Blue Region
GOLD - Maximus Elmorry
SILVER - Kyle Padilla
BRONZE - Carys Gill
Burgundy Region
GOLD - Jazmin Tamez
SILVER - Sharon Gaona
BRONZE - Santiago Bryce
Green Region
GOLD - Andres Izquierdo
SILVER - Simon Tchira
BRONZE - Constantino Peña
Orange Region
GOLD - Rodrigo Saenz
SILVER - Julio Duran
BRONZE - Jahdai Avalos-Joya
Pink Region
GOLD - Lucia Campos
SILVER - Adam Parsons
BRONZE - Victoria Rivera
Purple Region
GOLD - Sydney Mafong
SILVER - Shyla Corona
BRONZE - Kahlil Boulware
Red Region
GOLD - Bruce Matos
SILVER - Lia Tavarez Sobalvarro
BRONZE - Diego Cabanillas
Tan Region
GOLD - Fabiola Vega Carmona
SILVER - Jelix Serrano Gonzalez
BRONZE - Valeria Duran Rodriguez
Teal Region
GOLD - Alejandra Wells
SILVER - Abigail Ruiz
BRONZE - Karen Gonzalez Machuca
Yellow Region
GOLD - Walter Bradford
SILVER - Karyleni Alburquerque
BRONZE - Miguel Salazar
Blue Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Maximus Elmorry
Major: Computer Science with minors in Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics
High School: High Tech High School
Hometown: Bayonne, NJ
Maximus Elmorry’s commitment to service stems from the conviction that everyone, especially students in underfunded communities, deserves access to and resources for pursuing their curiosity and potential. To this end, he founded his high school’s chapter of Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, Education (KITE), a student-led organization that teaches coding to underserved communities through free workshops and hackathons.
When describing the motivation for founding KITE, Maximus reflected on the untapped potential of his peers, writing, “In my neighborhood, brilliance often hides behind silence. I have seen students’ eyes light up when they hear the word ‘robotics,’ only for that spark to fade when they realize their schools cannot offer it. Many dream of building something extraordinary, yet their potential is limited by what their classrooms lack: computers, mentors, and belief. To change this, I founded KITE, … transforms curiosity into capability.”
As founder and president of KITE, he organizes and facilitates the supportive environment necessary to teach the next generation of coders, offering mentorship and guidance. The hands-on workshops offered by his chapter introduce participants to Python, Kotlin, and Android development, helping students discover their voices in technology. Maximus is, moreover, looking to expand his chapter’s reach by partnering with local libraries and nonprofits with the goal of providing free coding kits, mentorship pipelines, and career pathways.
Beyond his work with KITE, he demonstrates his commitment to community service as Vice President of his school’s Rotary Interact Club, where he has organized coat drives, created bilingual outreach campaigns, and led fundraising initiatives to support his local shelter. In addition to these organizations, he is a senior peer leader, a youth advisor for the Hudson County Leadership Council, a Co-President of the Rutgers 4H Leadership Council, and a Patrol Leader for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 287.
Maximus stands out as a leader in his community through commitment to service, inspired by his own immigrant parents. Their sacrifice to ensure he had access to quality education and ample opportunities to pursue his professional passions is one he works hard to pay forward through his community involvement.
In addition to his exemplary community service, he has maintained a 3.98 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses and college courses through his school’s dual-enrollment program. He has also been recognized for his accomplishments in STEM as a New Jersey Governor’s STEM Scholar, where he has built on his programming and engineering skills to conduct and present research. Last year, Maximus participated in MIT’s Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science program as a semester scholar and now serves as a Recruitment and Admissions Ambassador for the program.
Echoing his exceptionality in STEM and passion for community service, his recommender wrote, “he does not see computer science as just coding—he sees it as a way to uplift communities, close gaps in opportunity, and create tools that have meaningful impact.”
This fall, Maximus will major in computer science at Harvard on a full four-year scholarship.
High School: High Tech High School
Hometown: Bayonne, NJ
Maximus Elmorry’s commitment to service stems from the conviction that everyone, especially students in underfunded communities, deserves access to and resources for pursuing their curiosity and potential. To this end, he founded his high school’s chapter of Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, Education (KITE), a student-led organization that teaches coding to underserved communities through free workshops and hackathons.
When describing the motivation for founding KITE, Maximus reflected on the untapped potential of his peers, writing, “In my neighborhood, brilliance often hides behind silence. I have seen students’ eyes light up when they hear the word ‘robotics,’ only for that spark to fade when they realize their schools cannot offer it. Many dream of building something extraordinary, yet their potential is limited by what their classrooms lack: computers, mentors, and belief. To change this, I founded KITE, … transforms curiosity into capability.”
As founder and president of KITE, he organizes and facilitates the supportive environment necessary to teach the next generation of coders, offering mentorship and guidance. The hands-on workshops offered by his chapter introduce participants to Python, Kotlin, and Android development, helping students discover their voices in technology. Maximus is, moreover, looking to expand his chapter’s reach by partnering with local libraries and nonprofits with the goal of providing free coding kits, mentorship pipelines, and career pathways.
Beyond his work with KITE, he demonstrates his commitment to community service as Vice President of his school’s Rotary Interact Club, where he has organized coat drives, created bilingual outreach campaigns, and led fundraising initiatives to support his local shelter. In addition to these organizations, he is a senior peer leader, a youth advisor for the Hudson County Leadership Council, a Co-President of the Rutgers 4H Leadership Council, and a Patrol Leader for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 287.
Maximus stands out as a leader in his community through commitment to service, inspired by his own immigrant parents. Their sacrifice to ensure he had access to quality education and ample opportunities to pursue his professional passions is one he works hard to pay forward through his community involvement.
In addition to his exemplary community service, he has maintained a 3.98 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses and college courses through his school’s dual-enrollment program. He has also been recognized for his accomplishments in STEM as a New Jersey Governor’s STEM Scholar, where he has built on his programming and engineering skills to conduct and present research. Last year, Maximus participated in MIT’s Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science program as a semester scholar and now serves as a Recruitment and Admissions Ambassador for the program.
Echoing his exceptionality in STEM and passion for community service, his recommender wrote, “he does not see computer science as just coding—he sees it as a way to uplift communities, close gaps in opportunity, and create tools that have meaningful impact.”
This fall, Maximus will major in computer science at Harvard on a full four-year scholarship.
SILVER - Kyle Padilla
Major: History with a minor in Environmental Studies
High School: Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School
Hometown: Phoenixville, PA
Kyle Padilla created the only free audio tour of Valley Forge National Historic Park. Using geolocation and AI narration, it shares information at over fifty waypoints throughout the 3,500-acre park. The tour highlights facts about the park as well as stories of the underrepresented groups that played a large role in the encampment, including women, African American soldiers, and Native Americans. It is the only free tour of its kind for the historical site, removing financial and educational barriers to the area’s storied history through technology.
“I wanted to make history accessible for everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from,” says Kyle. He describes his audio tour as his proudest accomplishment in community service, as it captures his passion for history along with his commitment to educational access. He believes, “It gives everyone equal access to the nation’s history and has taught me how technology can be used for service, helping people connect with the past and ensuring that diverse voices are included in the stories we share.”
For Kyle, a major issue affecting his community is the lack of individualized and engaging education that nurtures students’ curiosity and builds on their strengths. This is especially the case for Hispanic students, something that resonated with him personally as he sought to see representation of his own cultural heritage as one of the few Hispanic students at his school. He sees online education and technology as key tools for offering more personalized learning opportunities, a belief reflected in his Valley Forge audio tour, which aims to make the site's storied grounds more accessible and interactive for visitors.
Beyond his work for the Valley Forge National Historic Park, Kyle serves as the President of his school’s Interact Rotary Club. Under his leadership, the club more than tripled its membership and engaged participants through monthly service initiatives, including a variety of fundraisers for causes such as the Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, and CooperarPeru, among others. Through his school's environmental club, which he co-founded and serves as treasurer, he has led sustainability initiatives including revitalizing the school's community garden and delivering recycling presentations to encourage responsible habits among students. Outside of school, he volunteers at the Upper Main Line YMCA, where he helps run annual events, coaches young swimmers, and supports meets.
Kyle has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA and is ranked 11th in his graduation class while taking multiple advanced placement and college-level courses. He has also earned the William Penn Award for Excellence in Leadership, a National Student Activist Scholarship, and won 1st place in the USP Writing Awards. He is also a 2026 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar. In addition to his already noted community service, he serves as Treasurer on the Student Council and as a peer tutor. He is also a member of the National Honor Society. His recommender described him as eager and quick to serve his fellow students and the community.
Kyle will be continuing his studies this fall at Cornell University, the University of Southern California, or the University of Vermont, where he intends to study history with a minor in environmental studies. He aims to continue reducing barriers to historical education by leveraging technology to make historical sites more accessible to learners of all backgrounds.
High School: Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School
Hometown: Phoenixville, PA
Kyle Padilla created the only free audio tour of Valley Forge National Historic Park. Using geolocation and AI narration, it shares information at over fifty waypoints throughout the 3,500-acre park. The tour highlights facts about the park as well as stories of the underrepresented groups that played a large role in the encampment, including women, African American soldiers, and Native Americans. It is the only free tour of its kind for the historical site, removing financial and educational barriers to the area’s storied history through technology.
“I wanted to make history accessible for everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from,” says Kyle. He describes his audio tour as his proudest accomplishment in community service, as it captures his passion for history along with his commitment to educational access. He believes, “It gives everyone equal access to the nation’s history and has taught me how technology can be used for service, helping people connect with the past and ensuring that diverse voices are included in the stories we share.”
For Kyle, a major issue affecting his community is the lack of individualized and engaging education that nurtures students’ curiosity and builds on their strengths. This is especially the case for Hispanic students, something that resonated with him personally as he sought to see representation of his own cultural heritage as one of the few Hispanic students at his school. He sees online education and technology as key tools for offering more personalized learning opportunities, a belief reflected in his Valley Forge audio tour, which aims to make the site's storied grounds more accessible and interactive for visitors.
Beyond his work for the Valley Forge National Historic Park, Kyle serves as the President of his school’s Interact Rotary Club. Under his leadership, the club more than tripled its membership and engaged participants through monthly service initiatives, including a variety of fundraisers for causes such as the Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, and CooperarPeru, among others. Through his school's environmental club, which he co-founded and serves as treasurer, he has led sustainability initiatives including revitalizing the school's community garden and delivering recycling presentations to encourage responsible habits among students. Outside of school, he volunteers at the Upper Main Line YMCA, where he helps run annual events, coaches young swimmers, and supports meets.
Kyle has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA and is ranked 11th in his graduation class while taking multiple advanced placement and college-level courses. He has also earned the William Penn Award for Excellence in Leadership, a National Student Activist Scholarship, and won 1st place in the USP Writing Awards. He is also a 2026 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar. In addition to his already noted community service, he serves as Treasurer on the Student Council and as a peer tutor. He is also a member of the National Honor Society. His recommender described him as eager and quick to serve his fellow students and the community.
Kyle will be continuing his studies this fall at Cornell University, the University of Southern California, or the University of Vermont, where he intends to study history with a minor in environmental studies. He aims to continue reducing barriers to historical education by leveraging technology to make historical sites more accessible to learners of all backgrounds.
BRONZE - Carys Gill
Major: International Affairs with a minor in Business Finance
High School: Northwood High School
Hometown: Wheaton, MD
For Carys Gill, it is not sufficient to just care about a cause or volunteer, but critical for youth and young adults to make themselves heard through advocacy and lobbying. Set on fire by the lack of legislative action to mitigate gun violence, she has dedicated her community service initiatives to advocating for policy reform in Maryland and nationally. Carys turned her confusion and frustration into impact when she learned the influence that student voices could have on lawmakers.
After attending a March for Our Lives rally, she was moved to join her peers in working toward policy reform. To this end, she has lobbied the Maryland State House and the U.S. House of Representatives to pass gun reform. She joined other youth advocates in lobbying for various House bills that call for expanding safe firearm storage and stronger background checks in Maryland. She met with delegates from the House sponsoring public safety bills to ensure that student voices informed the legislation. At the federal level, she lobbied members of the U.S. House to garner their support for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 715) and the Break the Cycle of Violence Act. These bills would lead to stronger background checks as well as funding for community violence intervention programs.
“This experience is significant because it turned my frustration into focused advocacy. It taught me how to pair emotion with evidence and how youth-led movements can shape laws. Lobbying showed me that students are not bystanders in democracy; we are its most persistent voice.”
To become a strong voice for herself and her peers, Carys became more involved with March for Our Lives, which led to her invitation to Amnesty International’s USA Human Rights Lobbying Training. She also completed the Human Rights Education and Youth Activism training, where she learned to research legislation, write testimony, and communicate effectively with policymakers.
From a young age, her Puerto Rican mother instilled in her the importance of her voice. At just eight years old, Carys testified before Washington D.C.’s city council after witnessing the impacts of building inaccessibility on her injured friend’s education. After sustaining an injury that left her friend unable to climb stairs, the school’s lack of an elevator caused her friend to miss out on critical instruction for an extended period of time. Desperate to change this situation for her friend and others, she spoke before the D.C. City Council, which eventually led to the funding and addition of an elevator at her school. It was in this experience that she learned just how much her voice could accomplish.
Carys helps other youth and young adults find and use their voices, publishing materials online and mentoring her peers in advocacy. She has developed and published her guide, “The High Schooler’s Guide to Advocacy: How to Go from Town Hall to Capitol Hill,” and leads workshops, training more than 100 students in research, lobbying, and campaign design.
She maintains a strong GPA while taking advanced placement and college-level courses. She is the Mid-Atlantic Region Chair for March for Our Lives, President of her school’s Latinas Club, and serves as a Latino Student Fund Tutor. She plans to study international affairs beginning this fall at Tulane University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, or Providence College.
High School: Northwood High School
Hometown: Wheaton, MD
For Carys Gill, it is not sufficient to just care about a cause or volunteer, but critical for youth and young adults to make themselves heard through advocacy and lobbying. Set on fire by the lack of legislative action to mitigate gun violence, she has dedicated her community service initiatives to advocating for policy reform in Maryland and nationally. Carys turned her confusion and frustration into impact when she learned the influence that student voices could have on lawmakers.
After attending a March for Our Lives rally, she was moved to join her peers in working toward policy reform. To this end, she has lobbied the Maryland State House and the U.S. House of Representatives to pass gun reform. She joined other youth advocates in lobbying for various House bills that call for expanding safe firearm storage and stronger background checks in Maryland. She met with delegates from the House sponsoring public safety bills to ensure that student voices informed the legislation. At the federal level, she lobbied members of the U.S. House to garner their support for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 715) and the Break the Cycle of Violence Act. These bills would lead to stronger background checks as well as funding for community violence intervention programs.
“This experience is significant because it turned my frustration into focused advocacy. It taught me how to pair emotion with evidence and how youth-led movements can shape laws. Lobbying showed me that students are not bystanders in democracy; we are its most persistent voice.”
To become a strong voice for herself and her peers, Carys became more involved with March for Our Lives, which led to her invitation to Amnesty International’s USA Human Rights Lobbying Training. She also completed the Human Rights Education and Youth Activism training, where she learned to research legislation, write testimony, and communicate effectively with policymakers.
From a young age, her Puerto Rican mother instilled in her the importance of her voice. At just eight years old, Carys testified before Washington D.C.’s city council after witnessing the impacts of building inaccessibility on her injured friend’s education. After sustaining an injury that left her friend unable to climb stairs, the school’s lack of an elevator caused her friend to miss out on critical instruction for an extended period of time. Desperate to change this situation for her friend and others, she spoke before the D.C. City Council, which eventually led to the funding and addition of an elevator at her school. It was in this experience that she learned just how much her voice could accomplish.
Carys helps other youth and young adults find and use their voices, publishing materials online and mentoring her peers in advocacy. She has developed and published her guide, “The High Schooler’s Guide to Advocacy: How to Go from Town Hall to Capitol Hill,” and leads workshops, training more than 100 students in research, lobbying, and campaign design.
She maintains a strong GPA while taking advanced placement and college-level courses. She is the Mid-Atlantic Region Chair for March for Our Lives, President of her school’s Latinas Club, and serves as a Latino Student Fund Tutor. She plans to study international affairs beginning this fall at Tulane University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, or Providence College.
Burgundy Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Jazmin Tamez
Major: Political Science with a minor in Human Rights
High School: Science Academy of South Texas
Hometown: Pharr, TX
Jazmin Tamez bridges academia and activism as a vibrant, burgeoning human rights advocate. She has spoken on Capitol Hill, supported policy development, and published her work advocating for human rights, particularly for immigrant and impoverished populations. She serves as a Political Affairs Ambassador for The Borgen Project and Advocacy Associate for Inclusive America, in addition to other leadership roles.
In her role as Deputy Programs Director of the Latinx Caucus for High School Democrats of America, she helped expand Latinx participation by 40%, helped run 20+ events, established more than 13 cross-caucus collaborations, and helped build a committee dedicated to immigration. She has also interned with Texas-34 Representative Vicente Gonzalez and participated in the Kallion Leadership Circle internship with a Howard University professor, where she assisted in drafting policy stance papers.
Her conviction for human rights starts at home. Raised and heavily influenced by her mother and grandmother, who were unable to pursue education due to economic and language barriers, Jazmin finds it critical to steward the opportunities she has had. She was inspired to pursue policy and advocacy work after a chance encounter with U.S. Representatives Becca Balint and Jahana Hayes. As women of color and openly LGBTQ leaders, they encouraged her to persevere with the words 'No te dejes,' teaching her to draw strength from the very voices she seeks to uplift.
As a member of the Advisory Council for the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) representing District 2, she helped draft policy proposals addressing systemic inequities within K-12 education in Texas. In this work, she participated in meetings across four different committees to address various education inequities, working as a youth advocate representing 5.5 million students across Texas. Working specifically with the School Inequities Committee, she assisted in drafting a policy brief examining curricular disparities and advocating for diverse literature. Her top priority was ensuring her student peers felt represented and heard, even at the curriculum level. Jazmin feels strongly that lack of access to education is one of the most pressing issues facing Latino and low-income communities. Many educational pursuits are cut off by the need to work and support family, and the fear that looms over those living with undocumented status.
She has seen firsthand how her testimony and advocacy can lead to lasting change for her and her community. She wrote, “despite my fear, these moments are most significant to me because I was able to use my voice in the service of others, advocating their rights to be enshrined in legislation. I used my voice to help sign into law the protection of healthcare, global food initiatives, and humanitarian programs.”
