings, necklaces, and bracelets made from guitar picks. Amanda also leads an annual "Campaign Against Tobacco" week at her school and helped form a school chapter of SADD to help her peers make informed decisions.
Nathaniel Oliver, 17, of Santa Barbara, Calif., a senior at Laguna Blanca School, formed a group that raised funds to help pay the medical and rehabilitation expenses of a student who suffered a severe head injury while playing football. Nathaniel launched a fund-raising campaign at his school and then organized an annual screening of an inspirational film to benefit the stricken student and other disabled youth.
Erica Schild, 18, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., a senior at Francis Parker School in San Diego, created Teen-Senior Connect, an organization of student volunteers who tutor senior citizens in basic computer skills and promote social interaction with seniors. Trained tutors at five high schools in San Diego County, New Jersey, and Connecticut visit local retirement communities on a regular basis.
Mieko Udo, 17, of San Marino, Calif., a senior at San Marino High School, transformed a tiny, underutilized library at a small elementary school for disadvantaged children into a fully functional library. She bought paint and other supplies, renovated an unused classroom for the new library, collected book donations in her school and neighborhood, shelved the books by grade level and title, and decorated the new library with posters and beanbag chairs.
Jessica Willshire, 17, of Anaheim Hills, Calif., a senior at Cornelia Connelly School in Anaheim, collected donations of videotapes to create the Seeing Smiles Video Library for brain-injured children at the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa. Jessica, whose cousin has been at Fairview since nearly drowning in a swimming-pool accident, said she wanted to do something to help stimulate the patients there and "bring a little brightness into their lives."
Colorado
State Honorees
Jenna Machado, 17, of Boulder, Colo., a senior at Fairview High School, founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of depression and suicide prevention, after a cousin took her own life. As Jenna grieved and struggled to understand why her cousin died, she realized that she might be able to help prevent others from suffering similar tragedies. "I want people to understand that they can always get help if they are having thoughts about suicide or feeling depressed," she said.
With help from her parents and a local attorney, Jenna wrote a business plan and applied to form a nonprofit organization. She began holding weekly meetings with 10 friends to share information about depression and suicide, learn about suicide prevention, and plan fund-raising activities. For one of their fund-raisers, they collected clothing donations at nine local schools and throughout the community and then held two clothing sales, which brought in $5,000 and provided 86 treatment sessions at local therapy centers for depressed and suicidal teens who could not afford counseling. The group also has delivered six community presentations on the warning signs and risk factors of depression and suicide, and conducted a peer education program in 24 classrooms at middle and high schools in Boulder County. "There is a lot of work to be done regarding depression and suicide prevention," said Jenna. "The only way we can overcome the stigma is to talk about it, understand it, address it, encourage treatment for depression, and show compassion for those who suffer."
Mark Rinkel, 12, of Aurora, Colo., a seventh-grader at Challenge School in Denver, raised more than $16,000 through lemonade sales and Internet solicitations to purchase and train medical service dogs for his little brother and other children suffering from type 1 diabetes. When Mark's brother, Jason, was diagnosed with diabetes, their mother applied for a "diabetic alert dog" from an organization that trains dogs to detect abnormal blood sugar levels in diabetics. "When Jason was approved for a service dog," said Mark, "I wanted to help him get the dog, and take the burden off my mom, by raising the $6,000 toward the cost of training a dog."
Mark designed and built a unique lemonade stand, researched lemonade recipes, and recruited friends and community members to help him sell fresh-squeezed lemonade (along with a sugar-free option) and distribute diabetes-awareness flyers at community events last summer, often in 100-degree heat. Mark also spent many hours constructing a Website to spread the word about diabetes and solicit donations. So far, he has raised enough money not only to train Jason's dog, but to provide dogs for other young diabetics as well. "I've had hundreds of emails from people who are struggling with the devastating effects of diabetes, who now know that a diabetic alert dog could save their lives," said Mark. "I once felt very helpless. By volunteering, I stopped feeling helpless."
Distinguished Finalists
Alexander Gilbert, 16, of Castle Rock, Colo., a senior at Douglas County High School, helps rescue and rehabilitate abused, neglected, and endangered horses at his family's nonprofit horse-rescue facility. Alexander builds barns and fences, cleans horse pens, feeds and waters the horses, assists vets and blacksmiths, and trains horses to obey basic commands and to trust their owners.
David Hanley, 18, of Englewood, Colo., a senior at Kent Denver School, created the Colorado Volunteer Corps, a youth group that conducts an annual drive to collect school supplies for disadvantaged students. Over the past two years, David's group has collected thousands of basic school supplies at eight elementary schools and donated them to several underserved schools and a few nonprofit organizations.
Sabrina Norton, 17, of Pueblo, Colo., a senior at Pueblo County High School, raised more than $1,000 over the past two years for a local YWCA Family Crisis Shelter by organizing an annual swimming fund-raiser. Sabrina challenges local swim team members to collect pledges from community members for swimming an extra mile during practice sessions.
Travis Price, 17, of Colorado Springs, Colo., a senior at Palmer High School, created "Project TeenFeed," a teen hunger-awareness campaign and fund-raising effort to help disadvantaged teens at the Urban Peak Teen Shelter. After preparing and serving meals at the shelter for several months, Travis assembled a planning committee, solicited corporate donations, developed an informational campaign, persuaded the mayor's office to proclaim a "Teen Hunger Awareness Week," and organized "TeenFeed" food bar events at eight local schools to raise funds for Urban Peak.
Connecticut
State Honorees
Brenden Gobell, 17, of Avon, Conn., a senior at Avon High School, has prepared thousands of meals and served them to residents of a local homeless shelter over the past four years, conducted eight collection drives to supply the shelter with linens and toiletries, and organized a miniature golf tournament that raised more than $1,100 for the shelter. "I truly believe that every human being has a responsibility to help those in need," said Brenden, "and to those who feel they don't have the time or desire, I challenge them to walk into a homeless shelter and rethink their position."
Every other month, Brenden takes responsibility for providing a baked-ziti dinner to more than 120 residents of the South Park Inn Homeless Shelter, first contacting a local supermarket for donations, then purchasing whatever else is needed with his own funds and recruiting a friend to help him cook and serve the food. Through his collection drives—conducted at an elementary school—Brenden has supplied more than 5,000 towels, sheets, and toiletry items to the shelter. His most ambitious project, however, was his miniature golf tournament. For that event, Brenden secured a miniature golf course, designed and distributed promotional flyers and posters, solicited sponsorships and raffle prizes from local businesses, and sold 180 tickets, raising $1,120 for the homeless shelter.
Erika Sloan, 13, of Simsbury, Conn., an eighth-grader at Henry James Memorial School, formed a youth volunteer organization that has raised close to $10,000 for a variety of animal-welfare groups by selling animal-related merchandise. Erika launched "Kids for Paws" with her sister in 2005 after seeing news reports of stranded pets on the Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. "Images of animals stranded and people tearfully speaking of pets left behind tore at our hearts, and we knew we had to do something," said Erika.
They designed a paw-print logo; ordered specially designed bracelets, shirts, magnets, car stickers, and other animal-themed merchandise; and recruited nearly 50 young people to help them sell the items to family and friends and throughout the community. The proceeds have been donated to organizations such as Noah's Wish, the Connecticut Humane Society, and Animal Friends of Connecticut to pay for food and veterinary bills and to run rescue facilities. Erika's group also has conducted towel and blanket drives to comfort shelter animals, and sent supplies such as paw protectors, cooling vests, and goggles to U.S. military war dogs serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I hope we have helped our community realize how much needs to be done to help our voiceless, less fortunate animal friends," said Erika.
Distinguished Finalists
Kristen Fitzsimons, 17, of Enfield, Conn., a senior at Enfield High School, runs a free foreign-language tutoring program at her school. Last year, Kristen managed the schedules of 65 student tutors, who helped 74 other students with their language studies.
Alexandra Schreiber and Jillian Ugol of Westport, Conn., both 17 and seniors at Staples High School, started a volunteering club at their school that arranges for its 45 members to volunteer each week at a local hospital, a nursing facility, a cancer center, and a homeless shelter. The club, called Heart and Soul, also has conducted eight large fund-raisers to finance its activities and to benefit children's charities.
Christina Stewart, 18, of Meriden, Conn., a senior at Mercy High School in Middletown, has volunteered for the past three summers as a counselor at a camp for children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Christina has spent every weekday of each summer at the camp, playing games with the campers, managing art projects and musical activities, and assisting campers in the swimming pool.
Delaware
State Honorees
Anna Schuck, 17, of Wilmington, Del., a senior at The Charter School of Wilmington, founded a school club that has raised more than $28,000 to help build a boys school in Uganda by organizing benefit rock concerts. The H.U.G. Club (for "Helping the Underprivileged Globally") was launched after Anna saw a documentary about the horrific effects of a 21-year civil war in northern Uganda. "I couldn't bear to watch the injustices taking place before me," said Anna. "Why was no one doing anything? How could we sit back and watch millions of people suffer—and do nothing?"
While Anna's club has worked on several projects, its biggest undertaking has been "Rock Uganda," a series of seven concerts featuring more than 40 rock bands. For each show, Anna secured the venue, recruited the performers, distributed promotional flyers, obtained donations from local businesses, and enlisted a large group of young volunteers to help at the event. With more than 300 youth attending each concert, the shows have raised $14,500 to provide dormitories, sanitation facilities, teachers, books, and other necessities for the Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School in Uganda. And many more people have been made aware of the strife in Uganda and the plight of children there, according to Anna.
Matthew Waldman, 14, of Delmar, Del., an eighth-grader at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic School in Salisbury, Md., organized and participated in a variety of volunteer activities benefiting his school, his community, the Salvation Army, and the Humane Society. "I believe in serving my community, looking at the global picture, and helping those who are reaching out for help and who are in need," Matthew said.
Instead of celebrating his last two birthdays with parties and presents, Matthew organized and hosted a student dance, asking attendees to donate food and care items for lost, abandoned, and neglected animals residing at a local Humane Society shelter. "I felt it was important because the animals are helpless," he said. Matthew also worked an entire weekend serving food at a charity antique show, solicited donations as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, purchased Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children, and participated in the Humane Society's annual fund-raising walk. "I learned that there is so much in this world that is so wrong and we all need to help each other," he said. "You have a say in what happens in this world. You can either help it or hurt it. Don't be afraid to go out there and help others."
Distinguished Finalists
Alexandra Browne, 17, of Wilmington, Del., a senior at Mount Pleasant High School, has served as chair of her school's Relay for Life fund-raising event for the past two years, which raised more than $60,000 for cancer research, education, and patient support. Alexandra worked the entire school year on the fund-raisers, holding planning meetings, making presentations at school assemblies, overseeing committees, seeking support from local businesses and organizations, and recruiting event volunteers and team members.
Taylor Folt, 16, of Wilmington, Del., a junior at Brandywine High School, spent a month last summer teaching English and American history to elementary school students in a small town in India. She also helped build a basketball court and install a roof on an outdoor bathroom, taught children Western playground and card games, mentored and encouraged young girls, and worked to promote positive cultural interactions and friendship.
District of Columbia
State Honorees
Elizabeth Bowles, 18, of Washington, D.C., a senior at Washington International School, developed an after-school foreign-language tutoring program for students at a local elementary school. Elizabeth, who began learning French when she was just 3 years old, was surprised to discover that many elementary schools in the District of Columbia do not offer foreign language instruction. "I wanted to share the unique experience I had," she said. "I thought exposing children to another language would give them a chance to see a broader view of the world, just as it had for me."
Elizabeth had little trouble persuading a school in her neighborhood to let her introduce an after-school tutoring program. She then recruited other students at her high school to join her in tutoring and developed a curriculum that emphasized fun activities such as interactive games and art projects. "I wanted the children to have fun playing with language," she said. When a fellow student expressed interest in being a Spanish tutor, Elizabeth expanded the program to include Spanish. Now, 15 tutors work with about 20 children for an hour each Friday afternoon. She is also training a group of high school sophomores to run the program so that it continues and possibly expands in future years.
Joel Joseph, 13, of Washington, D.C., an eighth-grader at Jefferson Middle School, has volunteered in a wide variety of activities over the past several years to help hurricane victims, homeless people, soldiers in Iraq, and students in Uganda. His motivation came from watching his father, Joel said. "He always does his best to help others. I saw this and tried to copy him by doing whatever I could."
First, Joel canvassed his school and community to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina, collecting $300. Then he participated in a fund-raising walk to benefit the homeless and collected donations for the Sojourner Truth Memorial Fund. Later, he participated in efforts to collect and purchase sunscreen for U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and to write letters and send pictures to the troops overseas. Joel also took part in a drive to gather school supplies for disadvantaged Ugandan students. "I work hard, I care about others, and I know that everything I do will benefit someone else twice as much," he said.
Distinguished Finalists
Ashley McBride, 15, of Washington, D.C., a senior at McKinley Technology High School, has been volunteering since seventh grade for the Community Youth Organization, a nonprofit organization that provides clothes, shopping trips, amusement park visits, Broadway play tickets, and mentoring services for disadvantaged youth. Ashley raises funds for the organization by selling candy and raffle tickets and soliciting donations, plans group activities, serves as a trip chaperone and youth mentor, and recruits and supervises other volunteers.
Freddy Possian, 18, of Washington, D.C., a sophomore at Francis L. Cardozo Senior High School, volunteers for the Youth Service Opportunities Project, a group dedicated to helping homeless, disadvantaged, and sick people through several fund-raising and service projects. Freddy helps prepare and serve meals to the homeless, collects new and gently used clothing, helps organize Christmas toy drives, cleans houses for disadvantaged senior citizens, raises funds, and recruits other teen volunteers.
Florida
State Honorees
Mylo Cheng, 18, of Palm Beach, Fla., a senior at Suncoast Community High School in Riviera Beach and a member of the Palm Beach County 4-H in West Palm Beach, developed a health education program that has been implemented by 4-H groups across Florida to teach young people the importance of eating nutritiously, exercising regularly, and spending less time in front of TV and computer screens. After attending a state conference on childhood obesity, Mylo began researching the subject and concluded that his generation desperately needed to improve its lifestyle. "I was shocked to discover that many experts believe the life expectancy of my generation will be lower than that of my parents' generation as a result of our unhealthy habits," he said. "This has never happened before in recorded human history."
With a $1,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health, Mylo created a 50-page "healthy lifestyles" manual containing health facts, diet and exercise suggestions, progress charts, information resources and five lesson plans. As the President of Florida 4-H, an organization with more than 225,000 youth members, Mylo distributed his manual to county 4-H programs and hundreds of youth attending statewide 4-H events, all of whom were then trained to teach the importance of health to their local 4-H groups, friends, and relatives. Mylo also has rallied fellow 4-Hers to support federal legislation to improve physical education in schools, and he is now working to introduce his YEAH! (Youth Empowered Ambassadors for Health) program in local schools.
Bria Brown, 13, of Miami Gardens, Fla., an eighth-grader at North Dade Middle School and a five-year cancer survivor, gives other young cancer patients hope and encouragement by delivering teddy bears to them in the hospital and at their homes. Bria was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when she was 6. After her disease went into remission, she wanted to honor the memories of 17 fellow cancer patients she had met in the hospital who did not survive. She began volunteering for the American Cancer Society as honorary chair of the local Relay for Life fund-raiser and as an advocate for cancer research. But she wanted to do more.
Recalling that many people had given her teddy bears while she was in the hospital, Bria began giving her bears to other children stricken with cancer. Then she recruited friends, classmates, and her Girl Scout troop to help her conduct a teddy bear drive in her community. Before she delivers her bears, she finds out a little about the recipients and then personalizes the bears for them. "The best part is that I get to spend time with each child after I deliver the bear," said Bria. "This project is important because I have the ability to bring joy and hope to kids with cancer. My involvement will continue until there is a cure or until I leave this earth."
Distinguished Finalists
David Akinin, 17, of Miami, Fla., a senior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, co-founded a nonprofit organization that has collected more than 2,500 shoes to protect impoverished Africans against parasites and diseases acquired by walking barefoot. David has recruited other young people in more than 20 U.S. cities and seven other countries to help collect shoes, which are shipped to the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and other African countries.
Robert Bianco, 18, of Palm Coast, Fla., a senior at St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine, has volunteered for the past four summers as a counselor at three summer camps for children, teenagers, and young adults with severe disabilities. During each five-day camp session, Robert was responsible for taking care of all the needs of an assigned camper for 24 hours a day, while trying to ensure that the week was one of the best experiences of the camper's life.
Mary Brummet, 17, of Pensacola, Fla., a junior at West Florida High School and a member of the Chain Reaction teen volunteer center, is an avid volunteer with the Council on Aging of Northwest Florida. She serves on the council's board of directors and has recruited other teen volunteers to help with the council's adult day-care program for people with Alzheimer's disease. Mary also helped create an annual drive that provides food baskets for homebound elderly people one month before Thanksgiving.
Emilio Lopez, 17, of Miami, Fla., a senior at Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, co-founded Digital Conviction, an organization that installs donated computers in underdeveloped areas of Mexico. Emilio, who witnessed firsthand the poverty of Mexico while growing up there, has personally installed 40 computers in six schools in Oaxaca.
Stevie Peacock, 14, of Venice, Fla., an eighth-grader at Pine View School in Osprey, has for the past three years provided backpacks filled with school supplies to 200 incoming kindergartners at an elementary school in Arcadia that was hit by Hurricane Charley. Stevie also has provided supply-filled backpacks to 150 children in several Habitat for Humanity neighborhoods in Sarasota and collected hundreds of toys for children at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Margo Sultenfuss, 17, of Largo, Fla., a senior at Palm Harbor University in Palm Harbor, has raised more than $140,000 over the past several years to buy food for a local food bank by organizing an effort to design, print, and sell holiday greeting cards, and by soliciting business sponsorships and foundation grants. Margo also spearheaded the creation of an endowment for the food bank, funded by the proceeds of an annual summer concert.
Molly Wagner, 17, of The Villages, Fla., a senior at The Villages High School, has been volunteering as a student leader at Spirit Life Church in Ocala since she was in the sixth grade. She has mentored middle and high school students; worked on an abstinence program; and traveled across the country and to nine European nations to help host youth conferences, community outreaches, and youth mentoring activities.
Christina Zarrilli, 16, of Boca Raton, Fla., a junior at Florida Atlantic University High School, has devoted more than 4,000 volunteer hours to a broad variety of activities, including disaster relief, search and rescue, senior citizen aid, veteran and soldier support, and youth mentoring. She also volunteers regularly at community events and delivers speeches to promote volunteerism.
Georgia
State Honorees
Mihir Chaudhary, 18, of Alpharetta, Ga., a senior at Alpharetta High School, formed a club at his school to raise money to help rebuild, refurbish, and resupply war-ravaged schools in northern Uganda. "I became involved in this activity after witnessing the brutal treatment of the children of northern Uganda, in a poignant documentary by the nonprofit international organization Invisible Children," Mihir said. He was particularly bothered by the fact that many Ugandan children are abducted and forced to fight as soldiers. "My access to flowing water, hot food, and a soft bed have made the deficiencies of the northern Ugandan children all the more poignant," he said.
After receiving permission from school administrators, Mihir formed a partnership with the Awere Secondary School in Gulu, Uganda. He then recruited teen volunteers and planned a series of fund-raisers, including dodgeball tournaments, penny collection jars, and candy sales. Mihir also solicited donations from businesses and other organizations. So far, Mihir's Schools for Schools club has raised $4,500 to provide clean water, teacher training, and new books for disadvantaged Ugandan students attending the Awere Secondary School. "My hope is that every dollar earned will be a step in educating a new leader for future generations of northern Ugandans," Mihir said.
Courtney Smits, 11, of McDonough, Ga., a sixth-grader at Union Grove Middle School, conceived a campaign to support returning servicemen and servicewomen who need prosthetics or prosthetic care, and to raise public awareness of the issues faced by these "wounded warriors." Courtney, whose father and stepfather are both veterans with prosthetics, wanted to do something for all soldiers who sustain serious injury in the line of duty. "I felt it was important to bring awareness and support to these heroes who fight for our freedoms as silent warriors and sacrifice so much of themselves each and every day," Courtney said.
With help from her mother and a friend, Courtney designed a Website at www.queensforcourage.com to solicit donations and began planning a series of fund-raising events, including a golf tournament, a family luncheon, and a beauty pageant. The proceeds have gone to the American Legion's Heroes to Hometowns program, which establishes a support network and coordinates resources for severely injured service members returning home, and to Sew Much Comfort, which designs and makes adaptable clothing for service members with prosthetics. "What I can do will never compare to what they have sacrificed, but I will show them that I am appreciative of all they do to protect the freedoms I have every day," Courtney said.
Distinguished Finalists
Yihe Dong, 17, of Athens, Ga., a senior at Cedar Shoals High School, created a service organization dedicated to mobilizing young people to battle poverty in their community. Yihe has recruited volunteers from local high schools to form a steering committee, taken steps to educate others about poverty, and planned peer-tutoring and peer-counseling programs for disadvantaged students.