She has published her work on Solidarity for Her Equality, Generation Human Rights, Rutgers Humanist Magazine, Wisconsin Sociological Imagination, and Youth in Policy. Her published work examines the Texas-Mexico Border, immigration policy, education, and gender equality.
An accomplished student, Jazmin has taken 19 advanced placement courses and is in the top 10% of her graduating class with a 3.97 unweighted GPA. She has been recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction.
She plans to study political science with the intention of pursuing a career in civil service. She has applied to Columbia University, Barnard College, and Williams College.
High School: Science Academy of South Texas
Hometown: Pharr, TX
Jazmin Tamez bridges academia and activism as a vibrant, burgeoning human rights advocate. She has spoken on Capitol Hill, supported policy development, and published her work advocating for human rights, particularly for immigrant and impoverished populations. She serves as a Political Affairs Ambassador for The Borgen Project and Advocacy Associate for Inclusive America, in addition to other leadership roles.
In her role as Deputy Programs Director of the Latinx Caucus for High School Democrats of America, she helped expand Latinx participation by 40%, helped run 20+ events, established more than 13 cross-caucus collaborations, and helped build a committee dedicated to immigration. She has also interned with Texas-34 Representative Vicente Gonzalez and participated in the Kallion Leadership Circle internship with a Howard University professor, where she assisted in drafting policy stance papers.
Her conviction for human rights starts at home. Raised and heavily influenced by her mother and grandmother, who were unable to pursue education due to economic and language barriers, Jazmin finds it critical to steward the opportunities she has had. She was inspired to pursue policy and advocacy work after a chance encounter with U.S. Representatives Becca Balint and Jahana Hayes. As women of color and openly LGBTQ leaders, they encouraged her to persevere with the words 'No te dejes,' teaching her to draw strength from the very voices she seeks to uplift.
As a member of the Advisory Council for the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) representing District 2, she helped draft policy proposals addressing systemic inequities within K-12 education in Texas. In this work, she participated in meetings across four different committees to address various education inequities, working as a youth advocate representing 5.5 million students across Texas. Working specifically with the School Inequities Committee, she assisted in drafting a policy brief examining curricular disparities and advocating for diverse literature. Her top priority was ensuring her student peers felt represented and heard, even at the curriculum level. Jazmin feels strongly that lack of access to education is one of the most pressing issues facing Latino and low-income communities. Many educational pursuits are cut off by the need to work and support family, and the fear that looms over those living with undocumented status.
She has seen firsthand how her testimony and advocacy can lead to lasting change for her and her community. She wrote, “despite my fear, these moments are most significant to me because I was able to use my voice in the service of others, advocating their rights to be enshrined in legislation. I used my voice to help sign into law the protection of healthcare, global food initiatives, and humanitarian programs.”
She has published her work on Solidarity for Her Equality, Generation Human Rights, Rutgers Humanist Magazine, Wisconsin Sociological Imagination, and Youth in Policy. Her published work examines the Texas-Mexico Border, immigration policy, education, and gender equality.
An accomplished student, Jazmin has taken 19 advanced placement courses and is in the top 10% of her graduating class with a 3.97 unweighted GPA. She has been recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction.
She plans to study political science with the intention of pursuing a career in civil service. She has applied to Columbia University, Barnard College, and Williams College.
SILVER - Sharon Gaona
Major: Public Administration with a minor in Communications
High School: Townview School for the Talented and Gifted
Hometown: Dallas, TX
In 2025, Sharon Gaona was recognized for her exceptional commitment to community service, receiving the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. The award acknowledged more than 1,200 hours of dedication across four areas, including more than 400 hours of voluntary public service. She has dedicated these hours to supporting educational development projects in partnership with Laredo ISD, Cityscape Schools, Texas A&M University, as well as the nonprofit Educación Sin Fronteras. Not just a dedicated servant in her local community, her service has facilitated educational programming in Guatemala and El Salvador.
Sharon first began volunteering within her faith community, where she led children and youth in short faith-based lessons. For her, service is the expression of her faith through actionable compassion, generosity, and putting others before herself. She has gone on to build on this spirit of service, participating in various programs to strengthen her leadership and further her community service. She was a participant in HOBY State Leadership Seminars and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus NextGen Latino Leadership Program. These experiences deepened her devotion to uplifting Latino communities through civic engagement and community advocacy.
In her work with Educación Sin Fronteras, she has helped expand educational workshop programming for parents and educators in El Salvador, working to bring leadership seminars to Central American communities. As a part of her role as a Youth Representative, Sharon works to strengthen the quality of local instruction, engage youth in leadership training, and promote greater parental involvement in education. In conjunction with the NGO, she helped organize an education conference in El Salvador that drew more than 1,800 high school students. She has also served in Guatemala's indigenous community of Santa María de Jesús, where she facilitated leadership workshops and distributed meals to children through Texas A&M University's Eco-Synergistic Connections Program. Back in the United States, she continues to support local learners through her internship with the Magdaleno Leadership Institute, partnering with Laredo ISD and CityScape Schools on educational development projects.
Raised by a single mother, Sharon learned early on that you do not need to have much to serve others. Describing this important lesson, she wrote, “Through [my mother’s] actions, I learned that service is not defined by circumstance but by compassion; that even when we are sinking, extending a helping hand can lift both ourselves and others.” Both her mother and stepfather set a strong example of being civically engaged despite personal hardship, a value that underscores her own dedication to service.
Her recommender, Manuel Caballero, Founder and President of Educación Sin Fronteras, describes Sharon as an exceptional leader with a deep commitment to serving others. In expanding upon her involvement with the organization, he wrote, “During her time with our organization, Sharon has led all international youth initiatives in El Salvador, coordinating projects that empower young people, promote education, and foster cross-cultural understanding. Her ability to inspire and organize her peers, navigate complex challenges, and deliver meaningful impact has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Sharon has maintained a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. She is a member of her school’s Student Voter Empowerment Club and volunteers with her church and the Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum. She intends to study public administration at Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, or Cornell University beginning this fall.
High School: Townview School for the Talented and Gifted
Hometown: Dallas, TX
In 2025, Sharon Gaona was recognized for her exceptional commitment to community service, receiving the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. The award acknowledged more than 1,200 hours of dedication across four areas, including more than 400 hours of voluntary public service. She has dedicated these hours to supporting educational development projects in partnership with Laredo ISD, Cityscape Schools, Texas A&M University, as well as the nonprofit Educación Sin Fronteras. Not just a dedicated servant in her local community, her service has facilitated educational programming in Guatemala and El Salvador.
Sharon first began volunteering within her faith community, where she led children and youth in short faith-based lessons. For her, service is the expression of her faith through actionable compassion, generosity, and putting others before herself. She has gone on to build on this spirit of service, participating in various programs to strengthen her leadership and further her community service. She was a participant in HOBY State Leadership Seminars and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus NextGen Latino Leadership Program. These experiences deepened her devotion to uplifting Latino communities through civic engagement and community advocacy.
In her work with Educación Sin Fronteras, she has helped expand educational workshop programming for parents and educators in El Salvador, working to bring leadership seminars to Central American communities. As a part of her role as a Youth Representative, Sharon works to strengthen the quality of local instruction, engage youth in leadership training, and promote greater parental involvement in education. In conjunction with the NGO, she helped organize an education conference in El Salvador that drew more than 1,800 high school students. She has also served in Guatemala's indigenous community of Santa María de Jesús, where she facilitated leadership workshops and distributed meals to children through Texas A&M University's Eco-Synergistic Connections Program. Back in the United States, she continues to support local learners through her internship with the Magdaleno Leadership Institute, partnering with Laredo ISD and CityScape Schools on educational development projects.
Raised by a single mother, Sharon learned early on that you do not need to have much to serve others. Describing this important lesson, she wrote, “Through [my mother’s] actions, I learned that service is not defined by circumstance but by compassion; that even when we are sinking, extending a helping hand can lift both ourselves and others.” Both her mother and stepfather set a strong example of being civically engaged despite personal hardship, a value that underscores her own dedication to service.
Her recommender, Manuel Caballero, Founder and President of Educación Sin Fronteras, describes Sharon as an exceptional leader with a deep commitment to serving others. In expanding upon her involvement with the organization, he wrote, “During her time with our organization, Sharon has led all international youth initiatives in El Salvador, coordinating projects that empower young people, promote education, and foster cross-cultural understanding. Her ability to inspire and organize her peers, navigate complex challenges, and deliver meaningful impact has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Sharon has maintained a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. She is a member of her school’s Student Voter Empowerment Club and volunteers with her church and the Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum. She intends to study public administration at Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, or Cornell University beginning this fall.
BRONZE - Santiago Bryce
Major: Finance with a minor in Entrepreneurship
High School: Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Hometown: Southlake, TX
Santiago Bryce is a three-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, recognizing more than 300 hours of community service in his community. His service ranges from tutoring to elderly support. His commitment to equitable education access led him to tutor students from underserved schools through the United to Learn program and other educational equality advocacy. Beyond this, he provides adaptive swim lessons for children with special needs, supports elderly patients at a memory care facility, and has led various fundraising initiatives.
One of his longest-standing community engagement initiatives is his partnership with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that helps people in developing countries launch and sustain their own small businesses selling donated shoes. Over the course of five years, Santiago organized shoe drives across 15 schools, leading and enlisting students as ambassadors, and cultivated relationships with footwear companies like VANS to collect more than 17,000 pairs of new and gently used shoes. Under his leadership, these students were able to provide $150,000 in economic opportunities, including a full year of food, housing, and education for 17 families in countries like Haiti and Honduras.
He credits his experiences living in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and the United States with broadening his perspective, especially regarding economic inequalities. Seeing the wealth disparity across four distinct countries animated his own commitment to community service. In addition to his work with Soles4Souls, Santiago developed a financial literacy class for teens and a soccer clinic and league for kids from under-resourced schools.
His financial literacy course aims to mitigate the lack of financial education early on. The ten-module course leveraged the experience he gained as a Charles Schwab intern. It is given to students in middle school to help them build a strong money foundation. This year, he plans to expand the program to other partnering schools. His summer soccer clinic engages 50 kids each summer to create more equity in the sport of soccer. Lower-income athletes often lack the advanced training popularized by pay-to-play models for club soccer and clinics. His summer clinic provides young athletes with the opportunity to experience similar training, mentorship, and equipment access regardless of socioeconomic background. Local media have covered Santiago’s community engagement efforts, including features on ABC News, Southlake Style magazine, and the House of Shine podcast.
His recommender, Tiffany Turner, Vice President of Outreach, Soles4Souls, wrote, “Santiago leads with purpose and compassion. Having spent half his life in Latin America, he possesses a sense of global awareness and connects deeply with our mission. He has become not only one of the youngest ambassadors for Soles4Souls, but also one of our most compelling and inspiring spokespersons, appearing in local print and TV outlets, like ABC News, helping to amplify our mission.”
Santiago holds a 3.77 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. He intends to study finance in college this fall. He dreams of starting his own social impact company to merge his interest in business with his desire to help others, continuing his work addressing economic disparities in under-resourced communities.
High School: Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas
Hometown: Southlake, TX
Santiago Bryce is a three-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, recognizing more than 300 hours of community service in his community. His service ranges from tutoring to elderly support. His commitment to equitable education access led him to tutor students from underserved schools through the United to Learn program and other educational equality advocacy. Beyond this, he provides adaptive swim lessons for children with special needs, supports elderly patients at a memory care facility, and has led various fundraising initiatives.
One of his longest-standing community engagement initiatives is his partnership with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that helps people in developing countries launch and sustain their own small businesses selling donated shoes. Over the course of five years, Santiago organized shoe drives across 15 schools, leading and enlisting students as ambassadors, and cultivated relationships with footwear companies like VANS to collect more than 17,000 pairs of new and gently used shoes. Under his leadership, these students were able to provide $150,000 in economic opportunities, including a full year of food, housing, and education for 17 families in countries like Haiti and Honduras.
He credits his experiences living in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and the United States with broadening his perspective, especially regarding economic inequalities. Seeing the wealth disparity across four distinct countries animated his own commitment to community service. In addition to his work with Soles4Souls, Santiago developed a financial literacy class for teens and a soccer clinic and league for kids from under-resourced schools.
His financial literacy course aims to mitigate the lack of financial education early on. The ten-module course leveraged the experience he gained as a Charles Schwab intern. It is given to students in middle school to help them build a strong money foundation. This year, he plans to expand the program to other partnering schools. His summer soccer clinic engages 50 kids each summer to create more equity in the sport of soccer. Lower-income athletes often lack the advanced training popularized by pay-to-play models for club soccer and clinics. His summer clinic provides young athletes with the opportunity to experience similar training, mentorship, and equipment access regardless of socioeconomic background. Local media have covered Santiago’s community engagement efforts, including features on ABC News, Southlake Style magazine, and the House of Shine podcast.
His recommender, Tiffany Turner, Vice President of Outreach, Soles4Souls, wrote, “Santiago leads with purpose and compassion. Having spent half his life in Latin America, he possesses a sense of global awareness and connects deeply with our mission. He has become not only one of the youngest ambassadors for Soles4Souls, but also one of our most compelling and inspiring spokespersons, appearing in local print and TV outlets, like ABC News, helping to amplify our mission.”
Santiago holds a 3.77 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. He intends to study finance in college this fall. He dreams of starting his own social impact company to merge his interest in business with his desire to help others, continuing his work addressing economic disparities in under-resourced communities.
Green Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Andres Izquierdo
Major: Finance with minors in Entrepreneurship and Real Estate
High School: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Andres Izquierdo founded Pickleball4Others, an organization that leverages community interest in Pickleball to raise funds for community organizations. Since 2021, Pickleball4Others has engaged 120+ volunteers and 25+ corporate sponsors, connected students with hundreds of service hours, and ultimately raised more than $100,000 for local nonprofits.
He noticed a disparity in his community: nonprofits struggling to raise funds and awareness, and students eager to serve their community. Rather than organizing one-off events for individual nonprofits, Andres chose to think bigger and work towards a more sustainable, scalable vision for student engagement and fundraising for nonprofits. Capitalizing on the current pickleball phenomenon, he developed a business plan to leverage tournaments to shed light on and raise funds for nonprofits. His business plan won the Florida DECA Business Solutions Competition, validating that community service could be both impactful and entrepreneurial. He recruited ambassadors across five high schools to expand the organization's reach, and the initiative has generated more than 1,500 volunteer hours. Andres has personally contributed more than 1,400 service hours across his various community initiatives.
To ensure the organization’s impact far outlasts his tenure, Andres has already begun transition plans as he prepares to attend college this fall, further speaking to the business’s sustainability. He has also developed plans to replicate the model elsewhere. His system identifies emerging sports, like pickleball, creates tournaments to platform and raise funds for nonprofits, and engages student ambassadors. The model has already worked at five high schools, and he hopes to expand its chapters to other schools and sports through a student-training program he has in the works.
For Andres, sustainability and lasting impact matter most. He wrote, “What made this meaningful wasn’t the money, it was watching other students discover their own capacity to lead. When I established ambassador programs at five schools, I saw kids who initially just needed service hours transform into passionate advocates. They weren’t just volunteering anymore; they were building something lasting.”
While Pickleball4Others might be his most impressive endeavor, his community service is much farther-reaching. He volunteers weekly with Missionaries of Charity, supporting the Miami homeless population, assisted in building an aqueduct in the Dominican Republic during Belen’s Youth Mission, and serves as Executive Board Treasurer and mentor for his chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Beyond his community service, Andres participated in Yale’s Business Innovation program and has completed externships and internships at Northern Trust, Morgan Stanley, LendingTree, and BDO, experiences he leveraged to develop his Pickleball4Others. He is dually enrolled at Florida International University, balancing both advanced placement and college-level courses. He is a National Merit Scholar and a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the English Honor Society, while also playing Varsity Football and participating in his school’s Golf and Weightlifting Teams.
He plans to study finance and has applied to Tulane University, the University of Michigan, and Boston College.
High School: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Andres Izquierdo founded Pickleball4Others, an organization that leverages community interest in Pickleball to raise funds for community organizations. Since 2021, Pickleball4Others has engaged 120+ volunteers and 25+ corporate sponsors, connected students with hundreds of service hours, and ultimately raised more than $100,000 for local nonprofits.
He noticed a disparity in his community: nonprofits struggling to raise funds and awareness, and students eager to serve their community. Rather than organizing one-off events for individual nonprofits, Andres chose to think bigger and work towards a more sustainable, scalable vision for student engagement and fundraising for nonprofits. Capitalizing on the current pickleball phenomenon, he developed a business plan to leverage tournaments to shed light on and raise funds for nonprofits. His business plan won the Florida DECA Business Solutions Competition, validating that community service could be both impactful and entrepreneurial. He recruited ambassadors across five high schools to expand the organization's reach, and the initiative has generated more than 1,500 volunteer hours. Andres has personally contributed more than 1,400 service hours across his various community initiatives.
To ensure the organization’s impact far outlasts his tenure, Andres has already begun transition plans as he prepares to attend college this fall, further speaking to the business’s sustainability. He has also developed plans to replicate the model elsewhere. His system identifies emerging sports, like pickleball, creates tournaments to platform and raise funds for nonprofits, and engages student ambassadors. The model has already worked at five high schools, and he hopes to expand its chapters to other schools and sports through a student-training program he has in the works.
For Andres, sustainability and lasting impact matter most. He wrote, “What made this meaningful wasn’t the money, it was watching other students discover their own capacity to lead. When I established ambassador programs at five schools, I saw kids who initially just needed service hours transform into passionate advocates. They weren’t just volunteering anymore; they were building something lasting.”
While Pickleball4Others might be his most impressive endeavor, his community service is much farther-reaching. He volunteers weekly with Missionaries of Charity, supporting the Miami homeless population, assisted in building an aqueduct in the Dominican Republic during Belen’s Youth Mission, and serves as Executive Board Treasurer and mentor for his chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Beyond his community service, Andres participated in Yale’s Business Innovation program and has completed externships and internships at Northern Trust, Morgan Stanley, LendingTree, and BDO, experiences he leveraged to develop his Pickleball4Others. He is dually enrolled at Florida International University, balancing both advanced placement and college-level courses. He is a National Merit Scholar and a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the English Honor Society, while also playing Varsity Football and participating in his school’s Golf and Weightlifting Teams.
He plans to study finance and has applied to Tulane University, the University of Michigan, and Boston College.
SILVER - Simon Tchira
Major: Engineering with a minor in Finance
High School: Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School
Hometown: Hollywood, FL
Simon Tchira is driven to innovate, lead, and uplift others. He does so through a variety of community service initiatives and student leadership roles. His service ranges from writing and publishing to financial literacy, demonstrating his understanding of the breadth of issues impacting communities today and his commitment to doing his part. His efforts have included organizing a pep rally for Breast Cancer Awareness, co-founding a free publishing platform to amplify young voices, and volunteering with FinanceForAll.