Emily Dreschel, 17, of Canton, Ga., a senior at Cherokee High School, developed a weekly mentoring program three years ago for at-risk students at a local elementary school. Since then, the number of high school students recruited by Emily to be mentors in the program has grown from 10 to 25.
Caterina Li, 17, of Duluth, Ga., a senior at Duluth High School, helped start Crossroads of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational funding for underprivileged children in rural China. The organization's fund-raising efforts so far have generated more than $31,000 to provide student scholarships, books, newspapers, and school supplies.
Katryna McCann, 17, of Richmond Hill, Ga., a senior at Richmond Hill High School and a member of the Savannah Red Cross, helped found and lead the Richmond Hill Red Cross Youth Group. With assistance from Red Cross officials, Katryna recruited youth members; helped coordinate disaster preparedness training for them; and organized blood drives, a water safety fair, a clothing drive, and other activities to support the mission of the American Red Cross.
Taylor Mullinax, 14, of Rock Spring, Ga., a freshman at Gordon Lee High School in Chickamauga, has made 300 autographable "chemo hats" for children undergoing treatment for cancer at hospitals in Chattanooga, Atlanta, and New York City. She purchases fabric and autograph markers with allowance and birthday money, cuts patterns, sews the hats, and bags each one with a personal note before delivering them to young patients.
Laura White, 17, of Alpharetta, Ga., a senior at Northview High School in Duluth, created a program that has provided swimming and water safety lessons for 115 disadvantaged children in the Atlanta area. Laura, a former competitive swimmer, worked with a local swim club and an organization serving needy children to arrange the lessons, and is now planning to introduce her "Wild and Water" program in Savannah and New Orleans.
Hawaii
State Honorees
Jacqueline Ho, 17, of Pearl City, Hawaii, a senior at Kapalama High School in Honolulu, has been an active volunteer for Special Olympics since she was only 10 years old. "I have always been passionate about helping people with special needs and disabilities and helping them to accomplish things that others believe they are not capable of," said Jacqueline. She was inspired to get involved by her parents' work with Special Olympics: her mother is a vice president of Special Olympics Hawaii and her father is a weight-lifting coach for the organization. Jacqueline began as a bowling partner for Special Olympics athletes, then became a soccer referee. As her experience increased, Jacqueline took on a leadership role at soccer events, helped with paperwork, and assisted athletes in a variety of events. She has encouraged many of her friends to volunteer for Special Olympics as well. Jacqueline's main goal is to make sure the athletes have fun, which requires patience and a positive attitude, she said. "Working with Special Olympics made me the type of person who stands up for others who are unable to stand up for themselves."
Megan Meimei Nakahara, 14, of Kamuela, Hawaii, an eighth-grader at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, played a lead role in a monitoring project that collects data on Hawaiian green sea turtles and raises public awareness of the plight of this endangered species. Megan's interest in the turtles was sparked by a school field trip in the fourth grade. Two years later, when she encountered an opportunity to volunteer with a turtle-tagging group, she jumped at the chance. Megan first had to learn about the turtles so she could help educate the public about the project. Soon she was going on regular data-collection trips to carefully measure turtles' width, length, thickness, and weight so their growth could be tracked over time. Megan has participated in more than 20 such trips, and along with others in her school, has been working with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel to improve turtle research. ?Working with live animals is special because you realize that they have no voice, so humans really need to take care of them,? said Megan, who hopes to pursue a career in marine sciences.
Distinguished Finalists
Patricia Gilpin, 17, of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, a senior at Kealakehe High School and a member of the Kona Family YMCA, has been an active member of her school's Interact community service club since her freshman year and now serves as president. In that role, she recruits members, runs weekly meetings, and organizes activities to benefit the elderly, the hungry, the disabled, and others in her community.
John Pyun, 17, of Honolulu, Hawaii, a senior at Kaiser High School, volunteered for the past three summers at the King Lunalilo Adult Day Care Center. John's responsibilities included leading activities and games, playing guitar and break-dancing for the residents, and developing a Website for the center.
Idaho
State Honorees
Danielle Manning, 16, of Meridian, Idaho, a sophomore at Capital High School in Boise, has collected more than 850 packages of diapers and $1,375 to help stock a store at a public high school for teens who are pregnant or have a child. "About 10 years ago, my cousin became pregnant at age 16, and Marian Pritchett School made it possible for her to keep her baby and still graduate," said Danielle. The school operates a store stocked with diapers and other baby items that students can "purchase" with points earned for good attendance and academic performance. When another cousin of Danielle's also became pregnant at 16 and relied on the school store for diapers, there were none in her baby's size. That's when Danielle stepped in. "I thought about all of the teen moms and how hard it must be to finish high school while trying to take care of a baby, and I wanted to help," she said.
She hosted a Christmas dinner party for 29 friends and asked each to bring a package of diapers. Next, she contacted businesses and her church to ask for donations. Danielle followed that up with a diaper drive at her school, bringing her four-year collection total to more than 850 packages of diapers and more than $1,300. Danielle's project is important, she says, "because it encourages the girls by letting them know that there are people who care about them at a time when friends, boyfriends, and sometimes even families turn their backs on them."
Taylor Leavitt, 14, of Melba, Idaho, an eighth-grader at Melba Middle School, has played a key role in a variety of volunteer projects over the past couple of years and has made a strong impression with his enthusiasm for helping others. When a local family lost their son, Taylor wanted to ease their pain, so he loaded up yard tools and called around to get more than a dozen fellow Boy Scouts to join him in mowing the family's lawn, picking up debris in their yard, and cleaning out their garage. "This was a great, unique opportunity to reach out to others in need," he said. When his church organized a work party to help move people into his community, Taylor was more than happy to carry boxes. When his school scheduled a visit to a local senior citizen residence, Taylor saw it as a great chance to get to know the seniors and have fun with them. Through these and other volunteer experiences, Taylor said, "I grew and became a better person. It helped me become a harder worker and to feel like I'd done something good, which is a great feeling!"
Distinguished Finalists
McKay Nield, 18, of Kimberly, Idaho, a senior at Kimberly High School and a member of the YMCA of Twin Falls, founded the Spotlight Arts Association, a nonprofit organization that has restored student theatrical productions at his school. McKay's group holds fund-raisers, produces an annual school musical, and pays for transportation for students who attend music festivals.
Katie Williams, 17, of Eagle, Idaho, a senior at Eagle High School, worked with a group of high school girls to collect more than $70,000 along with books and uniforms for a school in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. After raising the money, which will enable the school to expand its enrollment from 250 to 800 students, Katie's group traveled to Kenya to visit the school and meet the children there.
Ilinois
State Honorees
Kathleen McGlynn, 18, of Belleville, Ill., a senior at Althoff Catholic High School and a member of the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, created more than 100 recipes for children with common stomach disorders and produced a cookbook, Yummies for Sensitive Tummies. She also designed a Website to educate children with sensitive stomachs about healthful food and lifestyle choices. Because she suffers from pain of her own caused by a back deformity, Kathleen was especially sympathetic when her younger sister was diagnosed with esophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and lactose intolerance. "I knew how it felt to be in pain," she said. "Watching my little sister suffer made me want to do something."
Kathleen began to experiment with different foods to see how her sister would tolerate them, then researched her ailments, interviewed dietitians and medical professionals, compiled lists of nonirritating foods, and recruited volunteer "taste-testers" as she developed her recipes. When her cookbook was finished, Kathleen distributed free copies to children's hospitals in the U.S. and Canada and through www.sensitivetummies.com, a Website that she and her sister built last year. "I take great pleasure knowing that the recipes I have created may help lessen the suffering of even one child," Kathleen said.
Kathleen O'Dell, 12, of Blue Island, Ill., a seventh-grader at Veterans Memorial Middle School, used her own savings and money collected from friends and family members to donate $100 to Children's Memorial Hospital. Kathleen heard about the hospital's need for funds while listening to a "radiothon" in the car with her mother last summer. "Listening to the stories, my mom started to cry, and I was already crying on the inside," said Kathleen.
She immediately bought a piggy bank and put all her babysitting money in it to start the fund. Then she contacted her family and friends and asked them to contribute. Once Kathleen had collected $100, her mother drove her to the hospital to make the donation in person. Kathleen's contribution helped the radiothon raise $1.85 million, which will be used for pediatric research, patient care, education, and advocacy efforts. Kathleen is planning to raise money for the hospital again this year and will be an official volunteer for the radiothon. "I love helping out," she said. "I believe that in a way I am balancing out the world a little bit."
Distinguished Finalists
Allyson Bain, 18, of Vernon Hills, Ill., a senior at Vernon Hills High School, persuaded the Illinois state legislature to enact a law that allows people with medical conditions to use private restrooms in retail establishments. Allyson, who suffers from Crohn's disease and often needs to use a restroom quickly, helped write the language for "Ally's Law" and testified before a legislative committee to encourage the bill's passage. Since then, Allyson has worked actively to get similar laws passed in other states.
Matthew Bauer, 18, of Schaumburg, Ill., a senior at Schaumburg High School, organized four major environmental projects in his community. He conducted an inspection and cleanup of a stream, coordinated a hazardous battery collection, removed invasive plant species at a nature center and replaced them with native species, and winterized the homes of three underprivileged families.
Kelsey Coleman, 16, of Bloomingdale, Ill., a junior at Lake Park High School in Roselle, created a peer-tutoring/interaction program that recruits high school volunteers to tutor and spend time with special-needs students. Kelsey developed her "STARS" program (for "Students Teaching And Reaching Students") when she was in middle school and has overseen its successful introduction and expansion at her high school.
Arun Dahiya, 17, of Flossmoor, Ill., a senior at Homewood Flossmoor High School, has accompanied his physician father for the past several years to Mandori, an impoverished village in northern India, to dispense medicine and vaccines as well as to provide basic health care and health education. Arun, whose father grew up in the village, was moved to action by witnessing the dire conditions that exist in that part of the world.
Nicholas Innocenti, 17, of Oak Brook, Ill., a senior at Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, created "Let's Help Out" at his school, a service club that links students to volunteer opportunities in the community. Throughout the year, Nicholas's group conducts collection drives to benefit local charities, sponsors a family during the holidays, hosts Salvation Army bell-ringing campaigns, and provides numerous volunteer activities for the school's student body.
Tasmiha Khan, 17, of Bridgeview, Ill., a senior at Universal School, teaches an education program that she created for children of participants in an adult program sponsored by the Muslim Ummah of North America. Tasmiha volunteers for the adult program by organizing meetings, preparing meals, cleaning up, and helping with other tasks.
Kellie Kinsella, 17, of Palatine, Ill., a senior at William Fremd High School, organized an ongoing fund-raising campaign to provide funds for a local food pantry after learning that the pantry had run out of food. So far, her "Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine" program has raised more than $15,000 by selling T-shirts and baked goods at a school football game and soliciting donations through the Website www.yhop.org.
Dominic Palumbo, 17, of Tinley Park, Ill., a senior at Victor J. Andrew High School, organized a charity walkathon for young people that has raised awareness of depression and suicide and collected $46,000 to provide more than 800 hours of therapy for depressed and suicidal teens. Dominic, who has battled depression in the past, started his "Out of the Woods Walk" after he found he could not participate in a national fund-raiser because he was too young.
Indiana
State Honorees
Brittany Oliver, 18, of Lafayette, Ind., a senior at Lafayette Jefferson High School, initiated a program called "Reading Teams" that recruits school and community volunteers to read to young children in day-care centers and after-school programs. Brittany said she remembered how her parents used to read to her every night and how that stimulated her interest in learning and prepared her to be successful in school. But "many parents, unfortunately, are not convinced of the extreme need for reading to their children," she said. So Brittany set out to solve that problem.
First, she and her sister volunteered to read to kids at a local YMCA. "I was amazed at how thrilled the children were to have 'big' kids come to spend time and read to them," said Brittany. Then, realizing there were ways to make a bigger impact, she began contacting day-care centers and after-school programs to propose regular reading sessions for their children. Next, she recruited volunteer readers, organized them into teams, and arranged regularly scheduled reading sessions. This year, Brittany is managing 80 volunteers at 10 reading sites. "The most significant measure of Reading Teams' success is the excitement that can be seen on the faces of the children when a volunteer comes to read," she said.
Alison Mansfield, 13, of Fort Wayne, Ind., a seventh-grader at Summit Middle School and a member of the Allen County 4-H, has collected over the past two years large quantities of personal-care items, cookies, and letters of support for service members serving in Iraq and recuperating back in the U.S. She also prepared an educational display of military heroes for the Allen County 4-H Fair. It all began when, for a school project, Alison interviewed a soldier who had been severely injured in Iraq. "I was inspired by his bravery and dedication to his country," she said. "I believe it is important to honor those who have made sacrifices to preserve the many freedoms we enjoy."
Alison worked with several airlines and restaurants to solicit letters to servicemen and servicewomen from their customers, collected more letters through her Girl Scout troop and 4-H club, and set up a letter-gathering booth at the county 4-H fair. She asked hotels and dental supply companies to donate soap, shaving gear, sewing kits, coffee, toothpaste and brushes, lotion, and other items. Everything she collected was packaged and sent to military facilities in Iraq and to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Distinguished Finalists
Carah Austin, 14, of Whiteland, Ind., an eighth-grader at Clark-Pleasant Middle School, organized a 10-hour tour of historical sites in Indiana for 120 disadvantaged and learning-disabled children from four local elementary schools. Carah researched the sites, put together the itinerary, oversaw the student-selection process, recruited adult chaperones and tour guides, secured a $500 grant and snack donations, and paid for all other expenses out of her own pocket.
Sarah Boesing, 18, of New Albany, Ind., a senior at Christian Academy of Indiana, founded a year-round ministry that provides encouragement and support to families facing childhood cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. Last year, Sarah's ministry provided support to 40 families in four states. Its activities included throwing parties for young cancer patients at two children's hospitals, helping to raise $11,000 for a child's bone marrow transplant, and assisting a family with three chronically ill children.
Jacqueline Exline, 18, of Sullivan, Ind., a senior at Sullivan High School, led a fund-raising drive that raised more than $10,000 to start an endowment fund for the Sullivan County Community Kitchen, where she has helped prepare and serve meals for the past seven years. Jacqueline recruited volunteers from her church youth group, helped create an endowment agreement, and then planned and coordinated a luncheon and silent auction featuring gift baskets of donated items solicited from community organizations and businesses.
Daniel Frascella, 18, of Carmel, Ind., a senior at Carmel High School, founded a school chapter of Best Buddies, an international organization that recruits peer "buddies" for people with intellectual disabilities, to provide them with support, friendship, understanding, and acceptance. Over the past several years, Daniel's chapter has grown to become the biggest in Indiana; it has 40 buddy pairs this year.
Marushka Grogan, 17, of Indianapolis, Ind., a high school junior at the Grogan Home School, conducted a folk-art program for 6- and 7-year-old disadvantaged children at the Martin Luther King Community Center last summer. After designing a curriculum and raising money for art supplies, Marushka taught 90-minute lessons in music, dance, and visual art daily for six weeks during the community center's summer camp program for young children.
Ajay Major, 17, of Valparaiso, Ind., a senior at Valparaiso High School, formed a volunteer multimedia team at his school to provide badly needed technological expertise to school staff and students. Ajay's team has assisted with the filming and editing of numerous school events, helps maintain the school's Website, created an audio podcast about the history and culture of Valparaiso, and provided instruction to both school administrators and students in the uses of technology.
Iowa
State Honorees
Sam Wagner, 18, of Davenport, Iowa, a senior at Assumption High School, organized a daylong car wash and then sought donation pledges for each washed car, bringing in more than $18,000 to help Habitat for Humanity build a house for a low-income family. Sam was moved to action when he witnessed a homeless man asking for money on a subway train in Atlanta. "It was quite disturbing to see him walk past row after row of people and receive nothing," said Sam, who had nothing to give but a quarter in his pocket. "After this experience, I wanted to make sure that this would never happen again—I wanted to fight poverty," he said.
One of the best ways to do that, Sam decided, would be to provide a home for a needy family. He rallied the support of his church's youth group, contacted Habitat for Humanity, publicized his "Car Wash for Humanity" project in the news media, and began visiting Catholic churches in the Davenport area every Sunday morning to ask parishioners to pledge five cents for each car washed. On June 9 last year, nearly 50 volunteers washed 506 cars free of charge at two locations, and after all the donation pledges were collected, Sam presented a check for $18,000 to Habitat for Humanity at the groundbreaking of a home for a single mother and her daughter. "I will always remember the smiles on their faces and the true happiness they exhibited," said Sam.
Talia Leman, 13, of Waukee, Iowa, a seventh-grader at The Academy in Des Moines, founded an organization called RandomKid that seeks to educate and motivate young people around the world to work on a broad spectrum of pressing needs. She began two years ago by encouraging kids in her area to trick-or-treat for coins instead of candy on Halloween and donate the money to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. After her cause was publicized by a Midwest grocery chain, Iowa's governor, and NBC's Today show, kids across the country reportedly raised millions of dollars for Katrina victims.
With the help of an adult adviser, Talia then established a nonprofit organization and created a Website (www.randomkids.org) that solicits support from young people everywhere for projects such as selling key chains to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, raising money to build a school in Cambodia, finding homes for stray pets, and collecting DVDs for soldiers overseas. One of Talia's biggest current projects involves encouraging schools across the country to make and sell their own bottled-water products to help fund clean-water technologies in distressed areas of the world. She's also working on setting up a "mini-United Nations" made up of young delegates from around the world who will work together to address global children's issues. "If we want a better world, we need to know that the world does belong to us and that we have the power to make it better," said Talia.
Distinguished Finalists
Kyleigh Huth, 17, of Dallas, Iowa, a senior at Melcher-Dallas High School in Melcher, has conducted an annual warm-clothing drive over the past four years to benefit a local homeless shelter, motivated by the news of a homeless man's death in the bitter cold. Kyleigh's drives have collected more than 4,000 items, including coats, shoes, hats, gloves, and blankets.
Thanh Nguyen, 18, of Des Moines, Iowa, a senior at North High School, orchestrated a campaign to promote awareness of the plight of the Hmong people in Laos and Vietnam. Thanh organized a group of friends to produce and distribute brochures on the topic, walk door-to-door to tell people about the issue, and send letters to members of Congress urging government attention.
Amy Peyton, 18, of Sac City, Iowa, a senior at East Sac County High School and a member of the ISU Sac County 4-H, helped develop a town-improvement program to promote tourism and boost civic pride. Amy organized a group of young people and adults to paint a mural at Sac City's eastern entrance, make improvements to the museum's historical village, develop a "heritage walk" at the Sac County Fairgrounds, and produce a book about Sac County's attractions.
Shelbi Weeks, 13, of Cambridge, Iowa, an eighth-grader at Ballard Junior High School and a member of the ISU Story County 4-H in Nevada, Iowa, personally made 23 quilts and donated them to the neonatal intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines to keep tiny newborns warm. To make an even bigger impact on the hospital's need for quilts, Shelbi also led quilting workshops for her 4 H club and local Girl Scout troops.
Kansas
State Honorees
Megan Beck, 17, of Overland Park, Kan., a senior at Blue Valley West High School, started a party-planning company and used the profits to purchase fluorescent-light shades in classrooms for autistic students. While volunteering in a special-education classroom, Megan learned that the brightness of its fluorescent lights distracted autistic children, but there was no money for shades. After brainstorming with her mother, Megan decided to raise funds for the shades by going into the business of providing entertainment at children's birthday parties, Girl Scout meetings, and team parties.
To market her new Girly Girl company, Megan produced and distributed flyers, spoke at a Girl Scout service unit meeting, and communicated with local teachers. With a loan from her parents, she purchased supplies, then recruited 15 volunteers from area high schools and planned party activities that included games, songs, crafts, dance, and beauty treatments. Megan ended up hosting 16 parties attended by 185 young girls, earning more than $1,000. That was enough to buy 48 shades for nine autistic classrooms in her school district. "By providing these shades, the learning environment of autistic children was greatly improved," said Megan. "I also educated hundreds of adults and young people in my community about the needs of children with autism."
Dara O'Connor, 12, of Prairie Village, Kan., a sixth-grader at Belinder Elementary School in Shawnee Mission, helped produce a video to foster understanding about burn survivors, and assisted in setting up a mobile computer lab for kids in the burn unit of a local hospital. Dara was inspired to get involved by a friend who had been burned. "Carolyn and her family wanted to give back to the community that helped them so much after 90 percent of her leg was badly burned," said Dara. "No person deserves to be treated differently for something that isn?t their fault."
Dara and two friends contacted officials at Children's Mercy Hospital to determine how they could help its burn unit. Their first project was a letter-writing campaign to raise money for an educational video that teaches students about burns and what burn survivors go through during treatment. Next, the group persuaded local business leaders to donate lap-top computers for the burn unit, so that young patients can keep up with their school work. Dara's "Kids Helping Kids Heal" group, which has grown to 24 members, is now working on an inspirational book for sick children, a video for parents of burn victims, and an educational video that helps prevent ostracism of children undergoing treatment for cancer. "I've learned to feel grateful for what I have and what I don't," Dara said.
Distinguished Finalists
Thomas Burke, 17, of Salina, Kan., a senior at Salina High School South, organized an annual run-walk fund-raiser and adoption awareness event to benefit the Salina Animal Shelter. Over the past four years, Thomas's "Walk the Dog" event has raised $4,500 to fund animal-welfare initiatives and has educated many in his community about the shelter's animal adoption programs.
Margarita Caulfield, 17, of Russell, Kan., a senior at Russell High School, started a program called "Making Memories for Tomorrow," which promotes the educational benefits of parents reading aloud to young children and builds enthusiasm for reading among preschool children. Margarita raises money to buy books and make quilts for children in a Head Start preschool, coordinates an annual reading day at the preschool, and delivers presentations to parents about the importance of reading to their children.
Luke Rockefeller, 18, of Topeka, Kan., a senior at Washburn Rural High School, initiated a free errand-running service to assist local senior citizens who can't get out on their own. After obtaining permission from administrators at a local senior-citizen home, Luke made flyers and posters, met with residents to explain his free service, and went shopping for groceries and other goods as well as services needed by his elderly "customers."
Farah Weheba, 17, of Wichita, Kan., a senior at Wichita High School East, organized a series of fund-raising events that collected $5,000 to help build a school for disadvantaged children in Sierra Leone. As president of her school's Global Awareness and Peace Promoters club, Farah organized gift-basket auctions and sales of baked goods and mocha shakes, and solicited contributions from community organizations and businesses.
Kentucky
State Honorees
Katelyn Bowles, 17, of Mount Sterling, Ky., a senior at Montgomery County High School, initiated and spearheaded the renovation of the historic Mt. Sterling C&O Train Depot, rallying fellow students to take on the project and securing $200,000 in grants to pay for it. "One day, my mother and I were driving down the road in downtown Mt. Sterling," said Katelyn. "I looked over and noticed for the first time the disgrace our dilapidated train depot had become. I thought it was preposterous that such a historic building in our community was rotting to waste, and I decided to restore it."
At the suggestion of her mother, a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) adviser, Katelyn led fellow FBLA members in preparing a business proposal and making presentations to gain the backing of local government agencies, then succeeded in obtaining a variety of grants, including $153,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Department. With a full year of work already behind her, Katelyn recruited carpentry students in her school's SkillsUSA club to do the actual renovation work, which is scheduled to be completed next year. The project, involving more than 200 volunteers altogether, is not only "assuring that part of our history and heritage is restored," said Katelyn, but also "proving that teens are capable of doing what they put their minds to."
Riley Miller, 14, of Bowling Green, Ky., an eighth-grader at Drakes Creek Middle School, has raised $50,000 over the past three years for childhood cancer research by organizing a citywide day of lemonade sales. After Riley's little brother lost his battle with leukemia, she "realized how important it is to make a difference in the short time we have here," she said. While visiting her brother in the hospital, Riley had learned about another young cancer patient, Alex Scott, who founded Alex's Lemonade Stands to raise money for pediatric cancer research. "I wished I could do something like that," said Riley. "I really wanted to help these families and children." So Riley decided to host an Alex's Lemonade Stand and asked friends and business owners to help. She received so many offers that she was inspired to put up stands all over town and involve the whole community in her fund-raising project.
Riley set a date for her event, assigned stand locations to volunteers, contacted the news media, made signs and flyers, walked door-to-door to tell people about the sale, and secured supply donations. On Bowling Green's third annual Alex's Lemonade Stand Day last July, Riley managed 200 volunteers and 29 stands, and collected more than $19,000, to bring her three-year total to $50,000. "It was a great day," she said. "I have never felt such pride and sense of being as when I am working hard to help others."
Distinguished Finalists
Victoria Engelhardt, 17, of Paducah, Ky., a senior at Reidland High School, created and operates the Friendship Club Jr. for children ages 3 to 7 at her church during Sunday evening services. Under Victoria's supervision, the children learn Bible stories, make crafts, play games, and eat snacks while their parents attend church services.
Bennett Heine, 14, of Louisville, Ky., an eighth-grader at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic School, has organized a number of service projects through his school's social awareness group to benefit immigrants and refugees around the world. Bennett's efforts have included feeding and tutoring newly arrived immigrant youth at a local community center, raising money for genocide victims in Darfur and for Doctors Without Borders, and conducting a community letter-writing campaign to help spread awareness of the situation in Darfur.
Cameron Lile, 15, of Hardyville, Ky., a ninth-grader at Barren County High School's Trojan Academy in Glasgow, started a chapter of Jarrett's Joy Cart and collected thousands of toys to deliver to sick children at local hospitals once a month. Cameron was inspired to begin this project after hearing about the Joy Cart's founder, Jarrett Mynear, who died after an 11-year battle with cancer.
Andrew Thompson, 16, of Robards, Ky., a junior at Henderson County High School in Henderson, created a small park with benches and flower planters to enhance the beauty of his community. Andrew obtained the necessary approval for his project, raised $1,500 to purchase materials, and recruited fellow Boy Scouts and other community members to help with the manual labor.
Louisiana
State Honorees
Jolanda Burton, 18, of Amite, La., a senior at St. Helena Central High School in Greensburg, established a free student-run service to complete tax returns for elderly and low-income residents in her community and to educate them about tax matters. After learning about tax laws, procedures, and software in a financial math class, Jolanda realized that she "had valuable information that could help my community," she said. She started by completing a tax return for a friend, who then told others about Jolanda's expertise. Soon she was receiving lots of requests for help.
With a grant from the Rural Trust, Jolanda purchased tax software, printer paper, toner, and other supplies. She then recruited and trained classmates to help prepare state and federal returns and to conduct a "Tax Knowledge" class for the community. Once her Free Tax Center was up and running, Jolanda even provided transportation for elderly and low-income taxpayers to get there. The tax service has not only saved residents the trouble and expense of filling out tax returns, but has also enabled them to take advantage of previously overlooked deductions and credits and increased their tax refunds, said Jolanda. "The joy of helping someone or seeing them smile because of something you have done for them is the best feeling of all time," she said.
Carter Boyd, 14, of Shreveport, La., an eighth-grader at Caddo Middle Magnet School, collects new and used athletic equipment to give to needy kids and conducts demonstrations on how to use the equipment safely. An avid sports lover, Carter wanted to share his passion with others but saw that many children could not afford the proper gear. "I looked at all my sports equipment and realized I had more than I could ever use," said Carter. "I thought I could begin giving my equipment to others." The idea grew from there.
To solicit donations, Carter contacted friends and relatives, distributed flyers at his school, made an announcement in his church bulletin, set up drop-off sites throughout the community, and enlisted the help of his Boy Scout troop. He also secured donations from sporting goods stores. In his first distribution, Carter responded to an immediate need for tennis racquets at a local school. Next, he gave a variety of sports equipment to about 100 children at a YMCA and taught them how to use the equipment safely. Carter said he hoped his effort, which he named BAGS (for "Be A Good Sport"), enables those less fortunate to not only share his love of sports, but also develop healthful exercise habits. "Seeing the children come up to me to receive their sports items made me feel really good about volunteering," he said.
Distinguished Finalists
Nicole Briscoe, 18, of Carencro, La., a senior at Carencro High School in Lafayette, has organized or led numerous volunteer projects in her community, including blood drives, roadside cleanups, meal service at homeless shelters, and tutoring programs. Nicole also conducts HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention workshops as a student leader for the State of Louisiana.
Alex LeBlanc, 15, of Abbeville, La., a home-schooled high school sophomore and a member of the Vermilion Parish 4-H in Abbeville, has worked diligently for the past three years to educate people about the importance of taking care of the environment. Last year, he taught a lesson on water pollution to more than 800 children and adults and led a course on litter for 300 children during his city's Litter Awareness Day. Alex also chaired his city's first Great American Cleanup, during which more than 100 volunteers collected 7,000 pounds of trash.
Sean Place, 17, of West Monroe, La., a senior at West Monroe High School, built a 50-foot wheelchair-accessible bridge for disabled children who attend MedCamps of Louisiana. Sean designed the structure, obtained donations of the needed materials from local lumber yards, recruited a team of 20 volunteers to do the construction, and completed the project last April.
James Twardowski, 16, of Mandeville, La., a junior at Fontainebleau High School, has played a variety of key roles in the local community theater organization over the past several years. James has acted in a dozen shows at Playmakers Theater, built sets, worked as a stagehand, volunteered as a counselor and assistant director at the organization's drama camp, and served on the board of directors. In addition, James spent countless hours cleaning up and restoring the theater after Hurricane Katrina caused $150,000 worth of damage.
Maine
State HonoreesTheodore Blaisdell, 16, of Lewiston, Maine, a junior at Lewiston High School and a member of the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA in Auburn, designed and created an "Appreciation Garden" for the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn, complete with new trees, picnic tables, benches, and inspirational plaques. Theodore embarked on his project after he visited the food bank, where his mother was a volunteer, and noticed that the facility's grounds were "in dire need of improvement," he said. He discovered that the food bank had no money for landscaping, and so he met with officials there to propose an attractive garden that could welcome and inspire visitors and provide a place for volunteer workers to relax during breaks.
After consulting a local landscaper, Theodore developed a plan and drew up a list of needed materials. He contacted 40 local businesses to ask for supply donations, then recruited fellow Boy Scouts and organized them into work teams. When he was finally ready to begin, more than 40 volunteers helped Theodore weed and mulch the garden site, plant eight trees, assemble three benches, build two picnic tables, and install inspirational word plaques. Theodore also secured new roadside signs to make it easier for drivers to find the food bank. "Not only is there a visible physical difference in the appearance of the Good Shepherd Food-Bank," said Theodore, "but it is my hope that my project freed up other resources that can benefit families in need."
Chad Worster, 14, of Winterport, Maine, an eighth-grader at Wagner Middle School, has devoted five weeks of each summer vacation over the past four years to volunteering at a summer reading program for low-achieving elementary school students. When a former teacher suggested that the program could benefit from his involvement, Chad recalled his own summer-school experience years earlier and eagerly agreed to help. "At the time, I did not realize the impact I would have on the program or on the kids," Chad said. "I just wanted to make it better for the kids who have to go to summer school."
Chad has to be at school by 6:00 each morning to get ready for his volunteer job. After spending an hour and a half preparing for the day's activities, he leads group lessons in spelling and journal-writing, reads to the kids and has them read aloud to him, organizes games such as kickball and tag in the gym, assists with art projects, and serves snacks. He also encourages and mentors the young students. "Up until my involvement, many students did not enjoy the summer reading school program," said Chad. "I made it fun and gave the students something to look forward to every day."
Distinguished Finalists
Sarah Lafleur, 18, of Camden, Maine, a senior at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport, led a community-wide effort to knit scarves and hats as holiday gifts for people who visit a local soup kitchen. Sarah recruited and trained fellow knitters, secured a donation of materials from a local business, purchased additional materials with earnings from babysitting jobs, and organized after-school "stitching sessions" to help patrons of the Rockland Soup Kitchen stay warm during the winter.
Michael Odokara-Okigbo, 18, of Portland, Maine, a senior at Waynflete School, created a foundation dedicated to raising funds to pay school fees for Nigerian children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Michael and more than 23 fellow volunteers have collected enough money so far to pay $400 annual school fees for 14 Nigerian orphans and to give their foster parents or grandparents additional money for basic needs.
Maryland
State Honorees
Madison Mayster, 17, of Chevy Chase, Md., a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, formed a Braille Awareness club at her school to promote fun ways for visually impaired people to learn Braille and to raise awareness of social and economic issues facing the blind. Madison's mother founded a music and art school for the blind and, as a result, Madison is keenly aware of issues affecting the blind. "As a volunteer at many nonprofit organizations for the blind and visually impaired, I was constantly exposed to the sad reality of the dwindling literacy of the blind," she explained. "Only 9 percent of blind high school students graduate knowing how to read and write in Braille."
Madison took a two-year course in Braille and then learned how to teach the subject by introducing it to sighted elementary students. After launching the club at her high school, she educated its members by inviting a variety of experts to speak at meetings, and she raised more than $3,500 the first year to buy supplies to assist in teaching others. The club has demonstrated innovative Braille-learning methods using a weaving loom and muffin tins at public gatherings, and has taught basic Braille skills to 45 kids in kindergarten through fourth grade. "It is extremely important that today's blind youth learn to read and write Braille, as competency in these areas will create more opportunities for economic and social advancement," said Madison.
Connor Dantzler, 14, of Damascus, Md., an eighth-grader at John T. Baker Middle School, has distributed 5,000 joke books to patients and their families and caregivers at hospitals and care centers throughout Maryland as part of his "Health Through Humor" program. "I thought that if I could bring a smile to a sick or injured person, even if for just a while, then that brief distraction from their condition could be helpful to their recovery," said Connor. "I've always enjoyed reading joke books, and thought that others might like them too."
Connor contacts the public relations staff at hospitals and assisted-living facilities to explain his program and schedule his visits. When his parents drive him on his excursions after school and on weekends, he not only delivers his joke books, but visits with patients to read the jokes and share some laughter. Connor plans to continue his program and perhaps expand it by encouraging other teens to start chapters in their areas. "I've shared a smile and a positive moment with a lot of people," said Connor. "I hope that these efforts have made a difference to those who really needed something to laugh about."
Distinguished Finalists
Christopher Anderson, 16, of Westminster, Md., a sophomore at Westminster High School, renovated an outdoor break area for the Association for Retarded Citizens of Carroll County and made it handicapped accessible. Christopher, who chose this project because his uncle has Down syndrome, recruited more than 40 volunteers and raised over $3,000 to remove old rock, build special picnic tables, replace wooden sidewalks, and plant trees and shrubs.
Jake Brody, 17, of Laurel, Md., a senior at Glenelg Country School in Ellicott City, launched the Happy Fund to collect unused, unexpired blood glucose testing supplies for pediatric clinics in Africa. Jake, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago, named his effort in honor of a young African girl named Happy, who died because she could not test her blood sugar regularly. In addition to his activities with the Happy Fund, Jake has raised $18,000 to support juvenile diabetes research by participating in the annual Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Jamie Burke, 15, of North Potomac, Md., a sophomore at Wootton High School in Rockville, has helped raise more than $100,000 for research on ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) as the captain of a team in an annual ALS fund-raising walk. In addition, she has made 70 blankets that have been given to ALS patients and sold to support ALS research.
Seth Cassel, 17, of Towson, Md., a junior at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, created and maintains a Website that promotes reading among young people by posting book reviews written by him and other students across the country. Flamingnet.com currently features more than 1,100 reviews of books for teens, preteens, and young adults.
Daphna Katz, 17, of Potomac, Md., a senior at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, started a fund-raising and volunteer project called "Adopt an Orphan" to make Nigerian children who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS aware that they have not been forgotten. Daphna has recruited 65 volunteers to send monthly greeting cards and letters to their "adopted" orphans, and has also raised funds and collected clothing to help support the children.
Justin Middleton, 16, of Bowie, Md., a junior at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, organized a project to provide backpacks and school supplies to 100 school children in Sri Lanka affected by the 2004 tsunami. Justin wrote, telephoned, and visited local stores to solicit donations; set up collection stations at churches, schools, and businesses; and recruited his Boy Scout troop to help him sort and package the supplies, which were then shipped to Sri Lanka through the International Buddhist Center.
Massachusetts
State Honorees
Patrick Kaltenbach, 17, of Newtonville, Mass., a senior at St. Sebastian's School in Needham and a member of the West Suburban YMCA in Newton, organized a volunteer effort in eastern Massachusetts that has provided close to 40,000 bags of microwave popcorn to U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. Patrick started his "TroopTreats" program after U.S. soldiers helped treat Patrick and other Boy Scouts overcome by heat and dehydration during the 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree. "Back home, I recalled the soldiers' tales of relishing Boy Scout popcorn over a campfire, and an idea clicked," he said. "Why not help them relive those memories by sending popcorn overseas?"
After Patrick began his project three years ago, he solicited volunteer help from his Boy Scout troop and council, distributed posters and flyers, made speeches, sent out letters and email messages, and participated in city fairs and open-air markets, telling all who would listen that each $1 donation could send a bag of popcorn to a service member overseas. He then arranged for a popcorn manufacturer to ship bags of corn directly to the USO in Washington for inclusion in its care packages for overseas troops. Since then, Patrick's efforts have expanded, and the Boy Scouts have begun a similar program on a national level. "TroopTreats started the way most things begin—with a simple idea and hope," said Patrick. "Nothing earth shattering, nothing great—just one outstretched hand meeting another, changing our world one person at a time."
Laura Greenwald, 14, of Amesbury, Mass., an eighth-grader at River Valley Charter School in Newburyport and a member of the American Red Cross of Northeast Massachusetts in Beverly, created and sold a CD of holiday songs and stories performed by local children to raise funds for victims of domestic violence and disadvantaged people in her community. Seeking to combine her love of music with community service, Laura hit upon the idea of recording a CD and selling it to benefit local charities. "I wanted the CD to be different from what was already commercially available and to represent the belief that I have in people and the hope that I have for the future," she said.
After selecting the music and literary excerpts for her CD, Laura obtained music licenses and legal permissions, recruited six children to join her and her brother as performers, and scheduled rehearsals. Then she secured donations of studio time and technical assistance to record the 54-minute CD. When it was finished, Laura promoted it by sending copies to radio stations, issuing press releases, distributing posters and flyers, setting up a Website (www.believe-CD.com), and placing it in local music stores. Laura sold more than 450 copies of her CD, which enabled her to donate over $3,500 to the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center in Newburyport and Pettengill House in Salisbury.
Distinguished Finalists
Daniel Dietz, 14, of Florence, Mass., an eighth-grader at Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School in Haydenville, performed as a "yo-yo trick master" to raise more than $15,000 so that 60 poor children around the world could get free life-changing surgery to correct their cleft lips and palates. Daniel performed his yo-yo tricks at colleges, concerts, street fairs, nursing homes, and other locations and donated all of his tips to The Smile Train, an international organization specializing in cleft surgery.
Alison MacLeod, 18, of Groton, Mass., a senior at Groton Dunstable Regional High School, has staged an annual "Backyard Carnival" for the past 10 years to raise money and collect food items for a local food pantry and to fund day-care tuition grants for local families. At last year's carnival, Allison raised $1,300 and collected a carload of food for disadvantaged people in her community.
Kayla O'Brien, 12, of Franklin, Mass., a seventh-grader at Remington Middle School, organized a variety of fund-raising and donation-drive activities to benefit homeless children in Massachusetts and Africa. Kayla conducted a book and doll collection drive, organized a fund-raising "pajama day" at her school, sold candy and lemonade, and designed and sold T-shirts. She sent everything she collected to Horizons for Homeless Children in Massachusetts and the Shitima School in Africa.
William Stanton, 18, of Medfield, Mass., a senior at Medfield High School, founded No Strings Attached, a charity that provides refurbished guitars and free music instruction to disadvantaged children. In addition to giving guitars and lessons to kids in a Boys and Girls Club in Worcester, William has collected and fixed up guitars for Iraqi children in Jordan, a school and women's shelter in Iraq, and an orphanage in Afghanistan.
Daniel and Christopher Tweed-Kent of Pittsfield, Mass., both 17 and seniors at Pittsfield High School, organized an annual 1,000-mile relay that has raised more than $34,000 for the Touching Tiny Lives Foundation, an organization that supports children living in Lesotho who have been orphaned or afflicted by AIDS. The identical twins solicit donations from local businesses and then promote the event to attract individuals who raise money on their own and collectively walk 1,000 miles on a local track on the day of the relay.
Michigan
State Honorees
Aida Mandic, 17, of Hamtramck, Mich., a senior at Fitzgerald High School in Warren and a member of the Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross in Detroit, created and single-handedly administered a tutoring program to help fellow Bosnian youth in her community succeed in school and in life. "I have wanted to help my people from as far back as I can remember," Aida said. "We need to prove to the world that the war has not stopped us in our educational pursuits."
Once she decided to start her Bosnian Youth Tutoring Program, Aida found space in a local community center, posted flyers around town, and called friends and Bosnian community members to spread the word about the new service. So far, she has tutored 100 students in math, science, English, computer science, history, and politics. In addition, she educates her pupils about the Bosnian War and genocide, teaches problem-solving and anti-bullying communication techniques, encourages positive attitudes, and helps build lasting self-confidence. Most of her students have increased their grade point averages, she said. "I want to prepare the kids in my program not only for school and the world, but also for dealing with life," said Aida.
Katelyn Philpot, 13, of Brownstown, Mich., an eighth-grader at Renton Junior High School in New Boston, raises funds to send children of fallen police officers to a special camp every year and serves as a mentor to help them deal with their grief. Katelyn's own father was a police officer, and when she was just 6 months old, he was murdered by a gang member. Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors (MICOPS) came to her family's aid, and the more Katelyn learned about the organization's activities, the more she wanted to contribute to its mission. "As I began to see so many kids throughout my life who have gone through the same thing, I knew that MICOPS was their guiding light," she said. "I recognized that these children needed a friend, pined for a normal life, and desperately wanted someone who understood the agony they were experiencing."