His proudest accomplishment in community service was organizing his school’s first Breast Cancer Awareness Pep Rally. His passion for the event became contagious. The event raised $9,000 for United Way and drew more than 1,200 students. The success of the event motivated him to find other ways to give back; later that same year, he organized a Thanksgiving Basket Drive that collected food for more than 65 families. What moved Simon most was how his peers collaborated and mobilized to make a difference.
Reflecting on this, he wrote, “These experiences showed me that real service begins with connection. When people feel seen and valued, change becomes contagious. I learned that leadership is not about directing others but about inspiring hope, and that even one school can become the heart of a stronger, more compassionate community.”
Simon volunteers with Maccabi Tzair Youth Movement and the Real Food Academy. His experience as a camp alum inspired him to return as a counselor and volunteer. With Maccabi Tzair, he now oversees programming for grades K-10 for over 850 participants. Each week, he designs activities that blend cultural learning with community engagement through collaborative games, discussions about identity, or service initiatives in partnership with the Cadena Foundation. At the Real Food Academy, he guides campers in developing cooking and life skills. Additionally, in his volunteer work with FinanceForAll, Simon is helping students develop financial literacy skills. The student-led initiative uses workshops to teach participants about budgeting, investment, and other strategic actions to empower the next generation. He supports the organization by leading workshops.
As a vice president of his school's chapter of Cadena Missions, Simon noticed that there was no unified place for the volunteers he recruited to share their experiences completing mission projects throughout the globe. His volunteers were making an impact in Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Panama, coming back invigorated and moved by their experience. Wanting to share these perspectives, he co-founded EssayYouth, a free publishing platform amplifying young, overlooked voices worldwide. Through the platform, students can submit essays, creative writing, and research and receive guidance on editing, formatting, and sharing their work. According to Simon, “the platform allows participants to be heard and empowers them to take ownership of their ideas and see their contributions create real-world impact.” Through sponsorships, EssayYouth has even begun funding Cadena projects, providing resources to the same communities that inspired his commitment to service.
Beyond his service, he has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking advanced placement courses. He has been recognized as a Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist, a Hispanic Fund Scholar, and a Futures Forge Scholar, and has received the Harvard University Book Award. He has participated in the U.S. Naval Academy Summer STEM Program on a full merit-based scholarship and completed the NASA SEES Internship. He also serves as President of the National Hispanic Honor Society, and earned first place at both the North America for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Science & Engineering Competition and the Bionic Hand STEM Olympiad. He plans to study engineering and has applied to Princeton, Vanderbilt, and Stanford.
High School: Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School
Hometown: Hollywood, FL
Simon Tchira is driven to innovate, lead, and uplift others. He does so through a variety of community service initiatives and student leadership roles. His service ranges from writing and publishing to financial literacy, demonstrating his understanding of the breadth of issues impacting communities today and his commitment to doing his part. His efforts have included organizing a pep rally for Breast Cancer Awareness, co-founding a free publishing platform to amplify young voices, and volunteering with FinanceForAll.
His proudest accomplishment in community service was organizing his school’s first Breast Cancer Awareness Pep Rally. His passion for the event became contagious. The event raised $9,000 for United Way and drew more than 1,200 students. The success of the event motivated him to find other ways to give back; later that same year, he organized a Thanksgiving Basket Drive that collected food for more than 65 families. What moved Simon most was how his peers collaborated and mobilized to make a difference.
Reflecting on this, he wrote, “These experiences showed me that real service begins with connection. When people feel seen and valued, change becomes contagious. I learned that leadership is not about directing others but about inspiring hope, and that even one school can become the heart of a stronger, more compassionate community.”
Simon volunteers with Maccabi Tzair Youth Movement and the Real Food Academy. His experience as a camp alum inspired him to return as a counselor and volunteer. With Maccabi Tzair, he now oversees programming for grades K-10 for over 850 participants. Each week, he designs activities that blend cultural learning with community engagement through collaborative games, discussions about identity, or service initiatives in partnership with the Cadena Foundation. At the Real Food Academy, he guides campers in developing cooking and life skills. Additionally, in his volunteer work with FinanceForAll, Simon is helping students develop financial literacy skills. The student-led initiative uses workshops to teach participants about budgeting, investment, and other strategic actions to empower the next generation. He supports the organization by leading workshops.
As a vice president of his school's chapter of Cadena Missions, Simon noticed that there was no unified place for the volunteers he recruited to share their experiences completing mission projects throughout the globe. His volunteers were making an impact in Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Panama, coming back invigorated and moved by their experience. Wanting to share these perspectives, he co-founded EssayYouth, a free publishing platform amplifying young, overlooked voices worldwide. Through the platform, students can submit essays, creative writing, and research and receive guidance on editing, formatting, and sharing their work. According to Simon, “the platform allows participants to be heard and empowers them to take ownership of their ideas and see their contributions create real-world impact.” Through sponsorships, EssayYouth has even begun funding Cadena projects, providing resources to the same communities that inspired his commitment to service.
Beyond his service, he has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking advanced placement courses. He has been recognized as a Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist, a Hispanic Fund Scholar, and a Futures Forge Scholar, and has received the Harvard University Book Award. He has participated in the U.S. Naval Academy Summer STEM Program on a full merit-based scholarship and completed the NASA SEES Internship. He also serves as President of the National Hispanic Honor Society, and earned first place at both the North America for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Science & Engineering Competition and the Bionic Hand STEM Olympiad. He plans to study engineering and has applied to Princeton, Vanderbilt, and Stanford.
BRONZE - Constantino Peña
Major: Economics with a minor in Political Science
High School: Ransom Everglades High School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Recognizing a lack in after-school programming for special needs teenagers, Constantino Peña set out to provide a safe space for them to socialize outside of school. He named the initiative Key Companions. What started out as a weekly gathering with a few teens over pizzas has grown to support 20 neurodivergent students for weekly sports, movies, art projects, and friendship.
These gatherings bring joy and purpose not just to the teens but also to the volunteers. Constantino describes, “Being a part of the group has been life-changing, not only for the participants but also for the volunteers. I’ve met so many like-minded peers from schools across Miami, and together we’ve built friendships that make Saturdays the highlight of our week. I’m incredibly proud to have helped create a space where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging.”
His work with Key Companions led to his invitation from the mayor to serve on the Disability Advisory Board, where he consults on policy and inclusive programming for his local community.
His recommender wrote of him, “Tino is one of those rare students whose genuine kindness elevates everyone around him. He is a remarkable young man with a compassionate heart who always puts others first. What makes him exceptional is not just what he has built, but how he has built it, with humility, empathy, and a deep respect for others.”
While Key Companions holds a special place in his heart, his service far exceeds this one initiative. When he is not hosting their weekly meetups, Constantino regularly volunteers with Hermanos de la Calle, serving meals and supporting homeless populations in finding housing. At first, his volunteering was just about getting food to those in need. With time, he learned that the meaningful conversation often meant more. He works to create connections, hear their stories, and meet what other needs he can, even if it is just helping them reconnect with a loved one.
Furthering his community impact, he also coaches athletes for the Special Olympics. He also leads his peers as the Director of Welfare for the Volunteer Service Council. In this role, he oversees school-sponsored volunteer opportunities and coordinates student engagement. As a Bank of America Student Leader, Constantino also volunteers with his local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter, where he helped write grant proposals and designed fundraising materials to support the mentoring program. He has additionally volunteered on mission trips in Guatemala, El Salvador, India, and elsewhere. His commitment to service earned him the inaugural Key Biscayne Volunteer Hero Award, celebrating his significant contributions to his local community.
The grandson of four Cuban immigrants, Constantino cherishes his family’s legacy of resilience. Hearing the testimonies of their escape from the Castro regime instilled in him the importance of treating everyone with dignity, especially those who often go unnoticed despite their need.
He maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. Beyond his community service, he holds a third-degree black belt in karate, participates in speech and debate, plays varsity baseball, and serves as team captain for both his baseball and competition economics teams. He intends to study economics and has applied to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
High School: Ransom Everglades High School
Hometown: Miami, FL
Recognizing a lack in after-school programming for special needs teenagers, Constantino Peña set out to provide a safe space for them to socialize outside of school. He named the initiative Key Companions. What started out as a weekly gathering with a few teens over pizzas has grown to support 20 neurodivergent students for weekly sports, movies, art projects, and friendship.
These gatherings bring joy and purpose not just to the teens but also to the volunteers. Constantino describes, “Being a part of the group has been life-changing, not only for the participants but also for the volunteers. I’ve met so many like-minded peers from schools across Miami, and together we’ve built friendships that make Saturdays the highlight of our week. I’m incredibly proud to have helped create a space where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging.”
His work with Key Companions led to his invitation from the mayor to serve on the Disability Advisory Board, where he consults on policy and inclusive programming for his local community.
His recommender wrote of him, “Tino is one of those rare students whose genuine kindness elevates everyone around him. He is a remarkable young man with a compassionate heart who always puts others first. What makes him exceptional is not just what he has built, but how he has built it, with humility, empathy, and a deep respect for others.”
While Key Companions holds a special place in his heart, his service far exceeds this one initiative. When he is not hosting their weekly meetups, Constantino regularly volunteers with Hermanos de la Calle, serving meals and supporting homeless populations in finding housing. At first, his volunteering was just about getting food to those in need. With time, he learned that the meaningful conversation often meant more. He works to create connections, hear their stories, and meet what other needs he can, even if it is just helping them reconnect with a loved one.
Furthering his community impact, he also coaches athletes for the Special Olympics. He also leads his peers as the Director of Welfare for the Volunteer Service Council. In this role, he oversees school-sponsored volunteer opportunities and coordinates student engagement. As a Bank of America Student Leader, Constantino also volunteers with his local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter, where he helped write grant proposals and designed fundraising materials to support the mentoring program. He has additionally volunteered on mission trips in Guatemala, El Salvador, India, and elsewhere. His commitment to service earned him the inaugural Key Biscayne Volunteer Hero Award, celebrating his significant contributions to his local community.
The grandson of four Cuban immigrants, Constantino cherishes his family’s legacy of resilience. Hearing the testimonies of their escape from the Castro regime instilled in him the importance of treating everyone with dignity, especially those who often go unnoticed despite their need.
He maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. Beyond his community service, he holds a third-degree black belt in karate, participates in speech and debate, plays varsity baseball, and serves as team captain for both his baseball and competition economics teams. He intends to study economics and has applied to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Orange Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Rodrigo Saenz
Major: Marine Biology, Zoology, Ecology with a minor in Latin American Studies
High School: Metairie Park Country Day School
Hometown: Metairie, LA
For Rodrigo Saenz, stewarding the environment well happens through small, consistent actions. This conviction led him to found a glass recycling initiative in partnership with Glass Half Full, a Louisiana nonprofit that recycles glass for use as sand in coastal restoration. Moved to action by the ongoing issue of severe coastal erosion, he began collecting glass at his high school. He placed 90-gallon bins strategically on campus and a locally owned business, led awareness campaigns, coordinated with faculty, and organized volunteers to collect hundreds of pounds of glass annually. The initiative merged his academic interests in environmental science with tangible community action.
In his role on his school’s Service Council, Rodrigo volunteers regularly. He has helped coordinate monthly service themes, facilitated citywide volunteer engagement, and grown the council’s projects each year, encouraging student participation well beyond the school walls. One highlight included participating in an alternative spring break trip as a sophomore, joining Habitat for Humanity in Tennessee to build homes for low-income families.
Over the past several years, he has amassed 300 service hours by volunteering with more than 15 nonprofit organizations, including St. Bernard Project, the LASPCA, and Recycle Dat!, with approximately 125 hours dedicated to Glass Half Full alone. Each experience, from extended shifts cleaning parade streets to sustaining campus sustainability campaigns, has strengthened his leadership and problem-solving ability.
His Panamanian heritage deeply shapes his approach to community service. When his father immigrated to the United States at thirteen, he hardly spoke English and had survived political instability and bombings in Panama during the early 1990s. His grandfather had been one of the country’s first infectious disease doctors, and his grandmother, a nurse, carried compassion and resilience through every crisis. When they resettled in Lafayette, Louisiana, they used their medical expertise to serve their new community, embodying the values of perseverance, service, and education.
In his application, Rodrigo wrote, “Hearing their stories inspired me to approach community service not just as volunteerism, but as a family tradition of care. Their sacrifices motivate me to maintain high academic performance and give back meaningfully. Through projects like my school’s glass recycling drive and local sustainability projects, I aim to continue that legacy—applying science-based solutions to local environmental challenges.”
He maintains a 3.89 unweighted GPA while taking Honors, advanced placement, and college-level courses. He is a member of the Cum Laude and National Honor Societies. His commitment to environmental studies is also evidenced in his independent research. Most notably, he has researched invasive lionfish and the impacts of avian influenza on American society. Rodrigo also plays volleyball and leads his school’s racket sports club.
He plans to build on his already evident care for environmentalism by studying marine biology, zoology, or ecology in college this fall. He has applied to the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of California, San Diego, and Duke University.
High School: Metairie Park Country Day School
Hometown: Metairie, LA
For Rodrigo Saenz, stewarding the environment well happens through small, consistent actions. This conviction led him to found a glass recycling initiative in partnership with Glass Half Full, a Louisiana nonprofit that recycles glass for use as sand in coastal restoration. Moved to action by the ongoing issue of severe coastal erosion, he began collecting glass at his high school. He placed 90-gallon bins strategically on campus and a locally owned business, led awareness campaigns, coordinated with faculty, and organized volunteers to collect hundreds of pounds of glass annually. The initiative merged his academic interests in environmental science with tangible community action.
In his role on his school’s Service Council, Rodrigo volunteers regularly. He has helped coordinate monthly service themes, facilitated citywide volunteer engagement, and grown the council’s projects each year, encouraging student participation well beyond the school walls. One highlight included participating in an alternative spring break trip as a sophomore, joining Habitat for Humanity in Tennessee to build homes for low-income families.
Over the past several years, he has amassed 300 service hours by volunteering with more than 15 nonprofit organizations, including St. Bernard Project, the LASPCA, and Recycle Dat!, with approximately 125 hours dedicated to Glass Half Full alone. Each experience, from extended shifts cleaning parade streets to sustaining campus sustainability campaigns, has strengthened his leadership and problem-solving ability.
His Panamanian heritage deeply shapes his approach to community service. When his father immigrated to the United States at thirteen, he hardly spoke English and had survived political instability and bombings in Panama during the early 1990s. His grandfather had been one of the country’s first infectious disease doctors, and his grandmother, a nurse, carried compassion and resilience through every crisis. When they resettled in Lafayette, Louisiana, they used their medical expertise to serve their new community, embodying the values of perseverance, service, and education.
In his application, Rodrigo wrote, “Hearing their stories inspired me to approach community service not just as volunteerism, but as a family tradition of care. Their sacrifices motivate me to maintain high academic performance and give back meaningfully. Through projects like my school’s glass recycling drive and local sustainability projects, I aim to continue that legacy—applying science-based solutions to local environmental challenges.”
He maintains a 3.89 unweighted GPA while taking Honors, advanced placement, and college-level courses. He is a member of the Cum Laude and National Honor Societies. His commitment to environmental studies is also evidenced in his independent research. Most notably, he has researched invasive lionfish and the impacts of avian influenza on American society. Rodrigo also plays volleyball and leads his school’s racket sports club.
He plans to build on his already evident care for environmentalism by studying marine biology, zoology, or ecology in college this fall. He has applied to the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of California, San Diego, and Duke University.
SILVER - Julio Duran
Major: History
High School: West Forsyth High School
Hometown: Winston Salem, NC
Julio Duran knew that for many Hispanics, higher education was the goal, but roadblocks prevented them from attaining it. Touched by a mother, Marta, who longed to see her children go to college but lacked any knowledge of how to make this possible, he began his research project with the Camino Research Institute. The project, entitled “Challenges Faced by Hispanic Youth in College Admission in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools,” sought to collect data and explore barriers to education faced by Hispanic youth in the area. Together with the institute, Julio designed bilingual surveys, piloted them with education experts, and connected with more than 150 Hispanic parents at community events. Their stories were poignant, and the data confirmed Marta’s concern: 87% of parents valued higher education, but more than 70% were unfamiliar with the admissions process. He presented this research at Wake Forest University’s LAUNCH for Leadership event to amplify these unheard voices. He is working on developing a nonprofit to create resources on the college application process based on his findings.
Julio was inspired to devote more concerted time to service, especially to addressing educational inequality, after seeing how unfair systems affect Hispanic families. This inequity resonated with him, given his own experience moving from Venezuela to North Carolina. He was lucky enough to have an educator in that first year who also spoke Spanish and worked diligently to help him adapt to his new country, school, and the English language. His teacher’s compassion and dedication sparked his own desire to give back to his fellow Hispanics navigating the American education system.
In his application, Julio underscored this reality, “when I moved from Venezuela to the United States, I was surrounded by people I didn’t know and a language I barely spoke. Back in school, I stared at the screen, equations danced—but what did they mean? I felt alone, lost in the crowd. Luckily, I got help from programs like Crosby Scholars, which provided mentors and resources to prepare for college. I realize, though, that many students don’t have these opportunities. To help, I pursued research and service.”
His research project earned the Community Research Impact Award, recognizing his pioneering community-based research as a high school student. He plans to broaden the research by reaching more Hispanic families for surveys and interviews and expanding the community it samples.
Julio maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and Honors courses. He is, moreover, the Vice-President of his school’s Spanish Club, a participant in the Governor’s Page Program and Crosby Scholars Program, and a member of the Youth Leadership Executive Board. He was recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction and is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies. In 2025, he was one of 32 students selected to participate in the Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s Latino Future Lawyers Leadership Program in Washington, D.C., where his team won Best Mock Trial, an experience that only affirmed his plans to pursue law and policy post-grad.
He plans to study history and has applied to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, and North Carolina State University.
High School: West Forsyth High School
Hometown: Winston Salem, NC
Julio Duran knew that for many Hispanics, higher education was the goal, but roadblocks prevented them from attaining it. Touched by a mother, Marta, who longed to see her children go to college but lacked any knowledge of how to make this possible, he began his research project with the Camino Research Institute. The project, entitled “Challenges Faced by Hispanic Youth in College Admission in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools,” sought to collect data and explore barriers to education faced by Hispanic youth in the area. Together with the institute, Julio designed bilingual surveys, piloted them with education experts, and connected with more than 150 Hispanic parents at community events. Their stories were poignant, and the data confirmed Marta’s concern: 87% of parents valued higher education, but more than 70% were unfamiliar with the admissions process. He presented this research at Wake Forest University’s LAUNCH for Leadership event to amplify these unheard voices. He is working on developing a nonprofit to create resources on the college application process based on his findings.