With her mother's support, Katelyn takes advantage of every opportunity to tell others about MICOPS, and volunteers at a wide variety of MICOPS events to raise money for children of fallen officers to attend a camp that helps them deal with death and grief. She also reaches out to individual kids in need of someone who can understand their sorrow. "It is very difficult to watch children shed tears and be in so much pain," said Katelyn, "but I know that sharing my story with them helps them to understand that they are not alone and that they, too, can make it through this."
Distinguished Finalists
Raeann Barks, 17, of St. Johns, Mich., a senior at St. Johns High School, provides backpacks full of clothing, school supplies, personal hygiene products, books, toys, and other items for children who are removed from their homes because of domestic violence, abuse, or neglect. Raeann gets donations and volunteer help from many people and groups in her community, assembles and labels the backpacks, and delivers the completed items to local agencies for distribution to displaced children.
Allison Findlay, 17, of Mason, Mich., a junior at Okemos High School in Okemos, organized a volunteer effort to research, restore, and document gravesites at an abandoned pioneer cemetery that dates back to 1841. Allison led more than 70 volunteers in cleaning up the one-acre graveyard, restoring tombstones, and posting burial data on an Internet database.
Alexandra Gasiorowski, 17, of Birmingham, Mich., a junior at Seaholm High School, has raised money for a variety of charities over the past nine years by selling homemade jewelry, baked goods, lemonade, and blankets at an annual classic car festival in her community. Alexandra uses her own funds to purchase materials, spends about five months making jewelry and other craft items, and makes $200 to $800 each year at her lemonade and craft stand for charities such as the American Heart Association, the Red Cross, Oprah's Angel Network, the American Cancer Society, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Michigan Animal Rescue League.
Heather Kern, 17, of Cedar Springs, Mich., a senior at Cedar Springs High School, organized a benefit dance to increase public awareness of pancreatic cancer and raise money for research into the deadly disease. Heather spent three months negotiating for an arena and a DJ, collecting donated door prizes and decorations, and recruiting volunteers to staff the dance, which drew more than 600 attendees and raised more than $3,500.
Jared Lindberg, 18, of Plainwell, Mich., a senior at Delton Kellogg High School in Delton, developed and taught 4-H after-school classes about rabbit care and plant propagation for young children. Jared prepared a class schedule, created lessons and handouts, designed craft projects, recruited volunteer help, purchased materials, and taught his classes over two five-week periods.
Vinay Ramanathan, 17, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a senior at Andover High School, served as a member of the Michigan Civic Education Youth Advisory Committee; helped develop a computer-based income-generation project at a medical trust for the elderly in Bangalore, India; and volunteered at the Providence Hospital Research Department in Southfield, Michigan.
Marti Silver, 14, of West Bloomfield, Mich., an eighth-grader at Orchard Lake Middle School, has been an active volunteer for the past five years. She tutors special-needs children in reading at a local elementary school, helps coach a special-needs soccer league, raises funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and participates in an ongoing canned food donation drive to benefit disadvantaged people in her community.
Marta Zubar, 17, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a senior at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic High School in Warren, assists in preparing for and managing an annual Ukrainian Sunflower Festival in her community, helping to plan for the event, set up tents and booths, recruit other volunteers, and take everything down when it's over. She also is a co-leader of a Ukrainian Girl Scout troop, for which she plans weekly meetings, creates activities and games, and helps girls build confidence and improve their Ukrainian language skills.
Minnesota
State Honorees
Shanna Decker, 17, of Plainview, Minn., a senior at Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School, has visited more than 600 young cancer patients over the past nine years to give them hope and inspire them with her own cancer experience. When she was 7 years old, Shanna had her leg amputated and underwent a year of aggressive chemotherapy for bone cancer. "During this time, I made the decision to take a tragic situation in my life and somehow turn it into a positive experience," she said. "Because I knew how hard it was to travel this lonely road alone, I was determined to make a difference in the lives of others."
She asked her doctors if they could put her in touch with other young cancer patients so that she could visit them. Since then, Shanna has devoted more than 300 hours a year to providing hope and support to children from around the world. "When a cancer survivor walks into the room, patients have a renewed sense of hope, their fears subside, smiles form, and a lifelong bond is established," she explained. During her visits, Shanna delivers "Hearts of Hope" boxes containing gifts and inspirational materials along with a personal message and picture. She also shares her story as a guest speaker at numerous events and has participated in fund-raising activities that have generated more than $120,000 to better the lives of those less fortunate.
Gabrielle Thompson, 13, of Buffalo, Minn., a seventh-grader at Buffalo Community Middle School, raised $5,000 for cancer research by selling luminaries at her school and has written a book about coping with childhood cancer. "How did I become involved?" asked Gabrielle. "Cancer involved me." When she was 4 years old, doctors operated to remove a malignant tumor from her abdomen. After she recovered, she said, "I wanted to do all that I could to help raise awareness of cancer."
So she devised a plan to sell luminaries at her school to honor cancer patients, to raise money for research, and to draw attention to Buffalo's Relay for Life fund-raising event. She also began writing "The ABCs of Childhood Cancer," which takes readers through the alphabet to explain the various experiences a cancer patient can expect, such as "crying" for the letter C. "The most memorable part of this has been seeing the smiles and the glimmer in the eyes of cancer patients when they tell me I have given them hope to keep going, or the look on parents' faces when they say they have more hope that their child will make it."
Distinguished Finalists
Daniel Chahla, 17, of St. Paul, Minn., a senior at Central High School, created a low-cost computer technical-support service and donated all the proceeds—$13,000 so far—to a nonprofit organization that supports refugees around the world. Daniel, whose parents are refugees from Lebanon, uses a self-built Website (www.firstvm.com) to promote his service and schedule appointments.
Carly Fischbeck, 17, of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., a senior at Simley High School, has been knitting hats and scarves for hospitalized children and chemotherapy patients for the past four years, inspired by her aunt's battle with breast cancer. Carly uses yarn that is donated or purchased with her babysitting money, recruits family members and other volunteers to help make the hats and scarves, and delivers the finished products to local hospitals.
Joshua Hiben, 17, of Bloomington, Minn., a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, is president of a service club at his school and is leading a team that is making a motivational youth-driven film for Habitat for Humanity. He also leads a team that volunteers every week at a center for battered women and children.
Carissa Loehr, 18, of Eagan, Minn., a senior at Eagan High School, is an active volunteer at the Minnesota Children's Museum and has created two programs to recruit other young people as museum volunteers. In addition to running museum programs for children, Carissa created and leads training programs for staff and incoming volunteers.
Laura Maciosek, 18, of Minneapolis, Minn., a senior at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, is a volunteer with Amigos de Las Americas, where she tutors Spanish-speaking adults in English. In addition, she spent six weeks last summer in Nicaragua, where she taught classes on health and hygiene and helped build a volleyball court so young people could engage in healthful and fun activities and avoid drugs.
Aisha Moghul, 16, of Fridley, Minn., a junior at Columbia Heights High School in Columbia Heights, delivers a broad range of volunteer services in her community, including tutoring teens in Spanish, helping out in the surgical unit of a local hospital, and volunteering at a private school.
Mississippi
State Honorees
Abigail Hardin, 18, of Clinton, Miss., a senior at Jackson Academy in Jackson, wrote a book to teach children how to be sensitive to those who are different and then used it to lead group discussions with nearly 2,000 schoolchildren across Mississippi. Abigail, who was born with a port-wine birthmark on her cheek, said, "I remember many nights of crying and begging for answers as to why I had this 'defect' on my face." As a result, she said, "I became more sensitive toward others' feelings as I did not want to hurt them in ways that I had been hurt."
Since she loved to write, Abigail decided to write a book that would encourage children to focus on the similarities among people rather than the differences. She consulted with 14 teachers and a child development specialist before writing her book, titled Look At Me, I Am Just Like You. She then found an illustrator and "tested" her manuscript on teachers and on children of all ages. Abigail has read her book to children in schools all over the state and led group discussions on the issues it raises. She also is coordinating a new volunteer program in which students at her school read the book to patients in the waiting rooms of the state's largest children's hospital. In addition, Abigail has established a nonprofit foundation that has raised $4,000 to fund projects that promote character development in children. "I believe if we can help children see each other's value at a young age, we will see less loneliness, racism, suicide, and bullying in forthcoming generations," she said.
Katie Pinkard, 12, of Clinton, Miss., a sixth-grader at Lovett Elementary School and a member of the Girl Scout Council of Middle Mississippi in Jackson, made 132 personal-care bags for abused and homeless women staying at shelters in her area. Katie recently learned how to sew in Girl Scouts and wanted to put her new skill to good use. "God wants us to use our talents and skills to help others," she said. "I thought sewing the drawstring bags would allow me to help women make their lives a little better."
Katie first made calls to four local shelters to determine if the bags were needed, and she received enthusiastic responses. She purchased fabric and sewed together 132 drawstring bags by herself. Katie then visited hotels and casinos in the Jackson and Vicksburg areas and asked for donations of soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, and other personal-care items. Finally, she filled the bags with the collected items and "encouragement pamphlets" and delivered them to the four shelters. "The women in these shelters are usually at a low point in their lives," said Katie. "I hope that this small gift will let them know that people do care about giving them some hope."
Distinguished Finalists
Lynice Higgins, 17, of Hazlehurst, Miss., a senior at Hazlehurst High School, organized an annual Teen Awareness Campaign to teach teenage girls about healthful lifestyles and community service. The campaign, which Lynice has conducted for three years, focuses on topics such as eating disorders, skin care, breast cancer, self-esteem issues, and volunteering.
Eden Johnston, 17, of Mount Olive, Miss., a senior at Simpson County Academy in Mendenhall, has been sewing bibs for elderly veterans and lap pads for overactive young children since 2004 in a project she calls "Sew Love." The bibs help veterans at the State Veterans Home in Collins maintain a sense of dignity while eating, while the weighted lap pads help children in Head Start programs sit still during speech therapy. Eden also has helped increase awareness of the dangers of cardiac arrest and raised $500 to purchase a cardiac defibrillator for her school.
Richard Cooper Kennard, 17, of Starkville, Miss., a junior at Starkville High School, created "Project Armstrong" when he was in eighth grade at Armstrong Middle School, to provide snacks and cleaning items for families staying at a local Ronald McDonald House while their children undergo treatment for cancer. Richard continues to coordinate the project today and has helped donate thousands of items; he also cooks and serves hot meals for the families.
Elizabeth Seratt, 17, of Greenville, Miss., a junior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus and a member of the Girl Scout Council of Northwest Mississippi in Greenwood, initiated a program that encourages generous pet lovers to contribute to a fund that enables prospective and current pet owners with limited means to sterilize their pets at little or no cost. Elizabeth started "Pet Partners" as a volunteer for a local animal rescue organization, when she realized that more people would adopt pets if they could afford the mandatory spaying or neutering.
Missouri
State Honorees
Kristen Allcorn, 18, of Sedalia, Mo., a senior at Smith-Cotton High School, founded The Community Café, a table-service soup kitchen that has served more than 12,000 meals to needy residents since December 2006. While volunteering several times at a soup kitchen in Kansas City, "I fell in love with the idea of helping others through serving food," said Kristen. "It is such a practical way to meet the tangible needs of people." She began looking for similar volunteer opportunities closer to home but couldn't find any program that offered a free hot meal to the needy on a consistent basis. So she decided to start her own.
First, Kristen persuaded a building owner in town to donate space for her café. She then worked closely with the Central Missouri Food Bank to secure a steady supply of food donations. Kristen recruited volunteers from her school's National Honor Society chapter and local civic organizations to prepare and serve the meals and to clean up afterward. As executive director, Kristen organizes food donations, plans meals, schedules and directs volunteers, registers diners, serves food, handles a great deal of administrative paperwork, and runs monthly board meetings. Today, The Community Café provides a hot evening meal to about 60 people five days a week, serving them at tables as if they were eating in a restaurant. "I walk away from The Community Café every day with a sense of accomplishment," said Kristen.
Nicholas Mozer, 13, of Blue Springs, Mo., an eighth-grader at Moreland Ridge Middle School, helped his family raise more than $175,000 for pediatric cancer research over the past four years by operating lemonade stands throughout the Kansas City area. Nicholas's brother, Jacob, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a baby. "Fortunately, he survived, but many other kids don't," said Nicholas. "I want them to have the same opportunity to live as he did."
Nicholas's family began selling lemonade when they learned about Alex Scott, a young cancer patient who founded a nationwide network called Alex's Lemonade Stands. Each year, Nicholas not only sells and serves lemonade, but assists in recruiting hundreds of volunteers to run the family's 24 lemonade stands over a two-day period. In addition, he created a slide show presentation for the corporate sponsors, maintains a Website, helps publicize the event, and helps out in other ways to make sure everything runs smoothly. "I still remember to this day what it was like getting through my brother's cancer," said Nicholas. "No one should suffer, and that is why I am working to cure this horrible disease."
Distinguished Finalists
John Boatwright, 17, of Aurora, Mo., a senior at Aurora High School, constructed a black granite memorial in a town square to honor two soldiers from Aurora who died while fighting in Iraq. John, who raised nearly $10,000 for the project, had the granite sandblasted with a tribute in words and artwork and erected two flagpoles alongside the memorial.
Chelsey Carter, 17, of St. Louis, Mo., a senior at John Burroughs School, volunteers with Extra Hands for ALS, an organization that sends volunteers to the homes of patients living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. In addition to being president of her school's Extra Hands club, Chelsey visits three ALS patients each week to help them with household chores, errands, and other needs.
Maureen Mahon, 16, of Sunset Hills, Mo., a sophomore at Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis and a member of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri in St. Louis, has volunteered as a weekly music minister at her church, cooked and served food at a local soup kitchen, and worked as an assistant at a camp for children with mental and physical disabilities. She also made 500 rosaries by hand and donated them to Cuban missions.
Brittany Pyle, 18, of Lamar, Mo., a senior at Lamar High School, created and maintains a Website for a local shelter to help find homes for stray and abandoned animals. In addition to keeping the site updated with photographs of animals and information on how to adopt them, Brittany provides foster care for animals until they are placed in permanent homes.
Frederick Savage, 18, of Conway, Mo., a senior at Conway High School, started a junior firefighter program three years ago at his local fire department to provide valuable experience and opportunities for those who are too young to serve as volunteer firefighters. In addition, he has completed many hours of fire and first-responder training and is now a certified volunteer firefighter.
John Seipel, 18, of Maryville, Mo., a senior at Maryville High School, played a leadership role in a volunteer group that persuaded the Maryville City Council to ban smoking in local restaurants. John gathered research on the issue and represented the group as spokesperson at council meetings and in media interviews.
Montana
State Honorees
Tamara Ruffatto, 18, of Brockton, Mont., a senior at Culbertson High School in Culbertson, created an in-school reading program for kindergartners and first-graders and a Breakfast Club to tutor third-graders who have trouble with spelling. "When I was little, story time was part of every day and I developed a love for literature," Tamara said. "My enjoyment of reading led me to start my own reading and tutoring program."
For her reading program, Tamara first selects books to read and then develops complementary craft, art, and drama projects to enhance the lunchtime reading sessions she conducts with kindergarten and first-grade students. During her early-morning Breakfast Club meetings for underachieving third-graders, Tamara works on spelling and vocabulary skills while her pupils eat breakfast. "I started this tutoring program for students who need an extra boost for success," she said, and her students' testing scores have indeed improved. Over the past four years, 88 schoolchildren have benefited from Tamara's two programs. But her volunteer activities don't end there. She also creates goody baskets for the elderly, helps deliver vegetables and fruit from her family's garden to a senior citizen center, raises funds for missionaries serving in Madagascar, and makes cookies and coffee for voters on election days.
Hannah Burlingham, 14, of Hamilton, Mont., an eighth-grader at Hamilton Middle School and a member of the Ravalli County 4-H, created "Operation Cloverleaf," an ongoing effort to collect donations and assemble care packages for members of the U.S. military serving overseas. "Our servicemen and women are doing great things all over the world," Hannah said. "I really do feel that these men and women are heroes."
To let U.S. troops know they're appreciated back home, Hannah decided to send them "Montana Freedom Boxes." She began by soliciting donations from veterans groups; civic organizations; businesses; and people at garage sales, parades, and craft shows. With these funds, she purchased snacks, stationery, stamps, socks, toiletries, magazines, and other products and packed them into boxes with the assistance of volunteers from her 4-H group and a local retirement home. Hannah also included a personal letter in each box. She then filled out customs forms and mailed the packages to servicemen and servicewomen whose names she collected from members of her community. So far, Hannah has shipped more than 150 Montana Freedom Boxes. "I became involved in this project so our troops will know that I love them and that I'm thankful to be an American," said Hannah.
Distinguished Finalists
Aubrie Beard, 17, of Choteau, Mont., a senior at Choteau High School, solicits food donations from her community to fill bags that are sent home with needy students every weekend. To get her "Backpack Buddies" program off the ground, Aubrie sought the approval of fellow FCCLA club members and school officials, publicized her plan, recruited student volunteers, and wrote informational letters to parents. She sorts and packs the donations every week, and then coordinates efforts every Friday afternoon to discreetly place the bagged items in designated lockers and backpacks.
Timothy Seery, 15, of Great Falls, Mont., a freshman at Russell High School, has used his artistic talent to raise money for a variety of charitable efforts. He donated paintings to auctions benefiting the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art and the Animal Foundation, and painted the cover of the Great Falls Junior League Community Calendar. He also led his school's National Junior Honor Society chapter in raising money for the Animal Foundation and contributed money he earned as a Montana legislative page to that cause.
Nebraska
State Honorees
Shane Williams, 18, of North Platte, Neb., a senior at North Platte High School, has been volunteering to work on the state's annual NEBRASKAland Days (NLD) celebration since he was 10, and he has led his high school class in collecting canned goods for an annual food drive during the last four years. Shane began volunteering by working with his mother on projects she coordinated as an NLD board member. As he grew older, he took on more and larger tasks, including painting a pavilion and grandstand, building a storage shed, coordinating cleanup days, organizing data in the office, ushering at a rodeo event, and serving as a talent show emcee. For his biggest project, he coordinated the complete remodeling of NLD offices, raising money for the project, recruiting and organizing volunteer help, and working on all aspects of the renovation.
When he was a freshman, Shane assumed the leadership of his class's efforts for the North Platte High annual food drive and collected more than $6,000 in donations each year. In addition to soliciting donations, he recruits other volunteers, arranges for storage space, and helps transport, sort, and deliver the canned food. "To volunteer, you have to get out of your comfort zone and have a positive work attitude," Shane said. "I would encourage other young people to get their feet wet in volunteering. It has many payoffs that one can never imagine."
Kennedy Healy, 13, of Omaha, Neb., an eighth-grader at Gretna Middle School in Gretna, formed the Help MDA Hope Club, a five-member youth group that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and provides weekly assistance at a local MDA office. Kennedy, who has spinal muscular atrophy, started supporting MDA soon after she began receiving services from the association. "I felt that it was a must to help," she said. Despite being in a wheelchair, Kennedy has been able to lead her club in organizing three carnivals, two bake sales, and a teen dance. For each event, they created and distributed flyers, solicited donations of raffle prizes and other necessary items from local businesses and individuals, recruited additional help, and handled the setup and cleanup. So far, the club's efforts have yielded more than $6,500 for MDA. Kennedy and her fellow club members also spend four hours a week at the local MDA office stuffing envelopes, filing, and helping out in other ways. In addition, Kennedy gives speeches for MDA and appears in its telethons. "From my experiences, I learned that it never hurts to ask, and you will never know unless you try," she said.
Distinguished Finalists
Elizabeth Timberlake, 18, of DeWitt, Neb., a senior at Tri County Public Schools, organized her own 4-H club to teach riding skills to other girls who could not afford their own horses. Members of Elizabeth's Horseless 4-H Club have performed in horse showmanship events at the county fair for the past three years and have been encouraged to participate in a variety of community service projects.
Minh Thu Tran, 16, of Lincoln, Neb., a senior at Lincoln Northeast High School, started the Study Buddies Program to provide special tutoring assistance to special-education students, English-language learners, and other nontraditional students at her school. Minh has recruited 35 high-achieving buddies to work one-on-one each week with students needing help with their academic class work.
Nevada
State Honorees
Rachael Lambin, 18, of Gardnerville, Nev., a high school junior at the JRJ Homeschool in Minden, raised and donated more than $30,000 to purchase land and help build a new school for orphans in one of the largest slums in Kenya. She also organized an effort to collect 2,500 pounds of books for the school. Rachael has been an avid volunteer since she was 6 years old, spearheading community service projects ranging from a river cleanup to awareness campaigns about asthma and obesity. Her most recent endeavor began after she heard a man from Kenya speak at her church about a school that lacked adequate space and resources in the slums of the Mathare Valley outside of Nairobi. "I saw a need and began to act on it," said Rachael. "I was going to find a way to purchase land, build a school, and provide it with books and supplies."