Julio was inspired to devote more concerted time to service, especially to addressing educational inequality, after seeing how unfair systems affect Hispanic families. This inequity resonated with him, given his own experience moving from Venezuela to North Carolina. He was lucky enough to have an educator in that first year who also spoke Spanish and worked diligently to help him adapt to his new country, school, and the English language. His teacher’s compassion and dedication sparked his own desire to give back to his fellow Hispanics navigating the American education system.
In his application, Julio underscored this reality, “when I moved from Venezuela to the United States, I was surrounded by people I didn’t know and a language I barely spoke. Back in school, I stared at the screen, equations danced—but what did they mean? I felt alone, lost in the crowd. Luckily, I got help from programs like Crosby Scholars, which provided mentors and resources to prepare for college. I realize, though, that many students don’t have these opportunities. To help, I pursued research and service.”
His research project earned the Community Research Impact Award, recognizing his pioneering community-based research as a high school student. He plans to broaden the research by reaching more Hispanic families for surveys and interviews and expanding the community it samples.
Julio maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and Honors courses. He is, moreover, the Vice-President of his school’s Spanish Club, a participant in the Governor’s Page Program and Crosby Scholars Program, and a member of the Youth Leadership Executive Board. He was recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction and is a member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies. In 2025, he was one of 32 students selected to participate in the Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s Latino Future Lawyers Leadership Program in Washington, D.C., where his team won Best Mock Trial, an experience that only affirmed his plans to pursue law and policy post-grad.
He plans to study history and has applied to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, and North Carolina State University.
BRONZE - Jahdai Avalos-Joya
Major: Psychology with minors in Visual Art and Education
High School: Challenger Early College High School
Hometown: Hickory, NC
Jahdai Avalos-Joya founded Inner Circle as a means to transform how students view mental health. She wanted to cultivate a supportive space for her peers to discuss stress, anxiety, and personal development. She especially wanted to reach first-generation students who may need more resources. To ensure the efficacy of the group, she engaged her school’s guidance counselors to facilitate meetings centered on community. In no time, Jahdai was planning and executing events that supported student stress management and mindfulness. She organized the school’s first annual Mental Wellness Week, where students shared affirmations, made stress balls, and took home small plants as reminders to care for their well-being.
“In the first year, Inner Circle taught me that youth leadership can create real change when compassion drives it. It became a mirror of the empathy I’d developed through helping, transforming personal care into a community movement. Watching students speaking, listening, and supporting one another reminded me that healing often begins when we connect through shared experiences. Inner Circle remains my proudest accomplishment because it provided an opportunity to start that first conversation on mental health.”
She was inspired to create Inner Circle in part by her own experience of supporting her chronically ill sibling and growing up first-generation. From an early age, Jahdai took on a lot of responsibility, supplementing her sibling’s education, translating for parents, and navigating systems that felt so foreign to her and her family. While she was grateful to support her family, she knew that to continue to do so, she would have to take concerted care of her own mental well-being. If she felt this way, certainly there were others who could use the support as well.
She also explores themes of mental health through her webcomic, which uses art and storytelling to address these difficult topics in more accessible ways. The series, currently in development, touches on mental wellness, identity, and belonging through slice-of-life style storytelling. She writes and illustrates the stories herself and has already begun sharing the work with beta readers, with plans to publish in the future.
Her particular focus on community strategies for mental well-being was inspired by her own Hispanic heritage. Jahdai remembers fondly the community built in kitchens and around dining tables. Her family often volunteered their love for cooking at the local church. She recalls that these experiences of sharing a meal ultimately led to connection as friends and family shared stories and comfort. This model of community influences both Inner Circle and how she approaches leadership altogether.
In addition to her work with Inner Circle, she partnered with United Way to help allocate $10,000 in funding towards youth education and enrichment programs. Each program had its own mission to uniquely support young learners. The funding supported programs ranging from animal therapies to summer camp opportunities.
Jahdai maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking various honors and college-level courses through her school’s dual enrollment program. She is a SkillsUSA State Champion, Member of the Advisory Board of the Catawba County Youth Council, Vice President of her school’s student pantry, and co-leader of her Speech and Debate Team. She intends to study psychology and has applied to Princeton, Duke, and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
High School: Challenger Early College High School
Hometown: Hickory, NC
Jahdai Avalos-Joya founded Inner Circle as a means to transform how students view mental health. She wanted to cultivate a supportive space for her peers to discuss stress, anxiety, and personal development. She especially wanted to reach first-generation students who may need more resources. To ensure the efficacy of the group, she engaged her school’s guidance counselors to facilitate meetings centered on community. In no time, Jahdai was planning and executing events that supported student stress management and mindfulness. She organized the school’s first annual Mental Wellness Week, where students shared affirmations, made stress balls, and took home small plants as reminders to care for their well-being.
“In the first year, Inner Circle taught me that youth leadership can create real change when compassion drives it. It became a mirror of the empathy I’d developed through helping, transforming personal care into a community movement. Watching students speaking, listening, and supporting one another reminded me that healing often begins when we connect through shared experiences. Inner Circle remains my proudest accomplishment because it provided an opportunity to start that first conversation on mental health.”
She was inspired to create Inner Circle in part by her own experience of supporting her chronically ill sibling and growing up first-generation. From an early age, Jahdai took on a lot of responsibility, supplementing her sibling’s education, translating for parents, and navigating systems that felt so foreign to her and her family. While she was grateful to support her family, she knew that to continue to do so, she would have to take concerted care of her own mental well-being. If she felt this way, certainly there were others who could use the support as well.
She also explores themes of mental health through her webcomic, which uses art and storytelling to address these difficult topics in more accessible ways. The series, currently in development, touches on mental wellness, identity, and belonging through slice-of-life style storytelling. She writes and illustrates the stories herself and has already begun sharing the work with beta readers, with plans to publish in the future.
Her particular focus on community strategies for mental well-being was inspired by her own Hispanic heritage. Jahdai remembers fondly the community built in kitchens and around dining tables. Her family often volunteered their love for cooking at the local church. She recalls that these experiences of sharing a meal ultimately led to connection as friends and family shared stories and comfort. This model of community influences both Inner Circle and how she approaches leadership altogether.
In addition to her work with Inner Circle, she partnered with United Way to help allocate $10,000 in funding towards youth education and enrichment programs. Each program had its own mission to uniquely support young learners. The funding supported programs ranging from animal therapies to summer camp opportunities.
Jahdai maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking various honors and college-level courses through her school’s dual enrollment program. She is a SkillsUSA State Champion, Member of the Advisory Board of the Catawba County Youth Council, Vice President of her school’s student pantry, and co-leader of her Speech and Debate Team. She intends to study psychology and has applied to Princeton, Duke, and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
Pink Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Lucia Campos
Major: Archaeological Anthropology and Geography with minors in Data Science and Geographic Information Systems
High School: Frederick Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center
Hometown: Chicago, IL
In 2024, Lucia Campos was awarded the Presidential Service Award for her more than 100 service hours that year. Since then, she has logged more than 330 service hours as a teen volunteer with the Field Museum. As a volunteer, she has solidified her love of STEM, while also mentoring the next generation of young women interested in still male-dominated fields. As a part of her service, Lucia facilitates hands-on learning experiences that teach visitors about camouflage, deep-sea creatures, dinosaur fossils, and climate change. She is most proud to see young learners really grasp the complex topics and experiences great joy witnessing their fascination.
She described the importance of this experience in her application, “these questions [and facilitations] are important, maybe even a little intimidating to some, but young learners know that I’m right here to help them discover the answers along the way. That is what brings me the most joy of being a Teen Volunteer at the Field Museum, getting the chance to facilitate curiosity for young learners, especially young girls curious about science.”
When she is not at the museum, Lucia also volunteers for and leads environmental stewardship initiatives and supports her school community as a tutor. She hosted and led her very own Chicago River Clean Up and has hosted annual cleanups at her school and its surrounding grounds. Moreover, in 2025, she contributed to a Hispanic Heritage Month mural that showed solidarity for students and community members impacted by the growing ICE presence in Chicago.
A huge advocate for girls in STEM, she noticed that even her school’s Competitive Engineering Club left her feeling isolated. As a girl and Latina, Lucia represents an often unnoticed population of young engineers. She believed her club could do a better job of supporting populations that are typically left out of engineering. To ensure this, she organized fundraisers that helped the team purchase new robot kits and host the first GirlPowered STEM Workshop to garner more interest.
Her recommender, AP Seminar and English Teacher, for whom she serves as a teaching assistant, wrote of Lucia, “The list of moments where Lucia has impressed me is long. I have never seen her shy away from academic challenges. Lucia is naturally intelligent, but it is her tenacity, her eloquence, and her teamwork that impress me most. Lucia is the ultimate team player and leader.”
She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking both dual credit and advanced placement courses. She has been recognized as a College Board AP Scholar with Honor, a recipient of the College Board National Top School Recognition, and a member of the National Honor Society, serving as Vice President of her chapter. Lucia also serves as Co-President for her school’s Competitive Engineering Club and is a member of the Environmental Club. Moreover, she participated in the University of Chicago’s Collegiate Scholars Program.
She plans to study archaeological anthropology and geography in college and has applied to Tufts University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Michigan.
High School: Frederick Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center
Hometown: Chicago, IL
In 2024, Lucia Campos was awarded the Presidential Service Award for her more than 100 service hours that year. Since then, she has logged more than 330 service hours as a teen volunteer with the Field Museum. As a volunteer, she has solidified her love of STEM, while also mentoring the next generation of young women interested in still male-dominated fields. As a part of her service, Lucia facilitates hands-on learning experiences that teach visitors about camouflage, deep-sea creatures, dinosaur fossils, and climate change. She is most proud to see young learners really grasp the complex topics and experiences great joy witnessing their fascination.
She described the importance of this experience in her application, “these questions [and facilitations] are important, maybe even a little intimidating to some, but young learners know that I’m right here to help them discover the answers along the way. That is what brings me the most joy of being a Teen Volunteer at the Field Museum, getting the chance to facilitate curiosity for young learners, especially young girls curious about science.”
When she is not at the museum, Lucia also volunteers for and leads environmental stewardship initiatives and supports her school community as a tutor. She hosted and led her very own Chicago River Clean Up and has hosted annual cleanups at her school and its surrounding grounds. Moreover, in 2025, she contributed to a Hispanic Heritage Month mural that showed solidarity for students and community members impacted by the growing ICE presence in Chicago.
A huge advocate for girls in STEM, she noticed that even her school’s Competitive Engineering Club left her feeling isolated. As a girl and Latina, Lucia represents an often unnoticed population of young engineers. She believed her club could do a better job of supporting populations that are typically left out of engineering. To ensure this, she organized fundraisers that helped the team purchase new robot kits and host the first GirlPowered STEM Workshop to garner more interest.
Her recommender, AP Seminar and English Teacher, for whom she serves as a teaching assistant, wrote of Lucia, “The list of moments where Lucia has impressed me is long. I have never seen her shy away from academic challenges. Lucia is naturally intelligent, but it is her tenacity, her eloquence, and her teamwork that impress me most. Lucia is the ultimate team player and leader.”
She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking both dual credit and advanced placement courses. She has been recognized as a College Board AP Scholar with Honor, a recipient of the College Board National Top School Recognition, and a member of the National Honor Society, serving as Vice President of her chapter. Lucia also serves as Co-President for her school’s Competitive Engineering Club and is a member of the Environmental Club. Moreover, she participated in the University of Chicago’s Collegiate Scholars Program.
She plans to study archaeological anthropology and geography in college and has applied to Tufts University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Michigan.
SILVER - Adam Parsons
Major: Political Science with minors in History and Communications
High School: Lane Tech College Prep
Hometown: Chicago, IL
As an intern with Chicago Alderwoman of the 39th Ward, Samantha Nugent, Adam Parsons worked on several projects and helped dozens of different people across the 39th Ward. This included taking community concerns from constituents, organizing recycling and shredding events, and cleaning up public parks. The most prominent project he worked on was a large community back-to-school event run by the Alderwoman’s office, featuring stands for local businesses, government agencies, and elected officials. He specifically oversaw many of the day-of arrangements, including vendor placement, preparing vendor stands, and communicating with government officials. Once the event began, Adam was placed in charge of the charitable-giving table, which provided less-affluent families with much-needed backpacks and school supplies. By the end of the event, they had distributed more than 300 backpacks filled with pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, and other critical school supplies, alleviating at least one back-to-school burden.
His dedication to community service is inspired by his own parents, both Chicago teachers and union members. At a young age, Adam witnessed the power of community organizing by attending the 2012 and 2019 teachers’ strikes with his parents. He saw community organizing and these strikes as admirable displays of people committed to asking for and receiving better. However, he quickly learned that unionizing was not always seen in this light, especially due to misinformation about the motivations of strikes like this one, which paints teachers as self-seeking and money-hungry, while ignoring the strikes’ aim to also improve student learning conditions.
These early experiences invigorated Adam and led to his own commitment to civic engagement. Today, that takes form in his community service and in his role as President of his school’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). With the ACLU, he works to raise awareness for local and national issues to mobilize his peers. At this critical moment, he has led the club in awareness campaigns surrounding the deployment of the National Guard, free speech, and illegal deportations. As previously noted, he interned with Alderwoman Samantha Nugent and, at the time of his application, was involved in a fellowship program with State Senator Robert Martwick.
Adam feels strongly that the biggest change happens when people unite. In his application, he wrote, “I am inspired to serve my community because I know that working as a collective towards a common goal is essential to success. When people work together, success is not only closer in reach, but more rewarding in the end.”
He maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. He is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, officer of the Vietnamese International Days Club, and President of the Model United Nations at his school. As a participant in Model UN, he has received various awards, including Best Delegate and Outstanding Delegate at multiple events, as well as Best Position Paper.
This fall, Adam intends to study political science and has applied to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University. He plans to continue his commitment to civic engagement as a future public servant.
High School: Lane Tech College Prep
Hometown: Chicago, IL
As an intern with Chicago Alderwoman of the 39th Ward, Samantha Nugent, Adam Parsons worked on several projects and helped dozens of different people across the 39th Ward. This included taking community concerns from constituents, organizing recycling and shredding events, and cleaning up public parks. The most prominent project he worked on was a large community back-to-school event run by the Alderwoman’s office, featuring stands for local businesses, government agencies, and elected officials. He specifically oversaw many of the day-of arrangements, including vendor placement, preparing vendor stands, and communicating with government officials. Once the event began, Adam was placed in charge of the charitable-giving table, which provided less-affluent families with much-needed backpacks and school supplies. By the end of the event, they had distributed more than 300 backpacks filled with pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, and other critical school supplies, alleviating at least one back-to-school burden.
His dedication to community service is inspired by his own parents, both Chicago teachers and union members. At a young age, Adam witnessed the power of community organizing by attending the 2012 and 2019 teachers’ strikes with his parents. He saw community organizing and these strikes as admirable displays of people committed to asking for and receiving better. However, he quickly learned that unionizing was not always seen in this light, especially due to misinformation about the motivations of strikes like this one, which paints teachers as self-seeking and money-hungry, while ignoring the strikes’ aim to also improve student learning conditions.
These early experiences invigorated Adam and led to his own commitment to civic engagement. Today, that takes form in his community service and in his role as President of his school’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). With the ACLU, he works to raise awareness for local and national issues to mobilize his peers. At this critical moment, he has led the club in awareness campaigns surrounding the deployment of the National Guard, free speech, and illegal deportations. As previously noted, he interned with Alderwoman Samantha Nugent and, at the time of his application, was involved in a fellowship program with State Senator Robert Martwick.
Adam feels strongly that the biggest change happens when people unite. In his application, he wrote, “I am inspired to serve my community because I know that working as a collective towards a common goal is essential to success. When people work together, success is not only closer in reach, but more rewarding in the end.”
He maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. He is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, officer of the Vietnamese International Days Club, and President of the Model United Nations at his school. As a participant in Model UN, he has received various awards, including Best Delegate and Outstanding Delegate at multiple events, as well as Best Position Paper.
This fall, Adam intends to study political science and has applied to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University. He plans to continue his commitment to civic engagement as a future public servant.
BRONZE - Victoria Rivera
Major: Kinesiology with a minor in Spanish
High School: Ripon High School
Hometown: Ripon, WI
Victoria Rivera gives back to her community through hands-on giving initiatives, fundraising, and grant-making. Through Girl-Powered Giving, she learned how impactful philanthropy could be. Through the program, she was able to identify prevalent issues in her community, develop a plan to target organizations focused on those issues, and finally review and make final decisions on which organizations would receive the grant. The process of grant-making not only allowed her to see the issues affecting her community, but also to step into a leadership role and propose solutions that can improve the quality of life of members of her county.
With a deeper understanding of her community’s needs, Victoria went on to organize drives to meet them firsthand. In one instance, she and her peers in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) made 160 tie blankets to donate to an elderly care facility. They worked together to collect monetary and material donations to make the blankets, and then hand-made each one based on the facility’s need. While blankets might not seem like much, they brought residents and their families joy and comfort, and many reached out to express just that. The project had such a great impact that local news media documented the students’ efforts. Also with FBLA, Victoria helps run the organization’s “Keeper’s Store,” where they help instill generosity in elementary school-age children, helping them to “shop” for gifts for friends and family.
Another small but impactful need in her community was the lack of access to hygiene products experienced by lower-income residents of her county. She worked with students and various schools across her county to organize a hygiene drive in which community members and partners could donate common hygiene items for distribution to struggling residents.
Victoria is inspired to give back because she has personally experienced the power of a tight-knit caring community. She describes her community as generous and supportive, something she wishes to emulate and pay forward.
She wrote, “my family has motivated me to be a support system for others, which I believe is the main reason why I am drawn towards the community service field and enjoy volunteering. Compassion and support are the foundation of family, which is similar to the main values of community service.”
As an older sister and cousin, she also wants to be someone worth looking up to. Therefore, she works to set a positive example for her younger family members as well as the children she has the privilege of serving through her various forms of community involvement. Outside of school, she volunteers annually with her faith community as a mentor for their summer camp programming.
Victoria has maintained a 3.98 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and dual-enrollment courses. She is a member of her school’s Key Club, FBLA Club, and track and field team. She plans to study kinesiology and has applied to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Carroll University, and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
High School: Ripon High School
Hometown: Ripon, WI
Victoria Rivera gives back to her community through hands-on giving initiatives, fundraising, and grant-making. Through Girl-Powered Giving, she learned how impactful philanthropy could be. Through the program, she was able to identify prevalent issues in her community, develop a plan to target organizations focused on those issues, and finally review and make final decisions on which organizations would receive the grant. The process of grant-making not only allowed her to see the issues affecting her community, but also to step into a leadership role and propose solutions that can improve the quality of life of members of her county.
With a deeper understanding of her community’s needs, Victoria went on to organize drives to meet them firsthand. In one instance, she and her peers in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) made 160 tie blankets to donate to an elderly care facility. They worked together to collect monetary and material donations to make the blankets, and then hand-made each one based on the facility’s need. While blankets might not seem like much, they brought residents and their families joy and comfort, and many reached out to express just that. The project had such a great impact that local news media documented the students’ efforts. Also with FBLA, Victoria helps run the organization’s “Keeper’s Store,” where they help instill generosity in elementary school-age children, helping them to “shop” for gifts for friends and family.
Another small but impactful need in her community was the lack of access to hygiene products experienced by lower-income residents of her county. She worked with students and various schools across her county to organize a hygiene drive in which community members and partners could donate common hygiene items for distribution to struggling residents.
Victoria is inspired to give back because she has personally experienced the power of a tight-knit caring community. She describes her community as generous and supportive, something she wishes to emulate and pay forward.
She wrote, “my family has motivated me to be a support system for others, which I believe is the main reason why I am drawn towards the community service field and enjoy volunteering. Compassion and support are the foundation of family, which is similar to the main values of community service.”
As an older sister and cousin, she also wants to be someone worth looking up to. Therefore, she works to set a positive example for her younger family members as well as the children she has the privilege of serving through her various forms of community involvement. Outside of school, she volunteers annually with her faith community as a mentor for their summer camp programming.
Victoria has maintained a 3.98 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and dual-enrollment courses. She is a member of her school’s Key Club, FBLA Club, and track and field team. She plans to study kinesiology and has applied to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Carroll University, and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
Purple Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Sydney Mafong
Major: Biology with a minor in Spanish
High School: The Bishop’s School
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Sydney Mafong is living proof that you are never too young to make a big impact. As a middle schooler, she felt she personally needed to improve access to literature. The result? In the 8th grade, Sydney founded her very own nonprofit, Libros Sin Fronteras (LSF), which has since donated more than 45,000 books to over 15,000 children between San Diego and Tijuana. The nonprofit builds classroom libraries, hosts free book fairs, and holds an annual summer reading program at Casa de Amistad for English language learners.
The inspiration for LSF came out of an experience in her middle school’s service club, Junior Optimist International (JOI), which she also founded. In 7th grade, she and her middle school peers gathered to complete service projects. In one particular encounter, Sydney met a young girl named Lucia who was struggling to read. She took it upon herself to teach Lucia how to read. This one-on-one tutoring eventually burgeoned into a literacy program. JOI expanded its service work to support overall literacy, which eventually led to the launch of LSF. Sydney has since helped create additional chapters of JOI, and the organization boasts 18,000 members worldwide. She continues to serve as International President. Inspired by Lucia’s story, she wrote and published her children’s book, ¡Lee, Lucía, Lee! (Read, Lucia, Read!), telling the story of how, with determination, support, and access to books, anyone can become a reader. In San Diego, one in three students reads below grade level by the third grade, a gap widened for Spanish-speaking and immigrant children. JOI, LSF, and her book are just some of the ways Sydney is personally working to bridge this gap in literacy.
In addition to her work with JOI and LSF, she volunteers with Pathways to Citizenship, a nonprofit that offers free civics and English classes and provides legal support to immigrants preparing for naturalization. As a tutor, Sydney teaches U.S. history and civics in both English and Spanish, creates lesson plans, and celebrates each milestone with her students, many of whom remind her of her four grandparents, who all became U.S. citizens through the same process. She has helped more than twenty immigrants study for the citizenship test and directs Pathways’ social media, ensuring families know about the organization’s free resources. She is also the president of her school’s Latin American Student Organization, where she leads initiatives that help students engage with their heritage and give back in the San Diego area.
Of her deeply impactful service work, Sydney wrote, “These experiences have shown me that change begins with human connection. I hope to continue bridging languages, cultures, and systems so every person has the chance to belong and thrive.”
She maintains a 3.99 unweighted GPA while taking multiple honors courses. Sydney is the captain of her Varsity Softball team. Her additional volunteer and leadership work includes serving as a Spanish-language translator at the University of California, San Diego’s free clinic, peer tutoring, and more. Her service has been awarded by various organizations. She has earned the Presidential Service Award, Woman Changing the World Award, Junior Optimist of the Year, the National Community Service Ambassador Award, and the Casa de Amistad Volunteer of the Year Award, to name a few.
She plans to study biology and has applied to Harvard College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Michigan.
High School: The Bishop’s School
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Sydney Mafong is living proof that you are never too young to make a big impact. As a middle schooler, she felt she personally needed to improve access to literature. The result? In the 8th grade, Sydney founded her very own nonprofit, Libros Sin Fronteras (LSF), which has since donated more than 45,000 books to over 15,000 children between San Diego and Tijuana. The nonprofit builds classroom libraries, hosts free book fairs, and holds an annual summer reading program at Casa de Amistad for English language learners.
The inspiration for LSF came out of an experience in her middle school’s service club, Junior Optimist International (JOI), which she also founded. In 7th grade, she and her middle school peers gathered to complete service projects. In one particular encounter, Sydney met a young girl named Lucia who was struggling to read. She took it upon herself to teach Lucia how to read. This one-on-one tutoring eventually burgeoned into a literacy program. JOI expanded its service work to support overall literacy, which eventually led to the launch of LSF. Sydney has since helped create additional chapters of JOI, and the organization boasts 18,000 members worldwide. She continues to serve as International President. Inspired by Lucia’s story, she wrote and published her children’s book, ¡Lee, Lucía, Lee! (Read, Lucia, Read!), telling the story of how, with determination, support, and access to books, anyone can become a reader. In San Diego, one in three students reads below grade level by the third grade, a gap widened for Spanish-speaking and immigrant children. JOI, LSF, and her book are just some of the ways Sydney is personally working to bridge this gap in literacy.
In addition to her work with JOI and LSF, she volunteers with Pathways to Citizenship, a nonprofit that offers free civics and English classes and provides legal support to immigrants preparing for naturalization. As a tutor, Sydney teaches U.S. history and civics in both English and Spanish, creates lesson plans, and celebrates each milestone with her students, many of whom remind her of her four grandparents, who all became U.S. citizens through the same process. She has helped more than twenty immigrants study for the citizenship test and directs Pathways’ social media, ensuring families know about the organization’s free resources. She is also the president of her school’s Latin American Student Organization, where she leads initiatives that help students engage with their heritage and give back in the San Diego area.
Of her deeply impactful service work, Sydney wrote, “These experiences have shown me that change begins with human connection. I hope to continue bridging languages, cultures, and systems so every person has the chance to belong and thrive.”
She maintains a 3.99 unweighted GPA while taking multiple honors courses. Sydney is the captain of her Varsity Softball team. Her additional volunteer and leadership work includes serving as a Spanish-language translator at the University of California, San Diego’s free clinic, peer tutoring, and more. Her service has been awarded by various organizations. She has earned the Presidential Service Award, Woman Changing the World Award, Junior Optimist of the Year, the National Community Service Ambassador Award, and the Casa de Amistad Volunteer of the Year Award, to name a few.
She plans to study biology and has applied to Harvard College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Michigan.
SILVER - Shyla Corona
Major: Screenwriting, Film & Television Production with a minor in Spanish
High School: Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy
Hometown: Lomita, CA
As a creative, Shyla Corona believes her talents can do good in her community. She has demonstrated an early commitment to philanthropy by using proceeds from her creative work to raise funds for local community initiatives, all in addition to her direct-impact service work.
As a Californian, the 2024 Los Angeles fires raged in her community. Thankfully, she and her family were not directly affected, but witnessing the destruction moved Shyla to take action to support her community. In response, she wrote and edited an anthology of short stories entitled Home is a Hope. In collaboration with other teens, she was able to raise over $1,000 for victims of the fire.
For her, this anthology was not just about raising funds but also cultivating a creative outlet for her community to discuss, grieve, and connect. She writes in her application, “this novel gave me the chance to go out into the community and turn a tragic event into an opportunity for connection. Many wildfire victims attended the promotional events, and speaking about Los Angeles as a beacon of hope throughout our lifetimes drew attention away from the devastation of the fires. It was beautiful to see stories like mine inspire communities ravaged by natural disaster to rise from the ashes through solidarity.”
Shyla regularly volunteers with the Red Cross and International Service to the Armed Forces, and organized a Thanksgiving food drive at her school. She is passionate about mobilizing her community in order to support one another.
She is also the President of her school’s Film and Writing Clubs, a member of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Teen Council and Positive Behavioral Interventions Support Council, and participates in Trident Archery. She also interned at institutions such as the USC Annenberg Youth Academy and the California State Summer School for the Arts Film Program.
Across her leadership in these organizations, Shyla imbues her work with meaning. Her writing club partners with the garden club to conduct community cleanups. As a member of the motion pictures teen council, she organizes free cultural and arts events for the community and helps her fellow students endow their creative work with themes important to them.
Of her, her recommender, AP English Teacher, wrote, “She is, without exaggeration, one of the most inspiring and multifaceted students I have had the honor of teaching and mentoring. For the past three years, in my capacity as an English teacher and as the Restorative Justice/ Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coordinator, where she serves as a student member for the PBIS School Committee, Shyla has consistently demonstrated the intellectual curiosity, emotional maturity, and integrity that are hallmarks of a leader.”
She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement and dual-enrollment courses. Her academic excellence has earned numerous accolades, including AP Scholar with Distinction, the President’s Distinguished Honor Roll, and the Hispanic Recognition Award. Shyla plans to study screenwriting and film & television production and has applied to the University of Southern California, New York University, and Barnard College.
High School: Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy
Hometown: Lomita, CA
As a creative, Shyla Corona believes her talents can do good in her community. She has demonstrated an early commitment to philanthropy by using proceeds from her creative work to raise funds for local community initiatives, all in addition to her direct-impact service work.
As a Californian, the 2024 Los Angeles fires raged in her community. Thankfully, she and her family were not directly affected, but witnessing the destruction moved Shyla to take action to support her community. In response, she wrote and edited an anthology of short stories entitled Home is a Hope. In collaboration with other teens, she was able to raise over $1,000 for victims of the fire.
For her, this anthology was not just about raising funds but also cultivating a creative outlet for her community to discuss, grieve, and connect. She writes in her application, “this novel gave me the chance to go out into the community and turn a tragic event into an opportunity for connection. Many wildfire victims attended the promotional events, and speaking about Los Angeles as a beacon of hope throughout our lifetimes drew attention away from the devastation of the fires. It was beautiful to see stories like mine inspire communities ravaged by natural disaster to rise from the ashes through solidarity.”
Shyla regularly volunteers with the Red Cross and International Service to the Armed Forces, and organized a Thanksgiving food drive at her school. She is passionate about mobilizing her community in order to support one another.
She is also the President of her school’s Film and Writing Clubs, a member of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Teen Council and Positive Behavioral Interventions Support Council, and participates in Trident Archery. She also interned at institutions such as the USC Annenberg Youth Academy and the California State Summer School for the Arts Film Program.
Across her leadership in these organizations, Shyla imbues her work with meaning. Her writing club partners with the garden club to conduct community cleanups. As a member of the motion pictures teen council, she organizes free cultural and arts events for the community and helps her fellow students endow their creative work with themes important to them.
Of her, her recommender, AP English Teacher, wrote, “She is, without exaggeration, one of the most inspiring and multifaceted students I have had the honor of teaching and mentoring. For the past three years, in my capacity as an English teacher and as the Restorative Justice/ Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coordinator, where she serves as a student member for the PBIS School Committee, Shyla has consistently demonstrated the intellectual curiosity, emotional maturity, and integrity that are hallmarks of a leader.”
She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement and dual-enrollment courses. Her academic excellence has earned numerous accolades, including AP Scholar with Distinction, the President’s Distinguished Honor Roll, and the Hispanic Recognition Award. Shyla plans to study screenwriting and film & television production and has applied to the University of Southern California, New York University, and Barnard College.
BRONZE - Kahlil Boulware
Major: Business with minors in Urban Planning and Real Estate Finance
High School: Rancho High School
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
In 2025, Kahlil "Kai" Boulware received the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Las Vegas Chapter, in recognition of his varied and dedicated service to the Las Vegas community.
Community service in his family was not optional. From a young age, his mother, a nonprofit founder herself, enrolled Kai and his brothers in the Young Men’s Service League, ensuring that direct service would become a regular part of her sons’ lives. This early exposure laid a firm foundation for his ongoing service work. He now considers himself a “social entrepreneur” as he serially seeks out opportunities to improve and support his community.
Some of his most notable initiatives include developing bi-lingual welcome bags and resource guides for new immigrant students and families, organizing a drive to make 90 birthday and hygiene kits for homeless and foster care populations, leading community cleanups with more than 250 participants annually, and raising awareness for pedestrian and cyclist safety. Kai also leverages his musical talents to uplift his community through his “Kindness with Keys” project. At the core of the initiative is bringing joy to elderly and low-income populations through free piano concerts.
Another initiative sought to mitigate the often fatal pedestrian collisions impacting his community. According to Kai, as of October 23, 2025, Southern Nevada has reported 130 pedestrian fatalities (representing a 47% increase since 2023). One cause of the increase, he believes, is a lack of education on e-bike and e-scooter safety. To help provide community education, Kai and his older sisters applied for and received a national Project Ignition Traffic Safety grant. They used the secured funds to design and implement strategies and marketing campaigns to improve pedestrian and traffic safety around their school. Given the success of the campaign, he and another sibling applied for another grant in 2025 to further their efforts around traffic and pedestrian safety. This time around, they are also collaborating with the Vegas Youth Advisory Council and local law enforcement to design public service announcements and informational materials. They believe their efforts will help prevent at least 100 traffic-related deaths a year. A successful grant writer, Kai also secured a grant to rent 22 community garden beds to grow produce for low-income veterans. To maximize the provisions of the garden, he harvested seasonal produce like tomatoes and figs and used sustainable practices to make shelf-stable goods like spaghetti sauce and preserves.
He maintains a strong GPA while taking advanced placement courses and participating in his school’s dual enrollment program. Kai is a member of the Las Vegas Jazz Youth Orchestra, Lifeguards, participates in jiu-jitsu, and engages in community service, all while working 20-30 hours a week. His civic engagement and academic strengths are especially impressive given the health issues that impacted his 10th-grade year. The health issues impacted him so significantly that he had to resign from playing both soccer and trumpet due to excessive pain. This experience and its detrimental impact on his well-being and education led him to write two op-eds that have since been published.
Kai has been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and 1st Place at the Nevada History Day Exhibit and the I Matter Poetry Award. He plans to study urban planning and has applied to Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown University.
High School: Rancho High School
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
In 2025, Kahlil "Kai" Boulware received the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Las Vegas Chapter, in recognition of his varied and dedicated service to the Las Vegas community.
Community service in his family was not optional. From a young age, his mother, a nonprofit founder herself, enrolled Kai and his brothers in the Young Men’s Service League, ensuring that direct service would become a regular part of her sons’ lives. This early exposure laid a firm foundation for his ongoing service work. He now considers himself a “social entrepreneur” as he serially seeks out opportunities to improve and support his community.
Some of his most notable initiatives include developing bi-lingual welcome bags and resource guides for new immigrant students and families, organizing a drive to make 90 birthday and hygiene kits for homeless and foster care populations, leading community cleanups with more than 250 participants annually, and raising awareness for pedestrian and cyclist safety. Kai also leverages his musical talents to uplift his community through his “Kindness with Keys” project. At the core of the initiative is bringing joy to elderly and low-income populations through free piano concerts.
Another initiative sought to mitigate the often fatal pedestrian collisions impacting his community. According to Kai, as of October 23, 2025, Southern Nevada has reported 130 pedestrian fatalities (representing a 47% increase since 2023). One cause of the increase, he believes, is a lack of education on e-bike and e-scooter safety. To help provide community education, Kai and his older sisters applied for and received a national Project Ignition Traffic Safety grant. They used the secured funds to design and implement strategies and marketing campaigns to improve pedestrian and traffic safety around their school. Given the success of the campaign, he and another sibling applied for another grant in 2025 to further their efforts around traffic and pedestrian safety. This time around, they are also collaborating with the Vegas Youth Advisory Council and local law enforcement to design public service announcements and informational materials. They believe their efforts will help prevent at least 100 traffic-related deaths a year. A successful grant writer, Kai also secured a grant to rent 22 community garden beds to grow produce for low-income veterans. To maximize the provisions of the garden, he harvested seasonal produce like tomatoes and figs and used sustainable practices to make shelf-stable goods like spaghetti sauce and preserves.
He maintains a strong GPA while taking advanced placement courses and participating in his school’s dual enrollment program. Kai is a member of the Las Vegas Jazz Youth Orchestra, Lifeguards, participates in jiu-jitsu, and engages in community service, all while working 20-30 hours a week. His civic engagement and academic strengths are especially impressive given the health issues that impacted his 10th-grade year. The health issues impacted him so significantly that he had to resign from playing both soccer and trumpet due to excessive pain. This experience and its detrimental impact on his well-being and education led him to write two op-eds that have since been published.
Kai has been awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and 1st Place at the Nevada History Day Exhibit and the I Matter Poetry Award. He plans to study urban planning and has applied to Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown University.
Red Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Bruce Matos
Major: Global Public Health with a minor in Cognitive Science
High School: Weston High School
Hometown: Weston, CT
"Dominicano, Cubano, Puertorriqueño, ¡da lo mismo! You're Hispanic, you always look out for your people." Bruce Matos learned this from his father, who, despite facing health challenges that have limited his mobility over the past decade, still makes time every Saturday to visit a local lunch spot and chat about baseball with the Dominican immigrant community. That example of watching his father show up for others, even when it is hard, has taught Bruce that leadership is not loud. It is built on presence, patience, and knowing your community.