Rachael organized garage sales, sought donations from local businesses and churches, applied for matching funds from other organizations, and donated prize money she won from another volunteer awards program. She then organized a volunteer group to help her collect textbooks, Bibles, and school supplies from schools and churches for the Kenyan orphans. Last summer, Rachael traveled to Kenya with her family and church to see the new school building. While there, she helped teach a summer Bible school for 3,000 kids, participated in a symposium for women, and worked in the slums. "I know there are poor people in our own backyard who need help," said Rachael, "but even the poorest of the poor in America are living much better than the average person in Mathare."
Christine Koski, 13, of Reno, Nev., a seventh-grader at Billinghurst Middle School, collected more than 1,000 new and gently used books for disadvantaged children and families in her community. When Christine's mother suggested a book drive as a Girl Scout project, Christine and a friend decided to tackle the project. "I liked this idea because both my friend and I enjoy reading, and we thought that other kids our age would have books that they have outgrown and would be willing to donate," Christine said.
Christine and her friend distributed promotional flyers and then decorated donation boxes and set them up around libraries, churches, and schools. They sorted the books they received into age-appropriate categories, erased pencil marks and repaired damaged pages, and delivered the donations to Washoe County's Read to Succeed program. Christine plans to continue collecting books for needy children and their families. "A book drive is a lot of work," she said, "but you'll feel good about it because it benefits so many people."
Distinguished Finalists
Alexander Belbin, 17, of Fallon, Nev., a senior at Churchill County High School, raised funds and helped build a house for a poor family in Tijuana, Mexico. After extensive planning and fund-raising activities, Alexander and other youth volunteers from his church purchased supplies, traveled to Mexico, and spent one week building a two-room stucco house for the four-member family.
Allison Knott, 17, of Las Vegas, Nev., a senior at Faith Lutheran Junior/Senior High School, established a nonprofit organization that provides free horseback riding lessons and events for children of military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters, nurses, and special-needs teachers as a way of saying thank you to the heroes of her community. In addition to riding lessons, Allison and her sisters have hosted "play days" and parties, sponsored riders in local horse shows and junior rodeos, and trained volunteers at local schools to help with their program.
Charles Mann, 17, of Wellington, Nev., a senior at Smith Valley High School in Smith, makes and sells prayer bracelets to help pay the medical bills of two young women undergoing treatment for cancer. Charles purchases supplies, recruits friends to help him make the bracelets, and then sells them at his school as well as at craft fairs and local hair salons. He also raised money for his cause by organizing a "Hats Off for Cancer" fund-raiser at his school.
Rachel Willimott, 16, of Silver Springs, Nev., a sophomore at Silver Stage High School and a member of the UNCE-Lyon County 4-H in Yerington, helps plan and organize an annual Easter egg hunt and raffle for disadvantaged children and families living in her community. Along with her parents and the members of a community club, Rachel publicizes the event, solicits donations of funds and raffle prizes, shops for supplies, prepares Easter eggs and baskets, and coordinates activities on the day of the event.
New Hampshire
State Honorees
Aditya Ashok, 17, of Nashua, N.H., a senior at Bishop Guertin High School, is an AIDS activist who has worked in several capacities to spread awareness of the disease, both in the United States and abroad. For the past two summers, Aditya served as a kids' counselor at a vacation camp in New York State for families with at least one HIV-positive member—an experience that has fueled his passion to fight the epidemic. "I saw people at Birch Camp who were broken, and I saw people who have overcome so much," he said. "I was inspired by both groups to do more to help members of society crippled by the insidious HIV."
Aditya began working on AIDS awareness projects at Birch Camp and then co-founded a school club dedicated to the cause. He volunteered as an intern at an AIDS awareness organization in Massachusetts, where he organized a fund-raiser, established a teen advisory council, and created an online teen advice column with 16 contributors from around the world. Last summer, despite having suffered a collapsed lung, Aditya traveled to Ghana to work with an international volunteer agency to help set up an AIDS awareness and prevention program there and deliver presentations at local schools. "Awareness is the most effective weapon," said Aditya. "There is nothing more gratifying than helping those who need it."
Brianna Hartford, 14, of Littleton, N.H., an eighth-grader at Daisy Bronson Middle School, volunteered to help her former elementary school art teacher almost every day after school last year. Brianna began assisting the teacher during recess while she was still in elementary school and then offered to continue even after graduating to middle school. "Helping my former art teacher was important to me because she had been a great teacher," Brianna said.
During her after-school work sessions four days a week, Brianna performed a variety of tasks, including sorting and delivering completed student projects to homerooms, washing tables, cleaning floors, putting materials away, and organizing shelves. She also told fellow middle-school students about her project and encouraged them to help their former elementary teachers. "I learned from my volunteer experience that it is important to set aside time each day to help others and to always help people who have helped you in the past," said Brianna.
Distinguished Finalists
Kat Howland, 15, of Dover, N.H., a sophomore at Dover High School, organized a campaign that challenged high school sophomore classes across the state to collect food items for the New Hampshire Food Bank. She also has cleaned up trash along New Hampshire's coastline, painted a homeless shelter, volunteered with Special Olympics, and helped organize activities for National Youth Service Day in her state.
Jessica Luscinski, 17, of Bedford, N.H., a senior at Trinity High School in Manchester, is the lead snowboard instructor for the New England Handicapped Ski Association, an organization she has served for the past five years. She gives snowboarding lessons every weekend during the winter to students from 7 to 20 years old with disabilities ranging from mild autism to traumatic brain injuries.
New Jersey
State Honorees
Matthew Renzulli, 18, of Wayne, N.J., a senior at Wayne Hills High School, organized an extensive collection effort that has yielded more than 20,000 pairs of socks for homeless and other disadvantaged people in Paterson, N.J. When he was very young, Matthew volunteered with his family at a homeless shelter called Eva's Village, where he met a homeless man who wore sandals with no socks, even in the bitter cold of winter. "His feet suffered greatly from the effects of his diabetes," said Matthew. "I thought I must do something to help him and others who came to Eva's Village."
Matthew began buying and making sock collection containers and asking local churches, schools, and businesses if he could place them on their premises. He now picks up sock donations every week from more than 45 "Eva's Sock Drops" in six counties; counts, sorts, and packages the socks; and stores them in his garage until they are delivered to Eva's Village. He also has been able to pass along donations of underwear, hats, gloves, and scarves to the shelter. In addition, he has involved his school in the project, arranging for students to get event and car wash discounts if they donate a pair of socks. "I am fortunate that I have been able to help poor and needy people in the inner city," said Matthew. "Hopefully, the contribution of clean, warm socks has helped bring some joy and comfort to these people."
Joey Rizzolo, 13, of Paramus, N.J., a seventh-grader at East Brook Middle School, organized a Freedom Walk in his town last September that more than 450 local residents joined to remember the lives lost on 9/11 and thank first responders, U.S. service members, and veterans. Joey had been involved for several years in a program that sends "goody bags" to men and women in the military. When he heard about plans for a Freedom Walk in Washington, D.C., to honor 9/11 victims, he decided that one should take place in his town, too. "My town suffered great losses on September 11," explained Joey. "Even though six years have passed, the hurt still lingers."
After obtaining the approval of town and school officials, Joey recruited a faculty sponsor and student volunteers and formed a committee to help him plan a school assembly, make presentations to other schools and community groups, find a location for the event, and promote it. Joey and his committee also planned the program, rented tents and other equipment, arranged for food and refreshments, and raised more than $7,000 to defray costs. "It was an emotional and uplifting experience," said Joey. "Over 450 people gathered together to remember, reflect, and renew their commitment to freedom and the values that make America strong."
Distinguished Finalists
Emily Hall, 18, of Hackettstown, N.J., a senior at Hackettstown High School, assembled more than 200 gift bags full of donated toys and games for underprivileged children undergoing treatment at two hospitals. To supply her bags, Emily solicited donations of money and toys from family and friends and stood in front of a local Wal-Mart to ask shoppers to purchase and then donate items on her shopping list.
Anne Carter Haughton, 17, of Princeton, N.J., a senior at Princeton High School, launched a project with her sister to collect donations of new and gently used prom dresses for girls from poor families in Appalachia. Over the past two years, the "Prom Dreams" project has distributed 367 gowns throughout two counties in Kentucky and West Virginia.
Sasha Lipton, 17, of Mountainside, N.J., a senior at Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, started a program that rescues, refurbishes, and recycles plastic toys so that unwanted playthings bound for landfills can be given to needy children instead. Thanks to the program, named Second Chance Toys, more than 600 toys have been "saved" and delivered to organizations serving the disadvantaged all over New Jersey. Recently, an affiliate chapter opened in Pennsylvania.
Rebecca Moran, 18, of Cape May Court House, N.J., a senior at Middle Township High School and a member of the Volunteer Center of Monmouth County in Long Branch, started a campaign to tutor disadvantaged children in reading and raise money to buy books for children and school libraries. Her "Tri-State Read to Succeed Campaign" has grown to include 750 reading tutor volunteers in several states and has raised $90,000 for book purchases.
Mark Quien, 17, of Moorestown, N.J., a senior at Moorestown High School, has been active in projects benefiting homeless and other poor people in Camden, N.J. He has organized toy and clothing drives for a homeless shelter, recruited friends and classmates to volunteer at the shelter and at a soup kitchen, and formed a club at his school to attract others to this cause.
Ryan Zimmerman, 17, of Cranford, N.J., a senior at Cranford High School, organized an all-day, town-wide volleyball tournament last year to increase awareness about cancer and raise money for cancer research. His "Learn and Serve Marathon" drew more than 250 local residents and raised $2,600 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization and the American Cancer Society.
New Mexico
State Honorees
Carley Frick, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., a senior at Sandia High School, recruited fellow Key Club members to tutor homeless children at a local elementary school and then developed a books-on-tape program to help the children improve their reading comprehension skills. As president of her school's Key Club, Carley was looking for community service opportunities when she learned that the Albuquerque Public Schools District needed volunteers for an after-school program for homeless kids. Soon after, she and her club members trained to become tutors, and for the past two years, they have spent six hours a week reading, playing games, and sharing meals with their young pupils.
During the tutoring sessions, Carley realized that "these children do not have access to books on a regular basis." So she conceived a project called Carley's Reading Corner. She collected books and cassette tapes, sought permission from publishers, recorded the books with a tape player, and drew up comprehension questions for each book. She then taught the children how to use the tape recorder so they could follow along with books when she was not there to help them. She also designed activities to enable the kids to work on specific reading skills. "Creating programs to improve reading comprehension is a very important part of educating our youth and helping them prepare for their future endeavors in life," she said.
Kimberly Turner, 13, of Alamogordo, N.M., a seventh-grader at Chaparral Middle School, started an annual school and community drive to collect donated blankets and toiletries for victims of domestic violence. Kimberly learned about these victims through the Center of Protective Environment (COPE), a shelter in Alamogordo. "They leave their homes with nothing, and they need everything to start a new life free from abuse," Kimberly said.
To help address their needs, Kimberly conducted a "Blanket and Bath Blitz" at her school to collect bed sheets, blankets, towels, and bath supplies for women and children staying at COPE. The next year Kimberly expanded her "Blitz" to include two other middle schools and local businesses. She made posters, created a public service announcement for local radio stations, arranged for drop-off locations throughout the community, and then collected and delivered all of the donated items to COPE. Kimberly also conducted a fund-raiser at her school to help pay the veterinarian bills for a dog that was attacked by a group of students. "I would tell other people to get involved because you never know who you have helped or if one day you will be the person needing the help," said Kimberly.
Distinguished Finalists
Christopher Simpson, 15, of Raton, N.M., a sophomore at Trinidad High School in Trinidad, Colo., sought donations and recruited 20 fellow volunteers to help him replace the roof of a local animal shelter. Christopher and his team also cleaned up the shelter's grounds and installed a new shelf in its office.
Jacob Wellman, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., a senior at Cibola High School, built an outdoor picnic area for a school that had no place for its students to eat lunch. Jacob raised more than $700 for the materials, solicited in-kind donations, recruited 50 fellow Boy Scouts and friends to assist, and managed the transformation of a barren outdoor area into a welcoming lunch spot for students and teachers.
New York
State Honorees
Jennifer Zwilling, 17, of Brookville, N.Y., a senior at Jericho High School in Jericho, founded and implemented the Youth Ambassador Training Program of the National Tourette Syndrome Association, a nationwide program that trains teens to educate other young people about Tourette Syndrome. Jennifer was diagnosed with the neurological disorder at the age of 7. "Although my mom and I attempted to educate my school, I found that people were not as tolerant, understanding, or knowledgeable regarding TS, as one would hope," she said. She soon discovered that other kids with TS had the same experience and decided something had to be done.
She began helping local families of children with TS advocate for themselves and started speaking in schools. When requests for her presentations grew too numerous to handle, Jennifer contacted the National Tourette Syndrome Association to see about launching a program that could train other young people to replicate her activities. Jennifer developed a training manual, presentation handouts, and a PowerPoint presentation on a DVD and began recruiting teens to be trained as youth ambassadors. So far, she has trained more than 100 teenagers from all over the U.S., spoken at 56 schools, and traveled to Washington, D.C., four times to speak at Congressional briefings and receptions and to visit individual members of Congress. She estimates that more than 3,000 students, teachers, and academic advisers have received accurate information about TS through her program. "I have learned from experience that knowledge is power," she said. "Knowledge about TS gives classmates the power to accept, understand, and be supportive."
Kara Houppert, 12, of Webster, N.Y., a seventh-grader at Willink Middle School, has collected more than 70,000 returnable bottles and cans over the past two years and redeemed them for more than $3,500 to purchase items for two children's hospitals, a local Special Olympics team, and other organizations. Kara was a Special Olympics volunteer until her coach discovered that she was under the minimum age requirement. "I was very upset and wanted to do something that could still help them," Kara said. At first, Kara pulled her little red wagon around her block, collecting redeemable bottles and cans from neighbors. Then she wrote an article about her project for her school newspaper and asked local businesses to save their containers for her. Her campaign really took off after she was featured in an article in her city newspaper, and people began to drop off their cans and bottles at her house.
Once she collects her items, Kara sorts and delivers them to a recycling company with the help of her parents. She set up a "Kara's Kans" account with the company so that anyone who drops off cans and bottles can contribute their proceeds to her project. So far, Kara has used her money to buy several items for Golisano Children's Hospital and the pediatric unit of Rochester General Hospital, as well as books about special-needs kids for her former elementary school, sweatshirts for her community's Special Olympics team, and necessities for families in need. She just finished working to help a local woman pay for breast cancer treatments, and is now helping to raise money for a young boy who may need a heart transplant. "I hope and plan to continue doing this and would like to expand to other fund-raising ideas," Kara said. "There are always people who need help."
Distinguished Finalists
Devang Bhoiwala, 17, of Slingerlands, N.Y., a senior at Guilderland High School in Guilderland Center, founded a student volunteer club dedicated to informing teens about the U.S. health care system and supporting free local clinics through volunteerism and fund-raising events. The club, Students for Improving Health Care, hosts speakers on health care topics, participates in health-related community events such as health walks and expos, organizes fund-raising activities, and sends volunteers to help out at local clinics and nursing homes.
Meredith Burcyk, 17, of East Northport, N.Y., a senior at Northport High School, helped raise more than $100,000 to fund projects for disadvantaged people in Nicaragua and then traveled to that country to work on those projects. While there, she helped build houses for poor families, expand a kindergarten, create a park and basketball court, and teach English and poetry to needy children.
Laura Mantell, 18, of Chappaqua, N.Y., a senior at Horace Greeley High School, co-founded a volunteer group of students along the East Coast dedicated to helping young victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. The group has raised more than $10,000 for the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity on the Gulf Coast, developed a self-esteem and goal-setting program for young students in Mississippi, and started a pen-pal program connecting third-graders in Mississippi to counterparts in New York State.
Jason Mogen, 17, of Dix Hills, N.Y., a senior at Half Hollow Hills High School West, has collected more than 3,000 pairs of used eyeglasses over the past year and a half for impoverished adults and children around the world. As a volunteer for the Give the Gift of Sight Foundation, Jason organized collection campaigns in schools and local organizations, encouraged other groups to start their own drives, and helped volunteer optometrists and opticians with eye tests and eyeglass distributions at a camp for disadvantaged kids in Fishkill, New York.
Ann Price, 17, of Jamestown, N.Y., a senior at Jamestown High School, participated in a number of fund-raising events sponsored by the City of Jamestown Project YES (Youth Engaged in Service); evaluated and awarded mini-grants to other youth volunteers as president of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Community Conscious Youth; served as student ambassador for the Robert H. Jackson Center for Legal Studies; and helped her school's Key Club collect books for disadvantaged young children.
Raphael Spiro, 17, of Forest Hills, N.Y., a senior at The Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx, co-founded a book-collecting program that has grown to encompass more than 200 student volunteers in 16 states over the past four years. The group has collected donations of more than 44,000 new and gently used books for distribution to Hurricane Katrina victims, wounded soldiers in Iraq, students living in bomb shelters in Israel, seniors in nursing homes, and disadvantaged inner-city students.
Sheel Tyle, 16, of Pittsford, N.Y., a senior at Pittsford Mendon High School and a member of the United Way of Greater Rochester in Rochester, has spent most of his spare time over the past four years conducting medical research to help find cures for macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, and epilepsy. Working under mentors at several medical facilities, Sheel studies existing scientific literature, conducts laboratory experiments, writes papers on the results, and presents his findings.
Samantha Williams, 18, of Huntington, N.Y., a senior at Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, helped raise $70,000 for cancer research by selling bracelets made by cancer survivors and volunteers. As the New York distributors of bracelets for the Circle of Hope Foundation, Samantha and her family sell bracelets at craft fairs, festivals, fund-raisers, private bracelet parties, their temple's gift shop, and individually to friends and family.
North Carolina
State Honorees
Nicholas Marriam, 15, of Clayton, N.C., a freshman at West Johnston High School in Benson, brings a smile and a gift to sick children in a program he started after spending two years in the hospital fighting cancer. Nicholas was just 6 years old when he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma. "I felt very scared and saw my parents cry a lot," he said. "I fought hard and finally won my battle but did not want the kids who were still struggling to feel alone."
Nicholas began collecting games and toys from friends and businesses to bring with him when he went back to visit kids in the hospital where he had been treated. "The feeling was overwhelming," he recalled. "I saw so many kids smile and laugh, I knew I wanted to do this all of the time!" After his family moved from Maryland to North Carolina, Nicholas formed a nonprofit foundation to celebrate five years of remission, took his program to hospitals in the Raleigh-Durham area, and recruited his cousin back in Maryland to continue his hospital visits there. Nicholas now organizes fund-raisers and uses money from summer jobs and grants to purchase the toys he leaves behind on his hospital visits. He also does some public speaking, manages a board of directors, and handles his foundation's paperwork. "It's the hardest thing I have ever done," he said. "But I know it will make a difference to a child lying in a hospital somewhere who is scared and lonely."
Garrie Brocato, 13, of Charlotte, N.C., a seventh-grader at Southwest Middle School, recruited a team of friends to help her raise more than $36,000 for cancer causes and organize events throughout the year to increase cancer awareness. Garrie's interest in volunteering began when she accompanied her mother to an American Cancer Society Relay For Life meeting several years ago. "I listened to what was going on and I knew immediately I wanted to be involved in this fight against cancer," said Garrie.
She gathered a group of friends together for the Relay For Life fund-raiser and in only three months, Garrie's team raised more than $4,000 by selling homemade valentines and bookmarks and holding an Easter egg giveaway. When it was over, Garrie kept her team together, not only for future relays, but also to stage events focusing attention on breast exams, the dangers of cigarette smoking, skin cancer prevention, and other cancer topics. She holds weekly meetings at her home and sends out a regular newsletter to team members and sponsors. Garrie also initiated an art supplies drive for cancer patients at a summer camp and shaved her head to show support for those suffering through chemotherapy treatments. "I know that all that I have done is so small, but I believe that if every person did one thing to make the world a better place, then it would be," Garrie said.
Distinguished Finalists
Max Cohen, 18, of Charlotte, N.C., a senior at Charlotte Country Day School, initiated a school and community book drive that produced more than 3,000 used textbooks and novels for underprivileged South African school children. He also encouraged a friend at another school to conduct a similar drive, which resulted in the shipping of an additional 1,000 books to the nonprofit organization Books for Africa.
Erika May, 13, of Cary, N.C., an eighth-grader at Lufkin Road Middle School in Apex, has been tutoring and mentoring a homeless boy from her school for the past five years. Erika, with help from her family, has helped the boy improve his grades and gave him opportunities that he never would have otherwise.
Svyatoslav Petrov, 17, of Raleigh, N.C., a junior at Ravenscroft School, has been volunteering for the past four years as a mentor to Russian orphans affected by the 1986 nuclear plant disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. In addition, he developed a health education program to teach these children about healthy eating, substance abuse prevention, and ways to improve their weakened immune systems.