Under Bruce's leadership as Head of Partners and Sponsors for Joshua's Heart Foundation (JHF), the organization distributed 12,000 pounds of food and household essentials to more than 1,300 people in a single weekend. He spent nearly a year planning the food drive and securing sponsors, raising $12,000 in donations. When logistical challenges made hosting in Connecticut impossible, he shifted the effort to Miami, where JHF's systems were already in place. He traveled from Connecticut and spent three days planning, packing, and delivering thousands of pounds of produce, groceries, and toiletries alongside local volunteers. When trucks arrived late and equipment failed, his youth-led team unloaded everything by hand. "Community service is not about perfection," Bruce reflects. "It's about mobilizing people, meeting needs, and redefining what's possible when young leaders don't wait to lead.”
His path to JHF began in scouting, which he joined in first grade following in his older brother's footsteps. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Bruce completed a 128-hour project during COVID, collecting gently used martial arts equipment, refurbishing it, and donating it to under-resourced schools for after-school activities. The project was personal. He has spent more than 13 years training in Kung Fu, eventually earning a black belt and becoming an assistant instructor. Today, he teaches free classes in his community to expose youth to the mental health and physical benefits of exercise and martial arts. "I try to make sure the people in each community feel seen," he says. For Bruce, service should be culturally grounded, otherwise it risks missing the people it is meant to help.
Wanting to expand his impact beyond scouting, Bruce co-founded the Connecticut Junior Advisory Board for JHF in eighth grade. With his team, the chapter led a 10,000-book drive and a 7,000-school-supply drive for underprivileged schools in Connecticut. As Head of Partners and Sponsors, he built relationships with corporate donors, and in 18 months, his team raised $43,000, funds that fed more than 1,500 families in South Florida. Claudia McLean, Executive Director of JHF, describes him as someone who turns "empathy into organized, measurable service." She notes that in the past year alone, Bruce personally raised more than $20,000, with his team raising more than $40,000 to fund groceries, hygiene kits, and youth-led distributions. "Bruce consistently chooses the unglamorous work that makes service durable," she writes. "He arrives prepared, stays until the last box is packed, and follows up with thank-you notes and next steps so partners want to work with our students again.”
Bruce has also channeled his family's experience with chronic illness into healthcare advocacy. Two years ago, he launched his school's first HOSA Future Health Professionals chapter, recruiting more than 30 members. He has hosted "Careers in Medicine" and "Women in Healthcare" panels that drew more than 60 students, invited medical professionals to speak at his school, and launched a mental health awareness campaign in partnership with a local senior living facility. His efforts helped Weston High School earn a state ranking in its inaugural year competing at HOSA. He was elected Connecticut HOSA State Officer and VP of Communications, representing more than 1,000 students statewide, and was honored with the International Barbara James Service Award for health-focused volunteer work.
As Vice President of Veteran Events for the American Heroes Club, Bruce has spent more than three years organizing Veterans Day events, hosting luncheons, and co-leading fundraisers that raised $1,800 for Disabled American Veterans. He serves as Secretary-General of Model United Nations (MUN), where he rebuilt the club post-COVID from five members to sixteen and has represented Weston High School at Princeton, Harvard, and Global Citizens MUN conferences. He is also President of the Cultural Linguistics Preservation Society, where he has initiated cultural awareness projects in partnership with the Mohegan Tribe.
The scope of Bruce's involvement extends well beyond what we can capture here. He has also served as Co-Captain of his school's varsity track and field team, where he was a State Conference Finalist in the 300m hurdles. He is a concert violinist and member of Tri-M Honor Society. He was selected among the top 5% globally for the New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy, collaborating on ethical AI for sustainable health. He participated in Columbia University's YES in the HEIGHTS program, focusing on cancer health disparities, and served on the Scouting America National Youth Council, collaborating with the Executive Board to improve programs nationwide. He co-founded DECA at his school and grew membership from four to more than 40 students. He was a research assistant at the Institute of Etiological Research, working with Dr. Hecht at the University of Miami on the effects of martial arts training on adolescent brain neuroplasticity. He completed a research internship at Johns Hopkins focused on brain science. And in July 2025, he was elected State Representative at Connecticut Boys State.
Bruce maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while balancing a demanding course load of honors and AP classes. He has been recognized in the top 6% of Hispanic scholars nationwide by the College Board, earned the United Nations and Brandeis Book Awards for two consecutive years, and received a Congressional Award Gold Medal for more than 400 hours of service. He is a four-time recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Medal, with more than 800 hours of service to date. He was named a Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist and will be honored as one of Hormel Foods' 10 Under 20 Food Heroes for his work advancing food security nationwide. He was also named one of Ten Teens to Watch in 2025, the sole recipient from his school.
Bruce plans to study global public health with a minor in cognitive science at Duke University, the University of Chicago, or Tulane University. His goal is to learn how to communicate medical knowledge in ways that build trust and improve care in Hispanic neighborhoods. For Bruce, service has never been about headlines. It has always been about showing up, staying until the work is done, and making sure people feel seen.
High School: Weston High School
Hometown: Weston, CT
"Dominicano, Cubano, Puertorriqueño, ¡da lo mismo! You're Hispanic, you always look out for your people." Bruce Matos learned this from his father, who, despite facing health challenges that have limited his mobility over the past decade, still makes time every Saturday to visit a local lunch spot and chat about baseball with the Dominican immigrant community. That example of watching his father show up for others, even when it is hard, has taught Bruce that leadership is not loud. It is built on presence, patience, and knowing your community.
Under Bruce's leadership as Head of Partners and Sponsors for Joshua's Heart Foundation (JHF), the organization distributed 12,000 pounds of food and household essentials to more than 1,300 people in a single weekend. He spent nearly a year planning the food drive and securing sponsors, raising $12,000 in donations. When logistical challenges made hosting in Connecticut impossible, he shifted the effort to Miami, where JHF's systems were already in place. He traveled from Connecticut and spent three days planning, packing, and delivering thousands of pounds of produce, groceries, and toiletries alongside local volunteers. When trucks arrived late and equipment failed, his youth-led team unloaded everything by hand. "Community service is not about perfection," Bruce reflects. "It's about mobilizing people, meeting needs, and redefining what's possible when young leaders don't wait to lead.”
His path to JHF began in scouting, which he joined in first grade following in his older brother's footsteps. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Bruce completed a 128-hour project during COVID, collecting gently used martial arts equipment, refurbishing it, and donating it to under-resourced schools for after-school activities. The project was personal. He has spent more than 13 years training in Kung Fu, eventually earning a black belt and becoming an assistant instructor. Today, he teaches free classes in his community to expose youth to the mental health and physical benefits of exercise and martial arts. "I try to make sure the people in each community feel seen," he says. For Bruce, service should be culturally grounded, otherwise it risks missing the people it is meant to help.
Wanting to expand his impact beyond scouting, Bruce co-founded the Connecticut Junior Advisory Board for JHF in eighth grade. With his team, the chapter led a 10,000-book drive and a 7,000-school-supply drive for underprivileged schools in Connecticut. As Head of Partners and Sponsors, he built relationships with corporate donors, and in 18 months, his team raised $43,000, funds that fed more than 1,500 families in South Florida. Claudia McLean, Executive Director of JHF, describes him as someone who turns "empathy into organized, measurable service." She notes that in the past year alone, Bruce personally raised more than $20,000, with his team raising more than $40,000 to fund groceries, hygiene kits, and youth-led distributions. "Bruce consistently chooses the unglamorous work that makes service durable," she writes. "He arrives prepared, stays until the last box is packed, and follows up with thank-you notes and next steps so partners want to work with our students again.”
Bruce has also channeled his family's experience with chronic illness into healthcare advocacy. Two years ago, he launched his school's first HOSA Future Health Professionals chapter, recruiting more than 30 members. He has hosted "Careers in Medicine" and "Women in Healthcare" panels that drew more than 60 students, invited medical professionals to speak at his school, and launched a mental health awareness campaign in partnership with a local senior living facility. His efforts helped Weston High School earn a state ranking in its inaugural year competing at HOSA. He was elected Connecticut HOSA State Officer and VP of Communications, representing more than 1,000 students statewide, and was honored with the International Barbara James Service Award for health-focused volunteer work.
As Vice President of Veteran Events for the American Heroes Club, Bruce has spent more than three years organizing Veterans Day events, hosting luncheons, and co-leading fundraisers that raised $1,800 for Disabled American Veterans. He serves as Secretary-General of Model United Nations (MUN), where he rebuilt the club post-COVID from five members to sixteen and has represented Weston High School at Princeton, Harvard, and Global Citizens MUN conferences. He is also President of the Cultural Linguistics Preservation Society, where he has initiated cultural awareness projects in partnership with the Mohegan Tribe.
The scope of Bruce's involvement extends well beyond what we can capture here. He has also served as Co-Captain of his school's varsity track and field team, where he was a State Conference Finalist in the 300m hurdles. He is a concert violinist and member of Tri-M Honor Society. He was selected among the top 5% globally for the New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy, collaborating on ethical AI for sustainable health. He participated in Columbia University's YES in the HEIGHTS program, focusing on cancer health disparities, and served on the Scouting America National Youth Council, collaborating with the Executive Board to improve programs nationwide. He co-founded DECA at his school and grew membership from four to more than 40 students. He was a research assistant at the Institute of Etiological Research, working with Dr. Hecht at the University of Miami on the effects of martial arts training on adolescent brain neuroplasticity. He completed a research internship at Johns Hopkins focused on brain science. And in July 2025, he was elected State Representative at Connecticut Boys State.
Bruce maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while balancing a demanding course load of honors and AP classes. He has been recognized in the top 6% of Hispanic scholars nationwide by the College Board, earned the United Nations and Brandeis Book Awards for two consecutive years, and received a Congressional Award Gold Medal for more than 400 hours of service. He is a four-time recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Medal, with more than 800 hours of service to date. He was named a Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist and will be honored as one of Hormel Foods' 10 Under 20 Food Heroes for his work advancing food security nationwide. He was also named one of Ten Teens to Watch in 2025, the sole recipient from his school.
Bruce plans to study global public health with a minor in cognitive science at Duke University, the University of Chicago, or Tulane University. His goal is to learn how to communicate medical knowledge in ways that build trust and improve care in Hispanic neighborhoods. For Bruce, service has never been about headlines. It has always been about showing up, staying until the work is done, and making sure people feel seen.
SILVER - Lia Tavarez Sobalvarro
Major: Public Health with minors in Education and International Relations
High School: Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter High School
Hometown: Cranston, RI
From a young age, Lia Tavarez Sobalvarro expressed an interest in STEM, but, like many of her Hispanic peers, she did not always have access to the expensive camps and learning opportunities beyond what her school could offer. She craved a space where she could lean into her curiosity and love for the sciences. While she never did get that exact outlet, she knew that she could create them for those coming up after her. Remembering her own desire for such a resource, Lia co-founded NextGenSTEM. The program offers lower-income kids a week of programming during school breaks where participants partake in hands-on lessons, conduct experiments, and altogether explore, touch, and question.
She takes great pride in working with younger generations. In addition to her leadership with NextGenSTEM, Lia is a Youth Staff Coordinator for the Rhode Island Teen Institute, where she mentors over 100 students across the state to strengthen their leadership skills. She also takes part in Digital Promise's Youth Design Team. In this role, she helped redesign their national digital equity initiatives and assisted in their global launch. She also served for two summers at Camp RYSE, a literacy camp for refugee youth, where she co-taught English to second-graders new to the United States and hopes to return as a full summer educator.
Already demonstrating the foundations of a strong public health advocate, Lia began her service journey with Tobacco Free Rhode Island, where she co-facilitated school presentations on the dangers of tobacco. She connected the organization with CATCH My Breath, a global tobacco prevention initiative, using their resources to educate more than 400 students about nicotine prevention. She has gone on to participate in statewide panels to also help educators better reach their students on the subject. Her impact led to a role on the CATCH My Breath Youth Board of Directors, where she now serves as National Director of Curriculum Review.
Lia also works with the Rhode Island Department of Health as a Youth Health Ambassador, where she helped create the state's first teen mental health magazine. In this role, she has also developed behavioral health initiatives and citywide prevention campaigns that took various forms. She helped design a 3-credit-hour youth development course for the University of Rhode Island and joined the planning committee for a local nonprofit's Miles for Migrants campaign, which fundraises to support immigrant families.
She believes that one of the greatest issues affecting the Hispanic community is fear and mistrust surrounding healthcare. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 26% of Hispanic adults lack health insurance, compared to 8% of non-Hispanic white adults. Hispanic individuals are also 1.5 times more likely to report not having a regular healthcare provider, and studies show that language barriers and cultural misunderstandings lead to over 40% of Hispanic patients delaying or avoiding care altogether. These concerning statistics animate her desire to study and work in public health. To meet her community where they are, Lia dreams of mobilizing through traveling clinics staffed with bilingual healthcare professionals, directly in the community, to ensure Latinos stay on top of their health while building trust with healthcare providers.
She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while serving on her school’s student council, Providence Student Union Leadership Team, and the Providence Police Explorers, where she holds the rank of sergeant. Lia plans to study public health and has applied to Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan.
High School: Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter High School
Hometown: Cranston, RI
From a young age, Lia Tavarez Sobalvarro expressed an interest in STEM, but, like many of her Hispanic peers, she did not always have access to the expensive camps and learning opportunities beyond what her school could offer. She craved a space where she could lean into her curiosity and love for the sciences. While she never did get that exact outlet, she knew that she could create them for those coming up after her. Remembering her own desire for such a resource, Lia co-founded NextGenSTEM. The program offers lower-income kids a week of programming during school breaks where participants partake in hands-on lessons, conduct experiments, and altogether explore, touch, and question.
She takes great pride in working with younger generations. In addition to her leadership with NextGenSTEM, Lia is a Youth Staff Coordinator for the Rhode Island Teen Institute, where she mentors over 100 students across the state to strengthen their leadership skills. She also takes part in Digital Promise's Youth Design Team. In this role, she helped redesign their national digital equity initiatives and assisted in their global launch. She also served for two summers at Camp RYSE, a literacy camp for refugee youth, where she co-taught English to second-graders new to the United States and hopes to return as a full summer educator.
Already demonstrating the foundations of a strong public health advocate, Lia began her service journey with Tobacco Free Rhode Island, where she co-facilitated school presentations on the dangers of tobacco. She connected the organization with CATCH My Breath, a global tobacco prevention initiative, using their resources to educate more than 400 students about nicotine prevention. She has gone on to participate in statewide panels to also help educators better reach their students on the subject. Her impact led to a role on the CATCH My Breath Youth Board of Directors, where she now serves as National Director of Curriculum Review.
Lia also works with the Rhode Island Department of Health as a Youth Health Ambassador, where she helped create the state's first teen mental health magazine. In this role, she has also developed behavioral health initiatives and citywide prevention campaigns that took various forms. She helped design a 3-credit-hour youth development course for the University of Rhode Island and joined the planning committee for a local nonprofit's Miles for Migrants campaign, which fundraises to support immigrant families.
She believes that one of the greatest issues affecting the Hispanic community is fear and mistrust surrounding healthcare. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 26% of Hispanic adults lack health insurance, compared to 8% of non-Hispanic white adults. Hispanic individuals are also 1.5 times more likely to report not having a regular healthcare provider, and studies show that language barriers and cultural misunderstandings lead to over 40% of Hispanic patients delaying or avoiding care altogether. These concerning statistics animate her desire to study and work in public health. To meet her community where they are, Lia dreams of mobilizing through traveling clinics staffed with bilingual healthcare professionals, directly in the community, to ensure Latinos stay on top of their health while building trust with healthcare providers.
She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA while serving on her school’s student council, Providence Student Union Leadership Team, and the Providence Police Explorers, where she holds the rank of sergeant. Lia plans to study public health and has applied to Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan.
BRONZE - Diego Cabanillas
Major: Public Health with a minor in Biology
High School: Archbishop Stepinac High School
Hometown: White Plains, NY
Under Diego Cabanillas’s leadership, he and other members of the nonprofit Pages for Hope were able to collect and donate more than 10,000 books for underprivileged children in South America. He partnered with other nonprofits, organized and managed multiple book drives, and even personally traveled around town to collect donations. He coordinated volunteers who, over time, sorted and packed these books so they could make their way to their future owners. Emphasizing his commitment to literacy, Diego is also working to create Paraguay’s second public English Library and is working with the Secretary of Education of Piedecuesta, Colombia, to expand literacy initiatives there, building on the already existing relationship through their book donations and his own boots-on-the-ground volunteering in the country.
To achieve this and more, he prioritized volunteer recruitment as president of the organization. When Diego took office, Pages for Hope had only about 10 engaged members. In his tenure, he has grown the organization’s membership by 600%. This growth enabled the organization’s book drives and literacy initiatives to achieve impressive success and gave him confidence that it would continue to grow and have a great impact beyond his graduation.
In addition to his work with Pages for Hope, Diego is an active member and co-President of the Rotary Interact Club. With the club, he has helped raise more than $5,000 for breast cancer awareness and coordinated efforts to prepare and distribute hundreds of snack bags for the homeless population in White Plains. His additional service roles include volunteering at a Rehabilitation Clinic and a local food pantry.
One issue facing his community, which he is already taking steps to address, is the contamination of White Plains reservoirs with PFAS. These “forever chemicals” have been linked to significant environmental and health concerns, including increased cholesterol levels, immune system effects, hormonal disruptions, and increased risk of certain cancers. To create awareness in the community, Diego, along with classmates, surveyed over 400 people to assess public knowledge of PFAS and their effects. As he works on analyzing the collected data, he plans to launch a formal public health campaign to raise awareness and educate the community.
He is committed to service as a way of honoring the legacy of generosity he learned from his family. In his application, Diego wrote, “Each moment I show up for someone or drop what I’m doing to give others a moment of my time is an essential part of service to me. I carry the voices of friends and family with me, as each story reminds me of their own valuable perspectives and deeper meanings for service. The way I approach the community service field has depended on humility and curiosity, with shared human experiences being the driving force behind efforts.”
Diego maintains a 3.97 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. He is otherwise involved in his school’s newspaper, where he is Editor-in-Chief, Vice President of his student council, and co-founder and president of his school’s HOSA chapter, a club for future healthcare professionals. He intends to study public health and has applied to Brown, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Notre Dame. He hopes to continue his education and ultimately attend medical school. Pursuing this goal, Diego has participated in health programs at Cornell and Columbia, and currently interns at Yale, where he is researching health equity in the greater New Haven area.
High School: Archbishop Stepinac High School
Hometown: White Plains, NY
Under Diego Cabanillas’s leadership, he and other members of the nonprofit Pages for Hope were able to collect and donate more than 10,000 books for underprivileged children in South America. He partnered with other nonprofits, organized and managed multiple book drives, and even personally traveled around town to collect donations. He coordinated volunteers who, over time, sorted and packed these books so they could make their way to their future owners. Emphasizing his commitment to literacy, Diego is also working to create Paraguay’s second public English Library and is working with the Secretary of Education of Piedecuesta, Colombia, to expand literacy initiatives there, building on the already existing relationship through their book donations and his own boots-on-the-ground volunteering in the country.
To achieve this and more, he prioritized volunteer recruitment as president of the organization. When Diego took office, Pages for Hope had only about 10 engaged members. In his tenure, he has grown the organization’s membership by 600%. This growth enabled the organization’s book drives and literacy initiatives to achieve impressive success and gave him confidence that it would continue to grow and have a great impact beyond his graduation.
In addition to his work with Pages for Hope, Diego is an active member and co-President of the Rotary Interact Club. With the club, he has helped raise more than $5,000 for breast cancer awareness and coordinated efforts to prepare and distribute hundreds of snack bags for the homeless population in White Plains. His additional service roles include volunteering at a Rehabilitation Clinic and a local food pantry.
One issue facing his community, which he is already taking steps to address, is the contamination of White Plains reservoirs with PFAS. These “forever chemicals” have been linked to significant environmental and health concerns, including increased cholesterol levels, immune system effects, hormonal disruptions, and increased risk of certain cancers. To create awareness in the community, Diego, along with classmates, surveyed over 400 people to assess public knowledge of PFAS and their effects. As he works on analyzing the collected data, he plans to launch a formal public health campaign to raise awareness and educate the community.
He is committed to service as a way of honoring the legacy of generosity he learned from his family. In his application, Diego wrote, “Each moment I show up for someone or drop what I’m doing to give others a moment of my time is an essential part of service to me. I carry the voices of friends and family with me, as each story reminds me of their own valuable perspectives and deeper meanings for service. The way I approach the community service field has depended on humility and curiosity, with shared human experiences being the driving force behind efforts.”
Diego maintains a 3.97 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. He is otherwise involved in his school’s newspaper, where he is Editor-in-Chief, Vice President of his student council, and co-founder and president of his school’s HOSA chapter, a club for future healthcare professionals. He intends to study public health and has applied to Brown, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Notre Dame. He hopes to continue his education and ultimately attend medical school. Pursuing this goal, Diego has participated in health programs at Cornell and Columbia, and currently interns at Yale, where he is researching health equity in the greater New Haven area.
Tan Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Fabiola Vega Carmona
Major: Biological Sciences with a minor in Music
High School: Antilles High School
Hometown: Toa Alta, PR
While Puerto Ricans scrambled to recover from the devastating losses caused by Hurricane Maria, Fabiola Vega Carmona could not help but notice the environmental and ecological impacts. While much aid worked to recover the damage Puerto Rican citizens were facing, she felt responsible for helping to rebuild the homes of the voiceless and unnoticed Leatherback Turtles. She describes that the island’s vegetation was severely affected. The Leatherback turtles, which use the beaches to nest and lay their eggs, lost much of the natural cover that protected them. Sea grape bushes that once formed a kind of natural fence, giving the turtles privacy and preventing them from wandering onto the nearby road, had eroded. After learning more about this, Fabiola dedicated her Girl Scout Bronze Award Project to the initiative.
To start, she reached out to nonprofit organizations for help, funding and mobilizing the project. She scheduled a community planting date and shared the information with her larger Girl Scout community to motivate their participation. Together, they brought tools like shovels, hoes, water, and gloves to plant new sea grape bushes. By the end of the day, they had successfully planted more than one hundred sea grape bushes. Years later, those once small sea grape bushes have grown into a strong, green, natural fence, one that has truly supported the leatherback turtle nesting efforts in Puerto Rico.
She is now working toward her Gold Award, aiming to address the ongoing decline of mangrove forests in Puerto Rico. To this end, her project seeks to restore mangrove areas by removing debris, planting new seedlings, and monitoring the health of existing mangroves. Fabiola hopes to engage local communities and educate them on the importance of these ecosystems. By revitalizing these habitats, Mission Mangroves not only addresses pressing environmental concerns but also strengthens defenses against climate change through a community-driven approach to conservation. At the time of her application, she had already planted 350 mangroves.
Her service extends beyond her passion for environmental causes. Fabiola also regularly volunteers at a local health clinic and with the Customs and Border Protection Laboratory. At the clinic, she floats between the pharmacy, administrative offices, and nursing areas. She assists more than 50 patients each week, organizing medications, assisting with intake, connecting patients with services, and supporting nursing staff with routine tasks. At the lab, she supports administrative tasks, shadows chemists, and assists with investigations aimed at protecting public safety. Other service projects include organizing beach clean-ups, cleaning after animals at the shelter, feeding homeless populations, and laying wreaths at the national cemetery.
All her service informs her long-term goal of becoming a doctor. Living in Puerto Rico, Fabiola has witnessed the negative impacts of doctor shortages on her community. The shortage of healthcare professionals leads to insufficient access to healthcare and poorer overall health outcomes.
She maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses and is a member of the National Honor Society, Law Enforcement Exploring, Student Government, and the Antilles Jazz Ensemble. She plans to major in biological sciences and hopes to continue on to medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. She has applied to the University of Colorado, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Connecticut.
High School: Antilles High School
Hometown: Toa Alta, PR
While Puerto Ricans scrambled to recover from the devastating losses caused by Hurricane Maria, Fabiola Vega Carmona could not help but notice the environmental and ecological impacts. While much aid worked to recover the damage Puerto Rican citizens were facing, she felt responsible for helping to rebuild the homes of the voiceless and unnoticed Leatherback Turtles. She describes that the island’s vegetation was severely affected. The Leatherback turtles, which use the beaches to nest and lay their eggs, lost much of the natural cover that protected them. Sea grape bushes that once formed a kind of natural fence, giving the turtles privacy and preventing them from wandering onto the nearby road, had eroded. After learning more about this, Fabiola dedicated her Girl Scout Bronze Award Project to the initiative.
To start, she reached out to nonprofit organizations for help, funding and mobilizing the project. She scheduled a community planting date and shared the information with her larger Girl Scout community to motivate their participation. Together, they brought tools like shovels, hoes, water, and gloves to plant new sea grape bushes. By the end of the day, they had successfully planted more than one hundred sea grape bushes. Years later, those once small sea grape bushes have grown into a strong, green, natural fence, one that has truly supported the leatherback turtle nesting efforts in Puerto Rico.
She is now working toward her Gold Award, aiming to address the ongoing decline of mangrove forests in Puerto Rico. To this end, her project seeks to restore mangrove areas by removing debris, planting new seedlings, and monitoring the health of existing mangroves. Fabiola hopes to engage local communities and educate them on the importance of these ecosystems. By revitalizing these habitats, Mission Mangroves not only addresses pressing environmental concerns but also strengthens defenses against climate change through a community-driven approach to conservation. At the time of her application, she had already planted 350 mangroves.
Her service extends beyond her passion for environmental causes. Fabiola also regularly volunteers at a local health clinic and with the Customs and Border Protection Laboratory. At the clinic, she floats between the pharmacy, administrative offices, and nursing areas. She assists more than 50 patients each week, organizing medications, assisting with intake, connecting patients with services, and supporting nursing staff with routine tasks. At the lab, she supports administrative tasks, shadows chemists, and assists with investigations aimed at protecting public safety. Other service projects include organizing beach clean-ups, cleaning after animals at the shelter, feeding homeless populations, and laying wreaths at the national cemetery.
All her service informs her long-term goal of becoming a doctor. Living in Puerto Rico, Fabiola has witnessed the negative impacts of doctor shortages on her community. The shortage of healthcare professionals leads to insufficient access to healthcare and poorer overall health outcomes.
She maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses and is a member of the National Honor Society, Law Enforcement Exploring, Student Government, and the Antilles Jazz Ensemble. She plans to major in biological sciences and hopes to continue on to medical school after completing her undergraduate degree. She has applied to the University of Colorado, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Connecticut.
SILVER - Jelix Serrano Gonzalez
Major: Microbiology with a minor in Medical Microbiology
High School: Abelardo Martínez Otero
Hometown: Arecibo, PR
In her community, violence is unfortunately common and expected. To provide an alternative, Jelix Serrano Gonzalez partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to realize a project they call “Union Familiar.” The project responded to the high incidence of violence in her community by creating safe, positive spaces for families. Through cultural, recreational, and educational activities, they promoted healthy communication and strengthened family bonds. The impact was evident. Families who often faced conflict were able to share joyful experiences. One parent even remarked that the programming brought joy and laughter to her son that they had not seen in weeks. Jelix hopes the project will be replicated throughout Puerto Rico. The project left such an impact on the community that she and the team were awarded the Hart’s Ladder Award at the 2025 Leadership Summit.
Reflecting on the honor, she wrote, “receiving that award was deeply meaningful to me because it affirmed that our project did not only matter to our community, but could also serve as a model of how youth-led service can address social challenges. “Unión Familiar” stands out as my proudest accomplishment because it combined leadership, teamwork, and compassion to address a critical issue. It taught me that community service has the power to heal, transform, and inspire lasting change.”
Union Familiar is just one of the initiatives she volunteers for with the Boys & Girls Club. Jelix regularly volunteers as an English and Math tutor, helping younger students gain confidence in their own academics. She also volunteers her time to health awareness campaigns that connect families with much-needed health resources. She is most devoted to the Boys & Girls Club because of the work it does to provide kids a place to belong. Whether children go to recreate or receive homework help, the center provides a safe, fun place to grow, a mission that was personally impactful to her own upbringing. In 2025, she was recognized as the Puerto Rico Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, an honor that represents character, leadership, and a strong commitment to community service.
Of her longstanding work with the Boys & Girls Club, her recommender, a post-secondary leader for the organization, wrote, “Jelix stands out as a young woman who combines her academic ability with strong leadership skills and a genuine passion for helping others. She has shown great initiative by actively participating in community projects and educational activities, where she has contributed her ideas and energy for the collective benefit. [The Youth of the Year Award] reflects not only her effort and dedication but also her ability to inspire and motivate other young people to get involved, grow, and reach their own goals.”
Jelix maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA and takes multiple dual enrollment courses at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo. She has moreover participated in the University of Rochester’s summer studies, where she gained exposure to advanced academic programs and pre-medical experiences. She is also very involved in her school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter, where she serves as an officer and earned 1st place in the FBLA Electronic Career Portfolio competition.
She plans to study microbiology to continue on to medical school after her undergraduate studies. She has applied to the University of Rochester, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo.
High School: Abelardo Martínez Otero
Hometown: Arecibo, PR
In her community, violence is unfortunately common and expected. To provide an alternative, Jelix Serrano Gonzalez partnered with the Boys & Girls Club to realize a project they call “Union Familiar.” The project responded to the high incidence of violence in her community by creating safe, positive spaces for families. Through cultural, recreational, and educational activities, they promoted healthy communication and strengthened family bonds. The impact was evident. Families who often faced conflict were able to share joyful experiences. One parent even remarked that the programming brought joy and laughter to her son that they had not seen in weeks. Jelix hopes the project will be replicated throughout Puerto Rico. The project left such an impact on the community that she and the team were awarded the Hart’s Ladder Award at the 2025 Leadership Summit.
Reflecting on the honor, she wrote, “receiving that award was deeply meaningful to me because it affirmed that our project did not only matter to our community, but could also serve as a model of how youth-led service can address social challenges. “Unión Familiar” stands out as my proudest accomplishment because it combined leadership, teamwork, and compassion to address a critical issue. It taught me that community service has the power to heal, transform, and inspire lasting change.”
Union Familiar is just one of the initiatives she volunteers for with the Boys & Girls Club. Jelix regularly volunteers as an English and Math tutor, helping younger students gain confidence in their own academics. She also volunteers her time to health awareness campaigns that connect families with much-needed health resources. She is most devoted to the Boys & Girls Club because of the work it does to provide kids a place to belong. Whether children go to recreate or receive homework help, the center provides a safe, fun place to grow, a mission that was personally impactful to her own upbringing. In 2025, she was recognized as the Puerto Rico Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year, an honor that represents character, leadership, and a strong commitment to community service.
Of her longstanding work with the Boys & Girls Club, her recommender, a post-secondary leader for the organization, wrote, “Jelix stands out as a young woman who combines her academic ability with strong leadership skills and a genuine passion for helping others. She has shown great initiative by actively participating in community projects and educational activities, where she has contributed her ideas and energy for the collective benefit. [The Youth of the Year Award] reflects not only her effort and dedication but also her ability to inspire and motivate other young people to get involved, grow, and reach their own goals.”
Jelix maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA and takes multiple dual enrollment courses at the University of Puerto Rico Arecibo. She has moreover participated in the University of Rochester’s summer studies, where she gained exposure to advanced academic programs and pre-medical experiences. She is also very involved in her school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter, where she serves as an officer and earned 1st place in the FBLA Electronic Career Portfolio competition.
She plans to study microbiology to continue on to medical school after her undergraduate studies. She has applied to the University of Rochester, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo.
BRONZE - Valeria Duran Rodriguez
Major: Psychology
High School: Colegio Marista de Guaynabo
Hometown: Toa Baja, PR
Valeria Duran Rodriguez has devoted her community service to uplifting Latinos living in poverty in Puerto Rico and, more broadly, in Latin America. Her service includes community aid in response to Hurricane Maria as well as international service projects in Guatemala and El Salvador.
In her family, service is a way of life, so when Hurricane Maria devastated the island, they were quick to respond. Her family organized a group of volunteers, gathered food, water, and other basic supplies, and distributed what they could to families in Yabucoa, one of the towns most devastated by the storm. This early grassroots experience planted seeds of service in Valeria, which she proudly nurtures now, years later.
Since then, she has become a regular volunteer with Sociedad Pro Hospital del Niño and Marista. At the hospital, she supports children with severe disabilities, offering care and companionship. She has even started learning and practicing sign language to better support deaf and hard-of-hearing kids. With Marista, Valeria works to provide economic relief and educational support to under-resourced schools in El Salvador and now Guatemala. With Marista, she went on a service-learning trip where she delivered essential supplies and partook in cultural exchange activities at the Marista schools and families. When not working with the children’s hospital or Marista, she also volunteers at the Veterans’ Hospital and fosters dogs. At the Veterans’ Hospital, Valeria helps patients in the personal development unit, scheduling appointments and observing therapy sessions as she works towards becoming a psychologist herself. At the animal shelter, she raises awareness for adoption.
Her advisor on the service trips wrote of her, “Valeria is a highly motivated and determined young woman who possesses the focus and discipline necessary to achieve her educational goals. She consistently demonstrates empathy, respect, and responsibility, and approaches every task with enthusiasm and dedication.”
She is also the class secretary and a member of her school’s service club, Happy Helpers. In these roles, Valeria has organized donations, written letters to children in need, and supported various fundraising efforts. She carries a spirit of service into all of her extracurricular activities and looks forward to devoting her career to service as well.
For her, service is more than just giving back and is deeply defined by her Puerto Rican culture. She wrote, “true service is not just about helping—it’s about sharing humanity, dignity, and hope. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I’ve always admired how people unite to help others, even when they themselves are struggling. That sense of solidarity has shaped how I approach every space I’m part of, whether it’s my school, my island, or my passions.”
Valeria maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. She is moreover a member of her school’s Cheerleading and Dance Teams as well as the National Honor Society. She plans to major in psychology and has applied to Fairfield University, Syracuse University, and George Washington University.
High School: Colegio Marista de Guaynabo
Hometown: Toa Baja, PR
Valeria Duran Rodriguez has devoted her community service to uplifting Latinos living in poverty in Puerto Rico and, more broadly, in Latin America. Her service includes community aid in response to Hurricane Maria as well as international service projects in Guatemala and El Salvador.
In her family, service is a way of life, so when Hurricane Maria devastated the island, they were quick to respond. Her family organized a group of volunteers, gathered food, water, and other basic supplies, and distributed what they could to families in Yabucoa, one of the towns most devastated by the storm. This early grassroots experience planted seeds of service in Valeria, which she proudly nurtures now, years later.
Since then, she has become a regular volunteer with Sociedad Pro Hospital del Niño and Marista. At the hospital, she supports children with severe disabilities, offering care and companionship. She has even started learning and practicing sign language to better support deaf and hard-of-hearing kids. With Marista, Valeria works to provide economic relief and educational support to under-resourced schools in El Salvador and now Guatemala. With Marista, she went on a service-learning trip where she delivered essential supplies and partook in cultural exchange activities at the Marista schools and families. When not working with the children’s hospital or Marista, she also volunteers at the Veterans’ Hospital and fosters dogs. At the Veterans’ Hospital, Valeria helps patients in the personal development unit, scheduling appointments and observing therapy sessions as she works towards becoming a psychologist herself. At the animal shelter, she raises awareness for adoption.
Her advisor on the service trips wrote of her, “Valeria is a highly motivated and determined young woman who possesses the focus and discipline necessary to achieve her educational goals. She consistently demonstrates empathy, respect, and responsibility, and approaches every task with enthusiasm and dedication.”
She is also the class secretary and a member of her school’s service club, Happy Helpers. In these roles, Valeria has organized donations, written letters to children in need, and supported various fundraising efforts. She carries a spirit of service into all of her extracurricular activities and looks forward to devoting her career to service as well.
For her, service is more than just giving back and is deeply defined by her Puerto Rican culture. She wrote, “true service is not just about helping—it’s about sharing humanity, dignity, and hope. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I’ve always admired how people unite to help others, even when they themselves are struggling. That sense of solidarity has shaped how I approach every space I’m part of, whether it’s my school, my island, or my passions.”
Valeria maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. She is moreover a member of her school’s Cheerleading and Dance Teams as well as the National Honor Society. She plans to major in psychology and has applied to Fairfield University, Syracuse University, and George Washington University.
Teal Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Alejandra Wells
Major: Business with a minor in Nonprofit Management
High School: Burke High School
Hometown: Omaha, NE
When faced with the facts of teen suicide rates, Alejandra Wells felt the kind of desperation for action that breeds ingenuity and outreach. Specifically, when suicide rates in her county doubled the national rate, she founded Hiya, an online business that connects teens with mental health resources. Her site offers emergency resources and provides teens a space to connect and learn coping skills key to managing their mental health.
She was inspired to create the online space after her own experience managing anxiety. Alejandra wrote, “Hiya started from a place of pain that I turned around into passion. I was struggling with anxiety and my own mental health at an early age but found comfort in helping others. The more I discussed my personal journey with others, the more young people began to speak up, sharing their own stories of either losing a loved one to suicide or the constant struggle of maintaining the pressures of being a teen.”