Matthew Sabo, 18, of Salisbury, N.C., a senior at Salisbury High School, collected thousands of bottles of toiletries for victims of Hurricane Katrina, along with clothing, furniture, cleaning supplies, tools, and household items. He also raised $4,600 to purchase construction supplies to build houses in Pascagoula, Miss., where he joined in the rebuilding effort.
Nathaniel Sink, 18, of Lexington, N.C., a senior at West Davidson High School, constructed a swing set and renovated the surrounding park grounds for a local tabernacle. Nathaniel raised $6,000 to purchase materials, recruited a group of volunteers to assist, and managed the project from start to finish.
Lisa Waugh, 18, of Winston-Salem, N.C., a senior at Forsyth Country Day School in Lewisville, created "Love Thy Neighbor," a project organized through her church that throws block parties every two weeks for the homeless and other needy people. Lisa, who has raised $16,000 to support the project, organizes activities and meals for the parties and arranges for donations of personal care items, bus passes, and other necessities for the attendees.
North Dakota
State Honorees
Lauren Weigel, 17, of Bismarck, N.D., a junior at St. Mary's Central High School, has raised $35,000 over the past eight years for an annual Minnesota motorcycle rally supporting pediatric brain tumor research, and last year, she helped organize a similar rally in North Dakota. Lauren was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 8, and then she suffered a stroke during a biopsy procedure and became partially paralyzed. While undergoing treatment and therapy that eventually enabled her to regain most of her abilities, she learned about the Ride for Kids, a motorcycle rally held every summer in Minnesota to raise money for brain tumor research. "I told my mom that I wanted to raise some money to help find a cure," she said.
Since she doesn't ride a motorcycle, Lauren opted to support the event by knocking on doors in her area and singing jingles—she wrote a new one every year—asking for donations. When a local motorcycle club heard about Lauren's jingles, the members invited her to a meeting that resulted in a decision to hold their own motorcycle rally. Lauren participated in all the planning for the Dakota Kids Cancer Ride, and she and her mother took charge of the promotional activities. The ride, held last August, drew 87 bikers and raised $4,700. "I do this because I consider it a miracle to be here, and I need to do my part to make more miracles happen," said Lauren. "I've been given another chance, and I need to make it count."
Phil Brockman, 14, of Thompson, N.D., an eighth-grader at the PRB Homeschool, has worked to increase enthusiasm for math and science among young people over the past three years by coaching elementary school students for math competitions and by writing math and science articles for a regional newspaper's teen page. "To some, math is an endless battle that makes no sense," said Phil. "I want people to see that math is much more like a soccer match than a battle—there are multiple ways of achieving the same goal, but most importantly, there is excitement in the process!"
Phil, a three-time state middle-school math champion, serves as a co-coach and organizer for the Math Masters team at his former elementary school. His responsibilities include recruiting team members, preparing weekly problems for them to practice, and coaching them in math contests. Instead of using textbooks, he creates fun and engaging math games and activities to stoke his students' enthusiasm and improve their skills. Recently, Phil also helped revitalize a middle-school math club that was in danger of dissolving. In addition, Phil has written more than 20 articles for the teen page of the Grand Forks Herald, most of them about math or science topics. "Through my coaching and writing, I hope to make more people fans of math and problem-solving—skills that are utilized in all fields and aspects of life," said Phil.
Distinguished Finalists
Ashley Hurley, 18, of Harvey, N.D., a senior at Harvey High School, has coached a Special Olympics basketball team for the past five years. Ashley, whose sister, Chris, is a player on the team and is Ashley's inspiration, helps teach basic skills, coordinates schedules, and manages scrimmages and games.
Ashley Knutson, 17, of Fargo, N.D., a senior at Fargo South High School, has volunteered for the past two years at a local thrift store whose proceeds benefit a local hospice. In addition, she is a dedicated volunteer at her church, teaching religious classes, running preschool art programs, organizing children's programs and summer camps, and playing music at Sunday school and worship services.
Ohio
State Honorees
Andrea Mitchell, 17, of Findlay, Ohio, a junior at Findlay High School and a member of the Hancock County 4-H, creates and delivers free educational programs on an astonishing array of topics for children, teens, and adults throughout Ohio. As a child, Andrea enjoyed many educational programs and activities provided by volunteers for children in her community, and she later realized that "without volunteers, I would have missed out on the experiences I value and cherish so deeply." Wanting to offer others the same opportunities she had been given, Andrea decided to create her own programs to "teach children about things outside of their everyday lives and inspire them to become involved in community service."
She prepared herself by taking a variety of leadership training courses and then developed a presentation about her favorite 4-H activity: training assistance dogs for the disabled. Andrea received such a positive response that she set out to learn and teach other subjects and began targeting adults as well as kids. Since then, she has prepared and presented programs on pioneers, canoe safety, line dancing, teen mentoring, citizenship, llamas, crafts, and other topics at churches, schools, libraries, nursing homes, Scout and 4-H events, and county and state fairs. Andrea now teaches more than 60 educational programs each year, and she estimates that her activities have benefited more than 12,000 people over the past four years.
Alexis Roll, 14, of Zanesville, Ohio, an eighth-grader at East Muskingum Middle School in New Concord, undertakes at least two community service projects each month to help homeless and hungry people, senior citizens, orphaned pets, and others needing assistance. Inspired by her grandfather's volunteer spirit and her own involvement in Girl Scouts, Alexis is constantly looking for needs in her community and then doing something to fill them. In the past, she has served meals, solicited donations of canned food, and made strawberry pies for local food pantries and homeless shelters. She also has made quilted blankets, collected warm clothing, and donated personal items for needy children.
Other activities have included making caps for cancer patients, bathing and walking animals at a local animal shelter, volunteering at an American Cancer Society Relay For Life event, raising money for diabetic children, helping nursing home residents celebrate birthdays and holidays, and sending 650 Christmas cards to American troops serving overseas. Each year Alexis supports her volunteer work by asking her birthday party guests to donate canned goods, clothing, money, or other items to help the needy instead of bringing presents. "Doing all these things has made me realize that this world is in great need of help, love, and compassion and that simple things can go a long way and make a huge difference," said Alexis.
Distinguished Finalists
Menaka Apana, 17, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a senior at Indian Hill High School, spends her summers and winter breaks volunteering for organizations dedicated to helping AIDS orphans and other needy children in India and Africa. Last summer, Menaka traveled to Kenya to assess the needs of AIDS orphans and teach AIDS prevention classes, and previously, she worked with organizations in India to promote the rights of underprivileged children and eliminate child labor.
Caitlin Jackson, 18, of Dayton, Ohio, a senior at Oakwood High School, traveled to Bolivia last summer to volunteer at a home for abused girls. When she returned home, Caitlin recruited student volunteers to make and sell pesto sauce to support the Bolivian girls' home.
Benjamin McMullen, 13, of Chesterland, Ohio, an eighth-grader at West Geauga Middle School, organized a student volunteer group dedicated to preserving wetlands and an endangered hawk species. Benjamin's Wetlands Education Team has created an outdoor classroom at his school to teach fellow students about wetlands, presented education programs at other schools, and spearheaded the design and construction of new nesting platforms for ospreys.
Mikaela Shaw, 17, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a senior at McAuley High School and a member of the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, created a teen board for a community food pantry called Teens Working Together as One. Mikaela recruited students from nine high schools to serve on the board, which raises funds, collects food donations, and provides volunteers for the pantry.
Drew Snyder, 16, of Springfield, Ohio, a sophomore at Kenton Ridge High School and a member of the Clark County Chapter of the American Red Cross, raises funds and conducts school and community collection drives to benefit a local homeless shelter. To collect money and items for the shelter, Drew has organized events such as a school dance and a talent show, played in golf scrambles, and solicited donations from fellow students and local businesses.
Jocelyn Tingley, 18, of Celina, Ohio, a senior at Celina High School, entertains children at hospitals and at bereavement, burn, and spina bifida camps. She performs as a magician, teaches the children magic tricks, and conducts collection drives for toys, games, and videos for hospital wards.
Jolie Yang, 17, of Centerville, Ohio, a senior at Centerville High School, has been campaigning against tobacco use since she was in the eighth grade. She has visited schools to educate students about the dangers of tobacco, lobbied city officials to make her town smoke-free, collected signatures to restrict smoking throughout Ohio, formed a student anti-tobacco group, and traveled to Taiwan to encourage teens there to start their own anti-smoking organization.
Sophia Zaman, 18, of Strongsville, Ohio, a senior at Strongsville High School and a member of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio in Akron, created two community learning centers for disadvantaged preschool and elementary students. Sophia found locations for the centers at a Head Start preschool and an inner-city elementary school, recruited volunteer help, cleaned and renovated the classrooms, organized a community-wide Girl Scout book and toy collection drive, and raised funds to purchase additional supplies for the centers.
Oklahoma
State Honorees
Haley Armstrong, 17, of Norman, Okla., a homeschooled high school junior and a member of the Cleveland County 4-H, initiated an ongoing collection campaign to provide dog and cat food to 150 Meals on Wheels recipients in three towns so they would not have to split their meals with their pets. The project was born when Haley heard that some clients of Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the homes of senior citizens in need, feed a portion of their food to their pets because they cannot afford pet food. "It is important for them to keep their animals because many are homebound, or they live alone," said Haley. "As an animal lover myself, I understand the impact and importance pets have."
Haley recruited her 4-H club to help her solicit donations from dog clubs, pet food companies, and local businesses. But when that didn't produce enough, they planned several fund-raisers, obtained a grant, won the support of a local veterinarian, and launched a communitywide pet food drive. Over the past three years, Haley and her fellow 4-H members have collected at least 21,000 pounds of pet food as well as $8,000 to buy more. The number of Meals on Wheels clients receiving pet food has grown from 60 to 150, and the program has expanded beyond Norman to two nearby towns. In addition, Haley has assisted other 4-H clubs in starting similar programs in their areas.
Isac Shephard, 13, of Arapaho, Okla., a seventh-grader in the Arapaho Public Schools, has volunteered at a Cub Scout day camp for the past two summers to ensure that young campers have a fun and rewarding experience. Isac, who attended the camp when he was younger, said, "I knew there was a need for volunteers. Without volunteers, it would be impossible to have a successful camp for the boys who want to attend."
At the camp, Isac taught young boys how to handle a BB gun safely and what to do if they find a real gun in their house or yard. He also was placed in charge of keeping activity stations supplied with ice water and stood in for adult volunteers when they were needed to chaperone Scouts who did not have a parent or other adult to accompany them. But most of the time, Isac's job was to make the Scouts feel comfortable around their fellow campers and help them get the most out of their activities. "I hope that by my willingness to share my time, I will influence other Scouts to do the same," said Isac.
Distinguished Finalists
Brian Daly, 19, of Oklahoma City, Okla., a senior at Mount St. Mary High School, organized an annual Halloween carnival at his school for special-needs children who live throughout Oklahoma. Brian and a group of fellow students he recruited have raised more than $6,000 to support the carnival over the past three years.
Brittany Easter, 17, of Tulsa, Okla., a junior at Bixby High School in Bixby, has initiated a wide variety of volunteer projects over the past 11 years. Most recently, she volunteered hundreds of hours in the gift shop of a local hospital and created a mobile Cheer Cart that she wheeled from floor to floor to cheer up patients. Over the past year, she also played the French horn in several Tulsa Youth Symphony concerts and the mellophone for the Pride of Bixby Marching Band.
Sishir Mannava, 18, of Edmond, Okla., a senior at Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City, taught English, math, and science to a small group of children in an impoverished school in India. Sishir's project began during a visit to India with his family and turned into an act of service when he "stumbled upon" the school during his visit.
Ashley Zumwalt, 17, of Choctaw, Okla., a senior at Choctaw High School and a member of the Tinker Area YMCA in Midwest City, leads the Oklahoma Chapter of Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (S.A.F.E.), which has collected more than 4,500 stuffed animals over the past two years to give to children who are victims of abuse or natural disasters. Ashley's efforts have provided a symbol of hope to children affected by Hurricane Katrina, the California wildfires, flooding in Texas, and tornadoes in Oklahoma.
Oregon
State Honorees
Morgan Hammers, 18, of Malin, Ore., a senior at Lost River Junior/Senior High School in Merrill, established a Sparrow Club at her school to raise funds for a sick child and promote community service among her fellow students. Morgan's service-learning teacher gave her a book about the origins of Sparrow Clubs USA, a national nonprofit organization of school-based clubs that raise money to assist children in medical crises. "It was such an inspiration that I emailed the organization to find out more the day I finished reading it," said Morgan.
With help from the national organization, Morgan found businesses that agreed to sponsor a Sparrow Club or make smaller donations and also found a family facing huge medical bills for a critically ill child. Then she held a kick-off assembly at her school and organized meetings with interested students to come up with service and fund-raising ideas. As club members performed a variety of volunteer projects in the community, Morgan kept track of their hours to qualify for their sponsorship pledges. Morgan's effort ultimately involved more than 300 students and community members and raised more than $3,000 for her club's Sparrow family. "I have learned the importance of caring, understanding, a deeper sense of family, and just how an illness can affect a family," said Morgan.
Elizabeth Rushing, 12, of Jefferson, Ore., a seventh-grader at Jefferson Middle School and a member of the Girl Scouts of Santiam Council in Salem, cleared and restored an overgrown nature garden at her former elementary school. Although Elizabeth no longer attends the school, her bus passes the garden every day. "It was a mess," said Elizabeth. "It used to be beautiful, with flowers and plants in the planters and bird houses around the garden. After years of vandalism and lack of upkeep, the garden just began to die."
Saddened by its condition, Elizabeth decided to restore the garden. After obtaining permission from the school, Elizabeth's grandfather helped her fill seven pickup trucks with weeds and debris, and the school's groundskeeper taught her how to cut down a dead tree with a chainsaw. She then asked local businesses for donations of wood, paint, plants, and bark chips. With help from her grandpa, fellow Girl Scouts, students at the school, and other members of the community, Elizabeth built and installed new benches and birdhouses, planted flowers and native Oregon shrubs, and reconstructed a path around the garden. "The transformation of the garden from mess to beauty was amazing," said Elizabeth. "The students now have an area that can bring nature to the classroom."
Distinguished Finalists
Michelle Dubenko, 17, of Aurora, Ore., a senior at North Marion High School, participated in a church-sponsored mission trip last summer to Honduras, where she helped complete the construction of a well, build a roof for an orphanage, and teach Bible studies to the orphans. Michelle, one of the youngest members of the mission team, dug trenches, painted, poured concrete, cleaned houses, and played with the children.
Julia Pidasheff, 17, of Oregon City, Ore., a senior at Oregon City High School, started Friends of Music, a club at her school that recruited 20 music students to teach 15 special-needs students how to play the piano. Julia, who taught her autistic brother how to communicate through music by teaching him to play piano, instructed the volunteers in her music theory method, led the piano classes, and organized an end-of-the-year recital.
Rebecca Soules, 18, of Coos Bay, Ore., a senior at Marshfield High School, coordinates all the activities at Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery throughout the year, including volunteer workdays and Memorial Day ceremonies. In addition, Rebecca has marked the graves of veterans and replaced headstones and is compiling a computer database of cemetery records.
Chelsea Thompson, 17, of Gladstone, Ore., a senior at Gladstone High School, has led the Big Brother Big Sisters program at her school for the past two years. The program pairs 25 high school mentors with 25 middle-school students in need of positive role models. Chelsea interacts with administrators at the middle and high schools, interviews prospective mentors, organizes activities and outings, and mentors her own "little brother."
Pennsylvania
State Honorees
Kristin Brandt, 17, of Lock Haven, Pa., a senior at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, initiated a 16-month project to build a modular home and haul it 1,200 miles to Mississippi, where it was presented to an 80-year-old woman who had lost everything to Hurricane Katrina. After the storm receded, Kristin was impressed by all the food, water, clothing, and medical supplies that were being donated for the victims, but she began to wonder about their long-term needs. "Where would all these people live after the television cameras and media saturation disappeared?" she asked. "It was then that I began to think how I could help make a difference."
After obtaining approval from her school district, Kristin recruited a faculty adviser and formed a school club called Homes of Hope. She sent out nearly 1,000 letters soliciting help from every business, civic organization, and religious group in her county; delivered speeches at community meetings; and caught the attention of local news media. As contributions began to trickle in, she organized a holiday concert, football ticket raffles, Teacher Dress-Down Days, and other fund-raising events. With more than $20,000 in hand, as well as donated materials and services from many businesses, Kristin and her club's vice president recruited 20 students from her school's vocational program to help them construct a two-bedroom house on the high school grounds. When it was finished, a local company offered to transport the new home to Pass Christian, Miss. "We watched as this home was set on its new foundation," said Kristin. "It was overwhelming to see the gratitude as I handed Mrs. Ashley the keys to her new home."
Sean McAdam, 13, of Lewisberry, Pa., an eighth-grader at Allen Middle School in Camp Hill, has helped his adoptive family nurture and mentor more than 100 foster children in their home since he was a young boy. Sean was a foster child until he was adopted at the age of 3. "I now have this great life and owe it all to foster care and this wonderful family," he said. "Foster kids need a lot of love and attention, and I am happy that I can contribute some of this to them."
When new foster children come into his home, Sean tries to figure out their unique needs and challenges and then works to befriend them and gain their trust so that they'll feel comfortable talking about their problems. "I let them know they can count on me for help and leadership when things get tough," he said. He eagerly shares his time and possessions with his foster brothers and sisters, and he always remembers how important it is to serve as a good role model for them. In addition, Sean asks his peers at school and on his baseball and football teams to accept and include his foster siblings in their activities. "No child should go without someone who cares for them, loves them, and wants to teach them right from wrong," Sean said. "I am looking forward to working with many more foster kids, and I am excited about the challenges they bring."
Distinguished Finalists
Peter Croke, 18, of Bethel Park, Pa., a senior at Seton-La Salle Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, was inspired to raise money for several charities benefiting sick and disabled children after a neighbor girl died from a brain tumor at the age of 15. Peter spearheads an annual Christmas poinsettia fund-raising sale, donates wages earned from a holiday job, and collects pop can tabs in order to support a Ronald McDonald House, the Down Syndrome Center of Western Pennsylvania, and Caring for Kids: The Carrie Martin Fund.
Rachel Ford, 17, of Jenkintown, Pa., a senior at Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Flourtown, coordinates a group at her school that visits and conducts projects for a homeless shelter for mentally ill women in Philadelphia. Rachel, who has expanded the group from three to 21 members, plans an annual Christmas party at the shelter, organizes drives to collect items needed by the residents, and writes grant proposals to obtain funds for the shelter.
Marco Giovengo, 18, of Wexford, Pa., a senior at North Allegheny Senior High School, volunteers and raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Marco, who has muscular dystrophy, attends many events throughout the year as a goodwill ambassador for MDA and participates in fund-raising events for the association. In one event last year, he personally raised more than $6,000 to conduct research and send kids to MDA camps.
Molly Hritzo, 17, of Holland, Pa., a senior at Villa Joseph Marie High School, spearheaded a project to build 10 floating platforms to enhance the survivability of redbelly turtles, a threatened species, in local reservoirs. Molly also has mentored young athletes on cross-country and track and field teams, worked on numerous fund-raisers to fund pediatric cancer research, and supported an African orphanage for AIDS victims.
Elizabeth Richardson, 16, of North Wales, Pa., a junior at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in Gwynedd Valley and a member of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania in Miquon, has for many years helped organize an annual drive to collect baby products for new mothers who cannot afford them. Elizabeth and other Girl Scout volunteers make and distribute informational flyers and donation bins, collect and sort the donations, deliver the packages to homeless shelters and community centers, and recruit other teen volunteers to help.
Alexa Schreier, 14, of Mountville, Pa., a freshman at Lancaster Mennonite High School in Lancaster, creates "Birthday in a Box" parties for children staying at the Milagro House, a transitional shelter for homeless women with children. Alexa keeps track of the children's birthdays; solicits donations of funds, gifts, and party supplies from community organizations; and has delivered close to 100 of her "birthday boxes" over the past two and a half years.
Hilary Schwartz, 17, of Macungie, Pa., a senior at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, co-founded a school Breakfast Club, whose members volunteer throughout the community and raise money for a variety of charities. In addition to making and selling chocolate-covered pretzels at an annual fund-raiser, the club has conducted sing-alongs at a local retirement home, organized a Games Day at a Boys and Girls Club, and performed other acts of service.
Kimberly Tancredi, 18, of Chadds Ford, Pa., a senior at Archmere Academy in Claymont, Del., raised $2,000 to purchase Christmas presents and other items for more than 100 disadvantaged children at a day care center in Wilmington, Del. Kimberly collected the money through bake sales and auctions of donated prizes, then purchased toys, warm clothing, and other items and recruited a volunteer Santa to help distribute the gifts at the Ministry of Caring day care facility.
Rhode Island
State Honorees
Rose Kenyon, 15, of Wakefield, R.I., a ninth-grader at South Kingstown High School in South Kingston, has spent more than 300 hours a year over the past few years training two puppies to serve as guide dogs for the blind. Rose loves dogs, and as a 4-H member, she has been involved in many volunteer projects. When she heard about the opportunity to raise puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, she said, "I thought it would be a great thing to do."
After attending a six-month training class, Rose received her first puppy and began to understand how much time and patience her new volunteer project required. Even when she had homework or wanted to hang out with friends, she had to come directly home from school each day to exercise her dogs and train them to obey basic commands. And in order to get her puppies accustomed to all types of places and situations, she had to take them almost everywhere with her—to the mall, church, concerts, restaurants, even to doctor appointments. But "the most difficult part is giving your dog away after 15 months of training," said Rose. She was able to meet the blind girl in Kentucky who received Rose's first guide dog. "She walked so proud with her new companion, and you could tell how incredibly grateful she was," said Rose.
Jena Piccolo, 13, of Westerly, R.I., an eighth-grader at Westerly Middle School, supervises and mentors children at summer and fall youth programs conducted by a local church. "I have a friend who goes to the church," she explained. "She invited me to go with her, and I have been helping out ever since." Jena takes charge of a group of 10 children during the church's weeklong Vacation Bible School, teaching Bible lessons, organizing games, working on crafts, and singing songs. In the fall, Jena manages a group of 15 children as they work on the same kinds of activities. She also helps them memorize Bible verses, checks their homework, and serves refreshments. When a young girl approached Jena one day to thank her, Jena said, "I realized that what I was teaching the kids was really helping them." Jena has told many others about her volunteer experience and some have joined her programs as a result.
Distinguished Finalists
Michaela Connelly, 17, of Coventry, R.I., a senior at Coventry High School, has played a leadership role in her school's Interact Club over the past few years. As treasurer of the club, Michaela has helped organize school supply drives for needy children, a Coventry Idol competition to benefit the Coventry Food Bank, and a Christmas concert at a nursing home.
Alexa Furtado, 17, of Jamestown, R.I., a senior at North Kingstown High School in North Kingstown, is involved in numerous volunteer projects in her community. She serves as a story hour assistant at the local library, stocks shelves at a food pantry, and delivers gifts to needy families at Christmastime. Also, as an active member of her school's Interact Club, Alexa volunteers at an animal shelter and works as an assistant in a special-education class at a local elementary school.
South Carolina
State Honorees
Brittnii Watts, 18, of Sumter, S.C., a senior at Sumter High School, has organized a free summer Kids Day for the past three years that has given more than 500 underprivileged children a fun and educational opportunity that she never had while growing up. "I was always disappointed that my parents could never afford to send me to a summer camp," Brittnii said, "and I knew that when I got the opportunity, I wanted to do something for kids just like me." She also wanted to combat childhood obesity by teaching children about healthy lifestyles.
Each year Brittnii distributes more than 1,500 flyers throughout her community to advertise her one-day camp, arranges transportation for all the participants, recruits teachers and student volunteers from her school to serve as chaperones, puts together a detailed schedule, and plans all the activities. When Kids Day arrives, children get to play tennis, soccer, tug-of-war and other games; eat a healthy lunch; and learn the importance of staying physically fit. The success of Brittnii's Kids Day is reflected in part by the many letters and emails of thanks she receives from the parents of kids who attend. "It is extremely difficult to convey through words the magnificent feeling you get when you help others," said Brittnii. "The joy that I have experienced is just as rewarding as the joy I have given."
Carson Cox, 13, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., an eighth-grader at Myrtle Beach Middle School, spearheaded the remodeling and refurbishing of an outdated kitchen at a preschool for disadvantaged children. Carson got the idea for his project while volunteering with his mother and her church group at the Friendship House Preschool. "I helped out one day and saw how much the kitchen was in need of repair and remodeling," he said. "I felt it was very important to ensure a clean and healthy environment for the children, staff, and volunteers of Friendship House."
Carson developed a master plan and made a list of potential contributors and volunteers, and then he wrote letters and visited local businesses to solicit help with his project. Carson and his volunteers installed a new custom island, cleaned cabinets and countertops, painted walls, fixed the stove, waxed the floor, and completed the renovation in just two weeks over Christmas vacation. When they were finished, Carson purchased a new microwave, pots, pans, and utensils for the new kitchen. "My goal was far exceeded with the help of so many people," Carson said. "The good that you do for others will come back to you tenfold later in your life if you give from your heart."
Distinguished Finalists
Sagen Blackwell, 15, of Woodruff, S.C., a home-schooled ninth-grader and a member of the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan, actively supports injured American soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan by raising money and focusing public attention on the challenges they face. She speaks frequently to churches and organizations about the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps traumatically injured soldiers and their families, and she has raised more than $25,000 for the organization through solicitations and a charity bike ride that she organized.
Creighton Boggs, 13, of Columbia, S.C., an eighth-grader at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, organized several events that raised $3,000 to sterilize stray animals and collected eight carloads of food and supplies for animals in a local shelter. Creighton's "All 4 Paws Project" included a holiday benefit at his school, a birthday benefit at a local pottery studio, a benefit sleepover, and a collection drive. He also built a Web site (www.all4pawscharity.org) to educate the public about pet overpopulation and homeless pets.
Emily Eisenstadt, 16, of Columbia, S.C., a junior at A.C. Flora High School, created "Get the Pointe," an ongoing project that collects gently used dance clothes, shoes, and costumes for underprivileged dancers and under-funded dance programs. Over the past year, Emily has collected and distributed more than 550 pieces of dancewear so that students with limited resources could participate in dance classes.
Chelsea Whitehurst, 18, of Aiken, S.C., a senior at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Martinez, Ga., developed a volunteer program called Teens Teach Tennis, which provides free tennis equipment and lessons to children from low-income families. To operate her program, Chelsea has attracted thousands of dollars in grant money, secured equipment donations from tennis clubs and manufacturers, and recruited volunteer instructors from her school's tennis team.
South Dakota
State Honorees
Toby Flint, 18, of Brookings, S.D., a senior at Brookings High School, designed and built a picnic and fishing area at a local park. Toby had heard that local officials wanted to improve a parcel of city-owned parkland but did not have the manpower to do so. So Toby went to check out the site. "Being that I had biked to the location and was tired, I noticed that there were no benches or tables there," he said. The lack of resting places gave him an idea.
He drew up a blueprint of what he wanted to do and presented it to the city's parks department and to other groups in town. Next, he recruited members of his Boy Scout troop, his school's National Honor Society chapter, and kids in his church youth group to assist with the labor and gathered the supplies needed for the job. Toby and his crew spent many weekend days marking the site, cutting trees, clearing rocks and brush, leveling the ground, and creating a fishing area next to a lake. Then they installed two picnic tables, reseeded the site, and added a trash receptacle. Later, Toby was driving by the park and saw a man with three kids fishing while his wife was preparing a picnic lunch on one of the tables. "I really wanted to stop and tell this young family how happy I was that they had decided to use my facilities," he said.
Abby Ottenbacher, 13, of Eureka, S.D., a seventh-grader at Eureka Junior High School, raised $2,300 for the American Cancer Society and donated her hair to Locks of Love to benefit cancer victims after her aunt succumbed to the disease at the age of 42. "My Aunt Sharlene's death left two of my very young cousins without a mother," said Abby. "This just broke my heart to know that so many people suffered from this."
Abby learned about Locks of Love from a local beautician and decided to have all her hair cut off so it could be donated to the organization, which uses real human hair to make wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy. Wanting to do more, Abby began raising money for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. The first year she sold candles and collected $1,200 for cancer research. In her second year she peddled frozen cookie dough door to door, sold smoothies and desserts at a local grocery store, and gave her friends empty film containers to be filled with quarters, raising another $1,100. "I can only hope that I have inspired others to get involved in fighting this awful disease," said Abby.
Distinguished Finalists
Paige Krull, 16, of Watertown, S.D., a junior at Watertown High School, baked 1,000 cookies in two days to sell at a local festival, raising $136 to benefit a local cancer clinic. Paige, who called her project Baking for Cancer, recruited friends to help bake the cookies, secured donations of ingredients from local merchants, baked the cookies, and managed the sales.
Sarah Thvedt, 17, of Beresford, S.D., a junior at Beresford High School, spent two weeks last summer in Lima, Peru, serving impoverished people on a mission trip. In addition to providing religious education, Sarah helped supply the people with food and water, distributed toys and clothing, laundered clothes, and bathed children.
Tennessee
State Honorees
Kaylee Marie Radzyminski, 16, of Cleveland, Tenn., a junior at Cleveland High School, launched a CD and DVD collection campaign that has spread across the country and resulted in the shipment of more than 170,000 discs—worth more than $2.5 million—to U.S. soldiers overseas. While Kaylee Marie was attending a Sea Cadet training program in 2005, she met military personnel who had just returned home, and she learned that what they missed most overseas was entertainment. "I began to brainstorm," she said. "I first collected my CDs and DVDs, then my friends collected theirs, then my school, and it eventually made its way to the community and state, and has now become a nationwide campaign."
Kaylee Marie has solicited donations by speaking at churches, schools, and clubs, organizing collection drives, and contacting local news media. Currently, her post office box receives about 2,000 CDs and DVDs each week. With her mother's help, Kaylee Marie sorts, packs, and ships about 10 boxes every Saturday. In addition, more than 200 satellite locations across the U.S.—schools, churches, clubs, radio stations, Sea Cadet units, and other organizations—have joined Kaylee Marie's "Tunes 4 the Troops" campaign, collecting discs in their areas and shipping them directly to service personnel abroad. "I have always had a special place in my heart for the men and women who serve our country," Kaylee said. "There is no reason why I can't do a little something to give back."
Jessica Markwood, 14, of Old Hickory, Tenn., an eighth-grader at Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville, was a key member of a church group that traveled to southern Mississippi to help repair and restore homes, yards, and a church devastated by Hurricane Katrina. When it was suggested that Jessica's church youth group assist hurricane victims in Pearlington, Miss., "I just knew that I had to go," Jessica said. But she was unprepared for the devastation she found there. "The area was utterly destroyed. Everywhere you looked, there were little pieces of life, broken and rusted on the ground," she said.
Jessica and her fellow group members set to work picking up trash, cleaning yards, and trying to salvage items worth saving. Jessica spent hours scrubbing rust and dirt off of valuable china. In addition, she and her group endured bugs and heat to put up drywall in ravaged houses and apply paint primer to walls. They also cleared land and laid the foundation for a new church and began the rebuilding process. "We worked so incredibly hard," said Jessica. "No one deserves to have their dreams ripped out from under them. I wanted to do everything I could to restore normal life, if not better life, to these people."
Distinguished Finalists
Andrew Bishop, 16, of Spring Hill, Tenn., a junior at Independence High School in Thompson's Station, formed a volunteer group dedicated to encouraging teen volunteerism and raising funds for less fortunate youth in his county. Andrew's All about Kids organization, which now has more than 40 members, devotes the majority of its efforts to supporting a local group home for boys, holding fund-raisers to buy needed items, and offering friendship to the residents.
Emma Bones, 18, of Germantown, Tenn., a senior at Houston High School, created a campaign to make students and the general public aware of Safe Place, a haven for runaway teens, and Youth Villages, an organization providing services to troubled children and their families. Emma organized a competition among Memphis schools to encourage students to participate in Youth Villages' annual fun run and then managed a booth during the event to hand out hundreds of informational brochures and pamphlets to the public.
Christine Farmer, 17, of Knoxville, Tenn., a junior at West High School, organized a series of social events to provide a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment for students after football and basketball games. Christine, the founder and president of her school's Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter, arranged to hold the events at a local pizza parlor, with attractions such as DJs, rock climbing walls, eating contests, and door prizes. Hundreds of students have been attending her "Fifth Quarter" events.
Sarah Musgrave, 16, of Hendersonville, Tenn., a senior at Merrol Hyde Magnet School, is helping to design a curriculum that teaches music to children with autism or Williams syndrome, in conjunction with the formation of a dulcimer choir for these children. Sarah is also planning a benefit concert and silent auction to raise money for instruments that will be used in the choir.
Courtney Shelton, 18, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., a senior at Lawrence County High School, initiated a campaign called Christmas Wishes to collect donations of toys, books, blankets, clothes, and other comfort items for children who have to be removed from homes with methamphetamine labs. She also visited area schools to educate students about the dangers of methamphetamine.
Hannah Wolters, 15, of Culleoka, Tenn., a sophomore at Silver Sun Christian Academy and a member of the Maury County 4-H in Columbia, volunteered to raise and train a guide dog for a handicapped person. Hannah spent 14 months caring for a black Labrador puppy, teaching her manners and basic commands and developing her social skills before returning her to an organization serving the disabled.
Texas
State Honorees
Steven Eichthaler, 18, of Decatur, Texas, a senior at Decatur High School, began organizing student musical performances for senior citizens six years ago and has since staged 85 mini concerts involving more than 60 young musicians at nursing homes and community events. It all started when his school band visited a local nursing home to play Christmas music. "After the show, I discovered there were several residents who could not attend, so I asked if I could stay and play for them in their rooms," remembered Steven, a beginning clarinet student at the time. "So many of the seniors asked us to come in and sit with them. We could have stayed all night."
Steven was asked to come back and play again, so he asked several of his fellow band members to join him and put together a little program. Word spread, and Steven was soon getting requests from other nursing homes. He began scheduling small ensemble performances on a regular basis, calling the project MUSE. He coordinates the musicians, hosts practice sessions, and selects and arranges the music, which ranges from classical to jazz to church music. Sometimes he invites choir students and other vocalists to join in. In addition to playing at nursing homes and care centers, MUSE members participate in fund-raisers to provide holiday gifts, blankets, and other items for shut-in seniors. "I have found that music can overcome many differences and can connect one generation to another through beauty and appreciation," he said.
On Nov. 25, Steven was on his way to a music lesson when he was critically injured in a car collision that killed his mother and 15-year-old brother.
Haley Whatley, 13, of North Richland Hills, Texas, a seventh-grader at Smithfield Middle School, has collected more than 15,000 new stuffed animals for sick children at Cook Children's Medical Center in an annual Easter campaign that she began when she was 6 years old. At that time, Haley saw a television commercial about children with cancer. "You should've seen the kids in this commercial," she said. "Some were so sad and sick—I just had to do something." Her mother took her on a tour of the children's hospital, and after talking to the staff, Haley decided to provide something to cheer up the patients. Since Easter is her favorite holiday, she chose stuffed bunnies.
"I told everyone I knew that I needed stuffed bunnies, and boy, did they help," she said. In her first year, she collected 600. Since then, she has spoken to more than 50 civic groups, found several corporate sponsors, and recruited more than 30 "bunny ambassadors" to collect bunnies from their schools, churches, Scout troops, and sports teams. Each year she meets with her sponsors and ambassadors to plan the annual campaign and review the training manual that she created. Posters, flyers, and collection boxes are made, and when all the donations are in, Haley bags the bunnies and delivers them to the hospital in a huge trailer for distribution to sick kids. "I just want to make them all feel better so they can go home happy and healthy," she said.
Distinguished Finalists
Megan Brogan, 17, of Spring, Texas, a senior at Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, has helped physically and mentally disabled children play baseball in a special league over the past six years. Megan, whose brother plays in the league, helps all the players get the most out of their experience by assisting them with whatever kind of help they need, whether it's carrying them around the bases or helping them throw the ball.
Emily Estes, 12, of Red Oak, Texas, a seventh-grader at Ovilla Christian School, has been collecting newspapers and cans for the past five years to purchase Christmas toys for needy children. Emily collects her items all year, stores them in her garage, and then brings them to a recycling center and uses the proceeds to shop for underprivileged kids served by a rehabilitation facility where her mother works.
Patrick Foster, 16, of Sachse, Texas, a junior at Sachse High School, co-founded Dallas is Love, a nonprofit organization that solicits donations of money and products to send to U.S. soldiers serving overseas. Patrick and his sister use the money they raise to purchase military gift cards, which are sent every month along with other donated items to servicemen and women around the world.
Megan Hysell-Davidson, 16, of Palmer, Texas, a sophomore at Palmer High School, volunteered as a pediatric therapist last summer at Our Children's House at Baylor, a therapy center. Megan assisted with speech and physical and occupational therapies for special-needs children.
Bryson McCarty, 17, of Littlefield, Texas, a senior at Shallowater High School in Shallowater, founded the Area 61 Teen Coalition Against Destructive Driving to prevent traffic fatalities over an 18-county region. Bryson and coalition representatives from area high schools work on a different teen driving issue every six weeks, such as seat-belt use, driving distractions, speeding, and drunk driving.
Shelby Romero, 11, of Hutto, Texas, a sixth-grader at Hutto Middle School and a member of the Williamson County 4-H in Georgetown, helped raise more than $130,000 to support an organization that provides therapy on horseback for children with autism, cerebral palsy, and other special needs. To raise the money, she organized an annual 60-mile bicycle race and, along with her parents, created a family fun day and a barn dance.
Natalie Schachar, 17, of Howe, Texas, a senior at Yavneh Academy of Dallas, formed a humanitarian group at her school after volunteering in New Orleans following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Over the past two years, Natalie has coordinated volunteer projects for her group at a mobile soup kitchen, a domestic violence shelter, a home for mentally challenged adults, and many other places around her community.
Christina Simpson, 17, of Georgetown, Texas, a senior at Georgetown High School and a member of the Williamson County 4-H, helped create a 4-H nutrition program and taught it to more than 1,600 elementary school children in her community. The program, designed to address the increasing rate of childhood obesity, helps children evaluate their lifestyles and change their diets and exercise routines for a healthier life.
Erynne Treptow, 18, of Hallettsville, Texas, a senior at Weimar High School in Weimar, has organized several service projects over the past four years through a program called Living to Serve. She has organized statewide drives that have yielded more than 44,000 pounds of food for food banks, provided Christmas gifts and backpacks filled with school supplies to foster-care children, and hosted a senior citizen prom.
Greg Weatherford, 17, of Little Elm, Texas, a senior at Little Elm High School, established a youth service organization four years ago called Young People Who Care to give students an opportunity to become active in their community. Projects undertaken by Greg's group include a district-wide peer tutoring program, a school-wide recycling program, and a school and community beautification committee.
Utah
State Honorees
Robert Malcolm, 16, of Park City, Utah, a junior at Park City High School, has provided thousands of winter clothing articles and more than 300 pounds of food to needy people in his community through an ongoing collection campaign and an annual fencing tournament. While helping with his family's seasonal closet cleanout four years ago, Robert was struck by how much extra and outgrown winter clothing they had. First he thought about all the people who could use the garments, and then he realized that "if our family had winter clothing that wasn't being used, there were probably a lot of other families in the same situation."
Robert researched the creation of nonprofit corporations and then established Community Donations, Inc. He decorated clothing donation boxes, placed them throughout the community, and checked them regularly to collect, sort, and tally their contents. In addition, Robert, an internationally competitive fencer, has organized a Will Fence for Food fencing tournament for the past three years, asking participants and spectators to donate food and clothing in lieu of entry and admission fees. All the food and clothing he collects goes to nonprofits serving the disadvantaged in Salt Lake City, Park City, and on a nearby Indian reservation. "The thing that makes me feel best about my project is when I think about the people who have been helped by all of these donations," said Robert. "They don't mind if their 'new' coat is out of style or a little dirty. They're happy to be warm."
Russell Babb, 14, of Highland, Utah, an eighth-grader at Mountain Ridge Junior High School and a member of the Utah County 4-H in Provo, organized a volunteer effort to repair and paint the water-damaged walls of the Veterans' Memorial Hall in American Fork and then embarked on a project to interview veterans and record their oral histories. When Russell learned that leaking water had damaged interior walls of the veterans' hall, he wanted to help. "This bothered me because I knew how hard it would be for the older veterans to repair the building," he said.
After obtaining permission from the building manager, Russell recruited friends, family members, Boy Scouts, and 4-H members to help him repair cracks and paint the walls. As he painted, Russell talked to some of the older veterans. "Their stories were fascinating," he said. "I realized that the stories would be lost forever if someone didn't record them." With help from a Navy veteran, Russell developed a list of questions. He then learned how to use his family's video camera, raised funds to purchase videotapes, scheduled appointments with veterans, and began taping interviews. Russell plans to continue his interviews and send the tapes to the Library of Congress. "I have captured some incredible stories," he said. "Now future generations will have access to them."
Distinguished Finalists
Chloe Dauwalder, 18, of Alpine, Utah, a senior at Lone Peak High School in Highland and a member of the Girl Scouts of Utah in Salt Lake City, spearheaded the introduction of a bill in the Utah State Legislature to require motorists to turn on their headlights during bad weather and poor visibility. Chloe researched the subject and found that shining headlights can save lives. She presented her data to her state representative, helped draft a bill, and testified before the legislature's transportation committee.
Merrit Denison, 18, of South Jordan, Utah, a senior at Bingham High School, designed and implemented a micro-lending program for impoverished women living near Ocotlan, Mexico. With a grant obtained through YouthLINC, Merrit researched successful micro-enterprise programs, wrote and presented a proposal, and set up a program in Mexico that will provide low-interest loans to women who want to start sewing businesses.
Lacey Laycock, 17, of Alpine, Utah, a senior at Lone Peak High School in Highland, created "Serve Strong on and off the Court," a service program that challenges her fellow volleyball team members to volunteer for a local organization serving abused and homeless children. As captain of the team, Lacey also has persuaded volleyball players at other schools to begin volunteering in their communities.
Jacob Thompson, 18, of Fillmore, Utah, a senior at Millard High School and a member of the Millard County 4-H in Meadow, has dedicated himself in several ways to the mission of collecting and distributing food for hungry people in his community. He took responsibility for scheduling volunteer participation by his 4-H club at a local food bank, played a leading role in organizing food drives and fund-raisers, solicited help from local businesses and organizations, and spent many hours working at the food bank.
Vermonta
State Honorees
Zoe Isaacs, 16, of Sharon, Vt., a junior at Woodstock Union High School in Woodstock, is spearheading the development of a youth program in Rwanda that is working to provide orphans and other impoverished children with education, HIV/AIDS testing and soccer equipment, coaches, and facilities. While visiting her brother, an aid worker in Rwanda, Zoe saw how the simple gift of a soccer ball could bring joy and passion to desperate youth. "Despite overwhelming sadness and devastation, I saw hope in the easy smiles of countless orphans," said Zoe. "There existed possibility, even among shacks and shanties riddled with disease and starvation."
Soon after, Zoe enlisted the help of a youth-run nonprofit organization in Vermont, which she has worked with for three years, to raise money to help build a Rwandan youth program around the sport of soccer. She also forged a partnership with an international nonprofit working in Rwanda. Zoe's group has hired a program coordinator, purchased soccer jerseys, and raised funds to renovate a soccer stadium. As thousands of young Rwandans are drawn from miles around by the attraction of soccer games, they also will be given educational opportunities and HIV testing. In addition to making trips to Rwanda and supervising the project, Zoe has overseen the raising of $7,500 in funds for the program and devotes much of her time to accounting, public relations, and community outreach activities. "As citizens of the Western world, we have the resources to help," she said. "We cannot afford to sit by and watch as problems of poverty and disease escalate."
Claire Trombley, 12, of Bristol, Vt., a seventh-grader at Mt. Abraham Middle School, has actively served her community over the past five years through a variety of volunteer roles. When she was in the second grade, Claire began to volunteer at her church, both as an altar server and as a helper at the annual Christmas bazaar. As time went on, Claire started to help with the church's fund-raising projects for the needy by making and selling cards. "I made the cards for the needy because I felt it would be nice and a good way to get involved," said Claire. Another of Claire's volunteer projects is getting up early in the morning to band the legs of songbirds for research, something she learned to do at a nature event. Finally, Claire has assisted the American Red Cross with various community blood drives by serving as a canteen helper or "blood bag girl." "When I work at the blood drives, I feel that I am helping to save a life in an indirect way," said Claire.
Distinguished Finalists
Jamie Eastman, 16, of Wells River, Vt., a sophomore at Blue Mountain Union High School, organized a Fire Safety Week for more than 150 students at a local elementary school. As a volunteer firefighter, Jamie worked with his fire department to teach the children how to identify and correct fire hazards, make a fire escape plan, call 911 in an emergency, and implement other fire safety measures.
Melanie Meisel, 17, of Waterford, Vt., a senior at Union Baptist Christian School, plays piano and guitar for her church's youth group band, volunteers as a counselor each summer at a Bible camp in Alaska, and spends several hours a week assisting with her school's lunch program and kindergarten class. She also raised money to finance a trip to Honduras, where she helped a missionary family build a medical clinic.
Virginia
State Honorees
Sarasi Jayaratne, 18, of Potomac Falls, Va., a senior at Potomac Falls High School, collected more than 6,000 books for schools in Sri Lanka that were devastated by the tsunami of 2004. When Sarasi, whose family is from Sri Lanka, saw reports of the disaster on television, "I had this overpowering urge to help," she said. She initially raised money with her Girl Scout troop to support Red Cross relief efforts, but she wanted to do more. Then she learned that 168 schools in Sri Lanka were damaged or destroyed by the tsunami, and she immediately thought of sending books.
Sarasi met with school and church leaders to discuss her planned book drive and developed a video presentation to persuade her community of its importance. She also garnered the attention of local news media to help spread the word about her campaign. Over the following months, Sarasi gathered books from friends, schools, churches, yard sales, and libraries. She also canvassed neighborhoods door to door. When she had collected 2,000 books, she traveled to Sri Lanka to deliver them to 15 schools that she had selected; while there, she also tutored school children in English. With more donations coming in from across the country, Sarasi soon had 4,000 additional books to ship. She says her project, now formalized as the Keep Reading Foundation, is designed not only to aid devastated schools, but also to promote English as a common language that can help children from different backgrounds succeed and get along with one another in the modern world. Sarasi's next book shipment will go to Cambodia as well as Sri Lanka, and she plans to expand her project to support children in other developing countries.
Cori Goodwin, 14, of Leesburg, Va., an eighth-grader at Harper Park Middle School, started a fund-raising project that raised $680 to buy three farm animals for an impoverished family in a third-world country. "About a year ago, I began saving money that I was earning," said Cori. "I didn't know what I wanted to use the money for, but I knew I wanted to give it to someone who needed it." One day, a catalog from an international relief organization arrived at her door, and as she thumbed through its pages, Cori realized she had found her cause. "I realized that there are children starving in the streets and dying," she said. "My heart went out to them and I knew that I needed to do something to help them."
Cori loved the idea of providing farm animals to poor families to give them a source of both food and income. She decided to buy a cow but had only $150 of the $500 she needed. So she prepared a slideshow presentation to get her school's WyldLife group involved. The group's members collected pocket change, recyclable ink cartridges, and cell phones, and arranged a fund-raising event at a local ice cream shop. The nearly $700 they raised was enough to buy not only a cow, but a sheep and a goat as well. "This gift has long-term impact on a family and their community," said Cori. "It really is the gift that keeps on giving."
Distinguished Finalists
Moira Callahan, 16, of Fredericksburg, Va., a junior at Chancellor High School, collected, emptied, and dried nearly 15,000 used tea bags for a South African company that provides badly needed jobs to residents of an impoverished township. The workers paint ethnic designs on the teabags, which are then incorporated into greeting cards, notebooks, and other products sold at the marketplace. Moira delivered the bags while on a trip to volunteer in one of South Africa's poor townships.
Taylor Gentry, 17, of Manassas, Va., a senior at Stonewall Jackson High School, hosted a cultural festival in her community to expose residents to the diversity of people and cultures around the world. Taylor's event, featuring displays, performances, and food from 50 different countries, was attended by more than 200 people.
Kirsten Horger, 18, of Richmond, Va., a senior at James River High School in Midlothian, wrote a storybook that is now given to all children upon their arrival at a local homeless shelter. The book, My New Home, is designed to serve as a guide to the shelter and to let the kids know they are surrounded by people who care about them. Kirsten, who has volunteered at the shelter for many years, is now working on a second book for children who are entering transitional housing.
Andrew Livingstone, 18, of Potomac Falls, Va., a senior at Dominion High School in Sterling, formed a club at his school that hosts sports clinics for special-needs athletes. The organization, called Athlete-to-Athlete, now has 50 members, and Andrew is currently working to establish a similar club at a second school.
Megan Melott, 16, of Woodbridge, Va., a junior at C.D. Hylton Senior High School and a member of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital in Washington, D.C., led a team of volunteers who collected books and recorded them on tape for young cancer patients. Megan, a 10-year bone cancer survivor, delivered 150 books on tape in a double-sided bookcase to the pediatric oncology unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Apurva Pande, 15, of Glen Allen, Va., a sophomore at Henrico High School in Richmond, organized a Swim-for-Life marathon fund-raiser that yielded $4,400 to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Apurva, an experienced swimmer, obtained the use of a pool at a local YMCA, publicized the event, recruited sponsors and volunteers, and sold food during the marathon to generate additional funds.
Washington
State Honorees
Brian Vance, 17, of Yakima, Wash., a junior at Selah High School in Selah, produced an informational DVD and a classroom curriculum that have been distributed to more than 500 schools and public officials across the country to educate students about the dangers of methamphetamine. Brian, whose uncle was a meth addict, was spurred to action after he heard another addict tell her story at a school assembly. "They both had their lives torn apart by something that should have been easily avoidable," said Brian. "I thought about what I could do to stop this from happening to one of my friends."
He turned to moviemaking, a skill he'd developed while working on several promotional videos for his school. Brian contacted a wide variety of individuals and organizations to gather information on methamphetamine use, collected still photos and prevention videos, compiled a multimedia DVD, and collaborated with high school teachers to create a classroom curriculum to complement his video. Brian presented the DVD, titled Meth: There's Never Just Once, at more than 20 public forums, and when requests for copies started flooding in, he organized fund-raisers and applied for grants in order to make them available free of charge.
Samantha McTee, 12, of Yakima, Wash., a sixth-grader at Naches Valley Middle School in Naches, raised $1,200 to help save a community swimming pool by organizing a spaghetti dinner and raffle. When Samantha heard from her school's vice principal that the Naches pool needed money to remain open, she was concerned. "I loved the pool and didn't want it to close," she said. "I wanted to make sure my little sister had a place to go and learn to swim just like I did."
Working with a friend, Samantha began planning a spaghetti dinner to raise money for the pool. They found a place to host the event, set a date, and sought donations of food and raffle prizes. Next, they posted promotional flyers around the community and recruited members of their school leadership club to help cook, serve, and clean up at the dinner. "There were people who did not think I could do this, and I knew I had to prove them wrong," said Samantha, who hopes to hold another fund-raiser this year.
Distinguished Finalists
Forrest Carlson, 16, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., a sophomore at Eagle Harbor High School, planted a demonstration garden in his schoolyard and developed accompanying educational materials to teach students how to garden in small places without pesticides. He also taught kindergartners and first-graders how to grow pumpkins, which were sold to benefit a local food bank, and he designed a "reading garden" at a local elementary school.
Sondra Clark, 18, of Bellingham, Wash., a senior at Bellingham High School and a member of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Council, collected 1,000 Frisbees, 12,000 pens, 5,000 toothbrushes, and 5,000 pairs of shoes to provide children in developing countries with both fun items and necessities. Sondra went to schools and clubs to solicit contributions from kids, contacted businesses for donations, and held a one-day community shoe drive.
Renata Fusso, 18, of Vancouver, Wash., a senior at Skyview High School, created a Web site to educate teenagers about the benefits of a healthful diet and lifestyle. The site, www.gethealthy.biz.ly, covers topics such as body shape, water drinking, food labels, exercise, and diseases.
Sarah Klemsz, 17, of Battle Ground, Wash., a senior at Prairie High School in Vancouver, has provided 130 kits of birthday party supplies to underprivileged families through a local food bank. Sarah collected donations of cake mixes, party goods, and gifts and sorted and organized all the donations into birthday boxes.
Anna Ross, 17, of Bellevue, Wash., a senior at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, formed an Interact Club at her school in 2005 and serves as the club's president. Over the past few years, Anna's club has organized service projects that have raised $11,000 to benefit hurricane victims, children in Uganda, and injured soldiers in Iraq.
Amanda Taylor, 18, of Concrete, Wash., a senior at Concrete High School, fulfilled the dreams of a young girl with muscular dystrophy by teaching her how to ride a horse. Amanda's frequent lessons improved the girl's physical strength, confidence, and overall health and led to a lasting friendship.
West Virginia
State Honorees
Eric Yurko, 16, of Bridgeport, W.Va., a junior at Bridgeport High School and a member of the Harrison County YMCA in Clarksburg, built a new playground at the Harrison County YMCA to replace an unsafe and deteriorating play area. "Not only was the playground in horrible condition," said Eric, "it also was not handicapped accessible, which I learned was now a requirement for the YMCA's day care programs." Eric first had to convince YMCA officials that he could complete such an ambitious project. Then, he mailed nearly 600 letters to individuals and businesses soliciting donations, made presentations to local organizations and government officials, and applied for grants.
Once he had raised $30,000, plus another $15,000 worth of materials and services, he ordered new playground equipment and recruited volunteers to help him remove the old play structures and the ground surface around them. Next, they dug holes, poured concrete, assembled the new equipment, and installed a rubberized surface and new landscaping. The new playground, encompassing two age-appropriate play areas, is not only safer and handicapped accessible, but also is able to accommodate many more children at one time. At the dedication, "I saw how incredibly excited the kids were about the playground and that made all the hard work, the stress and the tension worthwhile," said Eric.
Kelsie Marple, 13, of Salem, W.Va., an eighth-grader at Doddridge County Middle School in West Union, gave up much of her summer vacation last year to serve as a youth volunteer at a six-week educational program for 40 children from rural and low-income communities across West Virginia. "I love to read, and I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to encourage younger children to read," Kelsie said.
As a youth volunteer, Kelsie read one-on-one to the children, helping them sound out and pronounce words. She also used her artistic talents to show children how to draw different objects and helped out with other art and writing activities. At breakfast and lunchtime, she set tables, served food, and cleaned up. "My main goal was to have a good time and to make sure the learning process was just as much fun for the kids," Kelsie said. While working in the program, Kelsie also assisted with a walkathon to collect canned goods for a local food pantry and articles of clothing for a local church.
Distinguished Finalists
Chelsie Bush, 18, of Southside, W.Va., a senior at Point Pleasant High School in Point Pleasant, spent an entire summer volunteering at a year-round inner-city elementary school in Charleston, W.Va. Chelsie assisted teachers with a variety of tasks before school and during the day; tutored struggling kindergarten, fourth-, and fifth-grade students in math and reading comprehension; and answered phones and took messages in the office.
Brittany Stump, 17, of Parkersburg, W.Va., a senior at Parkersburg South High School, volunteered as a one-on-one aide for a visually impaired woman attending a summer camp for the disabled. Brittany, who also serves on the teen board of a community group serving adults and children with disabilities, became her camper's "eyes" for the week. She helped her get dressed and walk safely around the camp and assisted her as she participated in crafts, games, and dances.
Wisconsin
State Honorees
Megan Behn, 18, of Weyauwega, Wis., a senior at Weyauwega-Fremont High School, helped raise nearly $170,000 to build a new animal shelter for the Humane Society of Waupaca County and has been a leader in a variety of other activities that benefit animals in her community. "I was motivated to do this volunteer work because I love animals and teaching," Megan said. "I believe that the Humane Society fills an important role within our county."
As her school service club's project manager for all activities related to animals, Megan was well positioned to take action when the Humane Society announced a new building campaign. She, along with a former student, began planning a fund-raising pet walk. Megan obtained permission to hold the event on school property and made presentations to her fellow service club members to recruit volunteers. She worked with Humane Society officials to publicize the walk, asked local businesses to provide sponsorships, and encouraged residents to make contribution pledges. The pet walk was such a big success that Megan soon scheduled another one, and a local philanthropist matched all of the proceeds. Megan also helped raise money for the Humane Society at soup suppers, fish dinners, dances, and other events; helped middle-school volunteers make dog biscuits to sell at holiday craft fairs; and coordinated a "Trick or Treat for the Pets" fund-raiser at Halloween. In addition, she is working to educate the public about the procedures to follow when evacuating pets and farm animals in a crisis.
Nchinda Nchinda, 12, of Oak Creek, Wis., a seventh-grader at Oak Creek East Middle School, helped create a fruit and vegetable garden at his school along with an annual Harvest Celebration dinner that serves the garden's produce to raise money for a local food pantry. "My dad has always told me that I should be a 'fixer-man,'" said Nchinda, who started volunteering when he joined his school's service-learning club.
Nchinda and other club members used funds from a Learn and Serve grant and donations from a letter-writing campaign to purchase gardening supplies. Nchinda worked after school and during recess to prepare the soil, plant seeds, and spread fertilizer. "We turned it into a school project and assigned each classroom a section of the garden," Nchinda said. When fall arrived, he helped harvest the crops, which were then cooked and served at a fund-raising dinner that Nchinda and others coordinated. The proceeds were donated to the Second Harvest Food Pantry. "I feel good knowing that we helped a couple more people in the world rest easy," Nchinda said. "If everybody helped everybody else, the world would be a much better place."
Distinguished Finalists
Jordan Brown, 17, of Franklin, Wis., a senior at Whitnall High School in Greenfield, made 50 scrapbooks that children who are granted wishes by the Make-A-Wish Foundation can use to store photos from their wish trips or experiences. Jordan also created a scrapbook template that she gave to the Make-A-Wish Foundation so that her project could be easily replicated.
Rachael Lester, 18, of Cedarburg, Wis., a senior at Cedarburg High School, founded a high school chapter of Best Buddies, an international volunteer organization dedicated to fostering friendships between special-education students and peer "buddies." Rachael's chapter arranges group activities such as bowling and zoo visits for 15 special-education students with 50 other students who have volunteered to be their buddies.
William Stokes, 18, of River Falls, Wis., a senior at River Falls High School, organized volunteer efforts to clean and refurbish a pioneer-era cemetery in his community and then created a Web site to inform others about the cemetery. After recruiting other volunteers, William organized cleanup crews to remove overgrown brush and fallen trees, identified unknown graves, reconstructed and preserved broken headstones, and coordinated plans to maintain the cemetery on an ongoing basis.
Natalia Thompson, 16, of Madison, Wis., a junior at West High School and a member of the Girl Scouts of Blackhawk Council, founded a citywide leadership and activism forum for high school girls called Madison SOS (for "Speak Out, Sister!"). Natalia's forum has organized a series of workshops focusing on several key issues affecting teenage girls, including low self-esteem, political apathy, and the perception of powerlessness.
Sarah Wittman, 17, of Milwaukee, Wis., a junior at Saint Thomas More High School, promotes science, technology, engineering, and math education among elementary- and high school students by organizing and coaching robotics teams that compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program. In addition to coaching two teams, Sarah mentors several others, teaches robotics workshops, and has volunteered as a counselor at an engineering camp.
Sarah Wydeven, 18, of Little Chute, Wis., a senior at Little Chute High School and a member of the Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area in Appleton, undertook a project called Backpacks Beyond Borders to provide backpacks filled with school supplies to 82 students in Citlaltepec, Mexico. Sarah collected nearly $12,000 in monetary and merchandise donations, which not only purchased backpacks and school supplies, but also provided financial sponsorships for eight needy students in Citlaltepec, sports equipment for several schools there, and money for the schools to buy educational materials.
Wyoming
State Honorees
Ryan Hopkin, 17, of Powell, Wyo., a senior at Powell High School, improved safety conditions for young children by installing crosswalk flags at dangerous intersections around three elementary schools. "One day while I was driving with my mother, I witnessed a young boy almost get hit by a car while trying to cross the street," explained Ryan. "Since that time I wanted to find a way to help these children make their trips back and forth from home to school safer." Ryan soon found an answer on a family trip to Salt Lake City, where he saw canisters containing neon orange flags at busy intersections for pedestrians to carry when crossing the street.
Ryan presented a plan for a similar system to school and city leaders in Powell. With their approval, he worked with city officials, school principals, and parent organizations at Powell's three elementary schools to develop a list of locations. Ryan solicited donations to purchase materials and then recruited help from family members and his Boy Scout troop to make canisters and mount them on posts at crosswalks. The city's street superintendent agreed to purchase and post instructional signs at the crosswalks, and finally, Ryan delivered flags to the principals of the elementary schools with a letter explaining how to use them. "I believe these flags will make pedestrians more visible and will help drivers realize they are responsible for stopping for pedestrians," said Ryan.
James Etier, 13, of Rock Springs, Wyo., an eighth-grader at Rock Springs East Junior High School, has participated in a wide range of volunteer activities that have benefited more than 100 people in his community. James started volunteering when he joined an after-school program. As a participant in that program, James has walked dogs, cleaned cages, and fed homeless animals at a Humane Society shelter. He sorted paper at a recycling center, read to young children at an elementary school, and volunteered with the Salvation Army at Christmastime. James also has picked up trash, pulled weeds, and washed windows for senior citizens and has visited elderly residents at a local nursing home. "I tried to make people's days easier either by trying to bring smiles while reading to the little kids or visiting the elderly at our nursing home," he said. "I try my best to help."
Distinguished Finalists
Elizabeth Whetstone, 18, of Cheyenne, Wyo., a senior at East High School, designed and implemented a fund-raising and volunteer program to support the Cheyenne Safehouse, a domestic violence shelter. Elizabeth directed more than 30 student volunteers in seven projects that raised $5,000 for the shelter.
Walter Wilson, 17, of Albin, Wyo., a senior at Burns Junior/Senior High School in Burns, has raised close to $35,000 for the American Cancer Society over the past two years by starting an annual student Relay For Life event in his community. His extensive volunteer resume also includes highway cleanups, youth camp counseling, hurricane relief efforts, fund-raising for the homeless, and other service activities.