The organization not only offers digital resources but prioritizes direct impact. Volunteers with Hiya develop care packages and make encouragement bracelets as one of many ways to bring cheer and comfort to those struggling with their mental health. With every care package and bracelet purchased, one is gifted to a teen in need. Her story and leadership of Hiya have also opened opportunities for speaking engagements at after-school programs, health conferences, and teen camps, raising awareness for teen mental health. In collaboration with the International Children’s Advisory Network (ICAN), a youth advisor board that empowers children to advocate and reshape healthcare, Alejandra has traveled to Bari, Italy, Montreal, Canada, and across the United States to raise awareness on teen mental health and suicide prevention. Drawing on Hiya as a replicable model, she advocates for the efficacy of peer-led health initiatives. She also assisted in developing a position paper on children’s healthcare advocacy to support major medical, pharmaceutical, and teaching institutions, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Jumo Health, BioCryst, and Novartis.
In addition to connecting youth with emergency resources, Hiya’s initiatives include a teen mental health magazine, a directory of mentorship programs and partners, as well as regular awareness campaigns. Community partners include Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Midlands, Mentor Nebraska, Children’s Hospital, Elevate Omaha, and the Latino Center of the Midlands. A popular and recent campaign called “Check on Your People” even received endorsement from Mayor John Ewing Jr. for its notable efforts to support teen mental well-being. Alejandra feels passionately that one of the best ways to help teens is to create an online and in-person community that reminds them that they are not alone.
She and Hiya have been recognized in a variety of ways. Alejandra was on the cover of the February 2025 issue of Scholastic Magazine, sharing her own story of resilience and Hiya’s initiatives. She was also honored as Mentor Nebraska’s Young Leader of the Year in 2024, named one of Bloc’s 20 under 20 young leaders, awarded Big Brother, Big Sister Mentee of the year in 2023, and featured in Rock the Street Wall Street Newsletter.
While balancing Hiya and her community service, she takes multiple advanced placement and honors courses. Alejandra is a member of All Writes Reserved, DECA, and Black Student Leadership and runs cross country. She plans to study business with a focus on nonprofit management and has applied to Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Syracuse University.
High School: Burke High School
Hometown: Omaha, NE
When faced with the facts of teen suicide rates, Alejandra Wells felt the kind of desperation for action that breeds ingenuity and outreach. Specifically, when suicide rates in her county doubled the national rate, she founded Hiya, an online business that connects teens with mental health resources. Her site offers emergency resources and provides teens a space to connect and learn coping skills key to managing their mental health.
She was inspired to create the online space after her own experience managing anxiety. Alejandra wrote, “Hiya started from a place of pain that I turned around into passion. I was struggling with anxiety and my own mental health at an early age but found comfort in helping others. The more I discussed my personal journey with others, the more young people began to speak up, sharing their own stories of either losing a loved one to suicide or the constant struggle of maintaining the pressures of being a teen.”
The organization not only offers digital resources but prioritizes direct impact. Volunteers with Hiya develop care packages and make encouragement bracelets as one of many ways to bring cheer and comfort to those struggling with their mental health. With every care package and bracelet purchased, one is gifted to a teen in need. Her story and leadership of Hiya have also opened opportunities for speaking engagements at after-school programs, health conferences, and teen camps, raising awareness for teen mental health. In collaboration with the International Children’s Advisory Network (ICAN), a youth advisor board that empowers children to advocate and reshape healthcare, Alejandra has traveled to Bari, Italy, Montreal, Canada, and across the United States to raise awareness on teen mental health and suicide prevention. Drawing on Hiya as a replicable model, she advocates for the efficacy of peer-led health initiatives. She also assisted in developing a position paper on children’s healthcare advocacy to support major medical, pharmaceutical, and teaching institutions, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Jumo Health, BioCryst, and Novartis.
In addition to connecting youth with emergency resources, Hiya’s initiatives include a teen mental health magazine, a directory of mentorship programs and partners, as well as regular awareness campaigns. Community partners include Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Midlands, Mentor Nebraska, Children’s Hospital, Elevate Omaha, and the Latino Center of the Midlands. A popular and recent campaign called “Check on Your People” even received endorsement from Mayor John Ewing Jr. for its notable efforts to support teen mental well-being. Alejandra feels passionately that one of the best ways to help teens is to create an online and in-person community that reminds them that they are not alone.
She and Hiya have been recognized in a variety of ways. Alejandra was on the cover of the February 2025 issue of Scholastic Magazine, sharing her own story of resilience and Hiya’s initiatives. She was also honored as Mentor Nebraska’s Young Leader of the Year in 2024, named one of Bloc’s 20 under 20 young leaders, awarded Big Brother, Big Sister Mentee of the year in 2023, and featured in Rock the Street Wall Street Newsletter.
While balancing Hiya and her community service, she takes multiple advanced placement and honors courses. Alejandra is a member of All Writes Reserved, DECA, and Black Student Leadership and runs cross country. She plans to study business with a focus on nonprofit management and has applied to Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Syracuse University.
SILVER - Abigail Ruiz
Major: Political Science with a minor in Spanish
High School: KIPP Denver Collegiate High School
Hometown: Denver, CO
Abigail Ruiz founded Luminary Scholars to help students like herself who demonstrated academic prowess but lacked guidance on navigating college applications, scholarships, and financial aid. She recalls translating school letters for her Spanish-speaking parents who, despite their abundant love and support, could do little to help her navigate her education system. Longing for a guide to demystify the process, she created one. Luminary Scholars provides scholars with resources and lessons on financial aid, essay writing, AP classes, and more, along with one-on-one student mentoring. The online platform boasts over 10 million views, 260,000 interactions, and has supported more than 10,000 students.
“As a first-generation, low-income Latina, I saw how language and access, not ability, often defined opportunity. That realization became the heart of Luminary Scholars. For me, this work is not just about resources, it’s about rewriting what equity looks like. I’ve seen students go from doubting their potential to realizing they belong in every academic space they enter. Every “I got in” reminds me that Luminary Scholars is more than my proudest accomplishment; it’s proof that when one student crosses the bridge, they help build it stronger for everyone who follows.”
Her passion for educational equity pours into her other extracurriculars as well. Through Student Voice Leadership, Abigail has met with state legislators to address education inequity and address how policy shapes opportunity. That experience inspired her work with the YouthRoots x CCASA YouthLead Cohort, where she collaborated with twenty youth advocates statewide to research survivor-centered legislation and develop policy recommendations. The proposals were presented to state officials and cited in ongoing policy discussions, helping strengthen resources for survivors across Colorado. She also serves as a representative on the Denver Public Schools Student Board of Education. In this role, she co-authored the district’s first Student Bill of Rights, securing protections for more than 90,000 students across the state. Partnering with Denver Health, she also contributed to district-wide drug policy reforms that replaced punitive measures with harm-reduction and mental health supports, addressing inequities that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. Beyond Denver, Abigail serves on the America’s Promise Alliance Youth Trustee Board, advising national education initiatives across 100+ youth-focused organizations, and on the nXu Youth Council, refining career exploration curriculum implemented in schools nationwide.
She is no stranger to showing up in the small, but often most meaningful ways, as well. Every Thursday night, she volunteers at her church, where immigrant families are invited to gather for a shared meal, homework help, and to just enjoy community. For Abigail, service is about exactly that, building and stewarding supportive communities.
Beyond her service, she attended LEDA, a five-week leadership and college preparation institute at Princeton and Yale. She was recognized as a College Prep Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction, and received a Quest for Excellence Award, making her Colorado’s sole state honoree for academic excellence and service. Abigail is also a member of her student council, the Girls Inc. of Metro Denver Teen Advisory Council, and YouthRoots Leadership programs. She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. She plans to study political science and has applied to Yale University, Princeton University, and Pomona College.
High School: KIPP Denver Collegiate High School
Hometown: Denver, CO
Abigail Ruiz founded Luminary Scholars to help students like herself who demonstrated academic prowess but lacked guidance on navigating college applications, scholarships, and financial aid. She recalls translating school letters for her Spanish-speaking parents who, despite their abundant love and support, could do little to help her navigate her education system. Longing for a guide to demystify the process, she created one. Luminary Scholars provides scholars with resources and lessons on financial aid, essay writing, AP classes, and more, along with one-on-one student mentoring. The online platform boasts over 10 million views, 260,000 interactions, and has supported more than 10,000 students.
“As a first-generation, low-income Latina, I saw how language and access, not ability, often defined opportunity. That realization became the heart of Luminary Scholars. For me, this work is not just about resources, it’s about rewriting what equity looks like. I’ve seen students go from doubting their potential to realizing they belong in every academic space they enter. Every “I got in” reminds me that Luminary Scholars is more than my proudest accomplishment; it’s proof that when one student crosses the bridge, they help build it stronger for everyone who follows.”
Her passion for educational equity pours into her other extracurriculars as well. Through Student Voice Leadership, Abigail has met with state legislators to address education inequity and address how policy shapes opportunity. That experience inspired her work with the YouthRoots x CCASA YouthLead Cohort, where she collaborated with twenty youth advocates statewide to research survivor-centered legislation and develop policy recommendations. The proposals were presented to state officials and cited in ongoing policy discussions, helping strengthen resources for survivors across Colorado. She also serves as a representative on the Denver Public Schools Student Board of Education. In this role, she co-authored the district’s first Student Bill of Rights, securing protections for more than 90,000 students across the state. Partnering with Denver Health, she also contributed to district-wide drug policy reforms that replaced punitive measures with harm-reduction and mental health supports, addressing inequities that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. Beyond Denver, Abigail serves on the America’s Promise Alliance Youth Trustee Board, advising national education initiatives across 100+ youth-focused organizations, and on the nXu Youth Council, refining career exploration curriculum implemented in schools nationwide.
She is no stranger to showing up in the small, but often most meaningful ways, as well. Every Thursday night, she volunteers at her church, where immigrant families are invited to gather for a shared meal, homework help, and to just enjoy community. For Abigail, service is about exactly that, building and stewarding supportive communities.
Beyond her service, she attended LEDA, a five-week leadership and college preparation institute at Princeton and Yale. She was recognized as a College Prep Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction, and received a Quest for Excellence Award, making her Colorado’s sole state honoree for academic excellence and service. Abigail is also a member of her student council, the Girls Inc. of Metro Denver Teen Advisory Council, and YouthRoots Leadership programs. She maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. She plans to study political science and has applied to Yale University, Princeton University, and Pomona College.
BRONZE - Karen Gonzalez Machuca
Major: International Relations with a minor in Business
High School: Basalt High School
Hometown: Carbondale, CO
Karen Gonzalez Machuca devotes her service to supporting youth, especially girls, globally. Her community service initiatives range from reproductive and menstrual health initiatives to raising funds for UNICEF and the Salvation Army. She is an active member of her school’s Key Club, where she helps organize direct-service opportunities.
In summer 2025, she launched a reproductive and menstrual health initiative in rural El Salvador through the 5Point Dream Scholarship. To address stigma and discrimination common in El Salvador surrounding reproductive health, Karen worked to provide hygiene products, workshops, and community outreach in partnership with local leaders. Through her workshops, she facilitated intergenerational conversations about difficult reproductive topics typically too taboo. She took pride in uplifting and empowering, especially young girls, to better understand their bodies and selves. This particular service project resonated with her because of her own experiences as a timid young girl trying to find her place. Thankfully, community service provided her with that sense of belonging and fulfillment she sought.
Getting involved in her school’s Key Club was critical for helping Karen find her voice and sense of purpose. The service-based organization helped her flourish as a leader. Her commitment led her to rise through the ranks from member to secretary, then president, and eventually lieutenant governor across multiple clubs in Western Colorado. Under her leadership, she has organized fundraising for the Salvation Army, Valentine gift boxes for the elderly home in her community, and even a food drive competition.
She describes her commitment in her application, “At the heart of it all, I believe that when we empower one person, we begin to transform entire systems. That’s why no matter what, I stand true to my principles of equity, service, and justice. I keep these values alive through my active work in various community-based organizations. One is the Equity Advisory Council, a diverse committee of students, staff, and community members working to institutionalize equity across the Roaring Fork School District. This experience has shown me the impact that we can have when we come together and demand rightful change.”
When not leading her Key Club, Karen also serves as an English tutor, providing support to bilingual students. She is also a member of the Equity Advisory Council of Roaring Fork School District, advocating for her diverse student population. She is the captain of her high school’s tennis team and a member of the Red Cross Youth Club.
Her recommender wrote of her exceptional character and community involvement, stating, “Karen is a thoughtful, committed, and kind student. She excels academically, takes rigorous coursework, and has stepped up in a variety of leadership and community service roles.”
Karen maintains a 3.96 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and dual enrollment courses. She plans to study international relations and looks forward to a career of implementing community-centered initiatives worldwide through diplomacy. She has applied to Pomona College, Georgetown University, and New York University.
High School: Basalt High School
Hometown: Carbondale, CO
Karen Gonzalez Machuca devotes her service to supporting youth, especially girls, globally. Her community service initiatives range from reproductive and menstrual health initiatives to raising funds for UNICEF and the Salvation Army. She is an active member of her school’s Key Club, where she helps organize direct-service opportunities.
In summer 2025, she launched a reproductive and menstrual health initiative in rural El Salvador through the 5Point Dream Scholarship. To address stigma and discrimination common in El Salvador surrounding reproductive health, Karen worked to provide hygiene products, workshops, and community outreach in partnership with local leaders. Through her workshops, she facilitated intergenerational conversations about difficult reproductive topics typically too taboo. She took pride in uplifting and empowering, especially young girls, to better understand their bodies and selves. This particular service project resonated with her because of her own experiences as a timid young girl trying to find her place. Thankfully, community service provided her with that sense of belonging and fulfillment she sought.
Getting involved in her school’s Key Club was critical for helping Karen find her voice and sense of purpose. The service-based organization helped her flourish as a leader. Her commitment led her to rise through the ranks from member to secretary, then president, and eventually lieutenant governor across multiple clubs in Western Colorado. Under her leadership, she has organized fundraising for the Salvation Army, Valentine gift boxes for the elderly home in her community, and even a food drive competition.
She describes her commitment in her application, “At the heart of it all, I believe that when we empower one person, we begin to transform entire systems. That’s why no matter what, I stand true to my principles of equity, service, and justice. I keep these values alive through my active work in various community-based organizations. One is the Equity Advisory Council, a diverse committee of students, staff, and community members working to institutionalize equity across the Roaring Fork School District. This experience has shown me the impact that we can have when we come together and demand rightful change.”
When not leading her Key Club, Karen also serves as an English tutor, providing support to bilingual students. She is also a member of the Equity Advisory Council of Roaring Fork School District, advocating for her diverse student population. She is the captain of her high school’s tennis team and a member of the Red Cross Youth Club.
Her recommender wrote of her exceptional character and community involvement, stating, “Karen is a thoughtful, committed, and kind student. She excels academically, takes rigorous coursework, and has stepped up in a variety of leadership and community service roles.”
Karen maintains a 3.96 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement and dual enrollment courses. She plans to study international relations and looks forward to a career of implementing community-centered initiatives worldwide through diplomacy. She has applied to Pomona College, Georgetown University, and New York University.
Yellow Region
Please select a recipient name to read their bio.
GOLD - Walter Bradford
Major: History
High School: Valley High School
Hometown: Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
Walter Bradford recognized a critical gap in scholarship opportunities. Because of the timing for when he and his peers were to take the PSAT, he and almost all of them would end up ineligible for merit scholarships. His Title 1 school in Albuquerque only provided funding for students to take the PSAT in their sophomore year, even though merit-scholar eligibility began in their junior year. Due to inaccessible fees and confusion, many high school students were left out of consideration for these national merit scholarships, further limiting their funding opportunities. To change this, Walter co-drafted a bill with State Representative Dayan Hochman-Vigil, which he presented to the House Education Committee.
Despite passing the House, they could not get the bill passed in 2024. This in no way deterred him. Instead, he appealed to have the funding for junior PSAT testing come from the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) budget rather than statute. On April 22, 2025, the governor signed House Bill 2. It appropriated $1.25 million for testing, including the PSAT. The next morning, Walter proudly brought a one-page sign-up sheet to his counseling office, noting three things juniors need to know: the date, the link, and that there would be no fee. The result was immediate. Thirty-five juniors signed up at Valley, up from three the year before.
Reflecting on the impact of the initiative on his low-income peers, he wrote, “on a practical level, it provided opportunities for scholarships for students statewide. On a symbolic level, it showed my classmates that we can use our voices for real change. Believing that our voices matter is the first step, because this belief leads to action. Our group is expanding, and we will continue to advocate for scholarships.”
While passing this special appropriation is an initiative he is particularly proud of, Walter’s service varies in cause and impact. He is involved with Valley Academy, where he participates in walks and jog-a-thons accompanying students with Down Syndrome and hosts an annual trunk-or-treat. He also helps manage Viking Closet, a resource at his high school that collects and distributes clothing, prom dresses, and books to students and their families in need. In his freshman year of high school, he even organized a book drive for Read to Me, a literacy nonprofit, collecting more than 3,000 books that were later distributed to schools, laundromats, and food pantries for children to access.
His recommender wrote, “Walter has a strong sense of responsibility to his community. His leadership encouraged classmates to join him in advocacy, and his persistence resulted in the issue gaining statewide support. Through his efforts, his own school’s junior class participation in the PSAT increased dramatically, and the potential statewide impact could be significant. What sets Walter apart is his rare combination of empathy, initiative, and follow-through. He doesn’t wait to be asked to help, he identifies a need and takes thoughtful action to meet it.”
He maintains a 3.82 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. Walter plays Varsity Soccer and Golf. He also participates in Mock Trial and was a New Mexico legislative intern. Other distinctions include earning best examination at Law Camp. He also earned the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and Golden Scholar Award. He was also selected to attend the competitive Future Latino Law Leaders Summer Program.
He intends to study history and has applied to Duke University and the University of Texas, and has already been accepted to the University of Alabama.
High School: Valley High School
Hometown: Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
Walter Bradford recognized a critical gap in scholarship opportunities. Because of the timing for when he and his peers were to take the PSAT, he and almost all of them would end up ineligible for merit scholarships. His Title 1 school in Albuquerque only provided funding for students to take the PSAT in their sophomore year, even though merit-scholar eligibility began in their junior year. Due to inaccessible fees and confusion, many high school students were left out of consideration for these national merit scholarships, further limiting their funding opportunities. To change this, Walter co-drafted a bill with State Representative Dayan Hochman-Vigil, which he presented to the House Education Committee.
Despite passing the House, they could not get the bill passed in 2024. This in no way deterred him. Instead, he appealed to have the funding for junior PSAT testing come from the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) budget rather than statute. On April 22, 2025, the governor signed House Bill 2. It appropriated $1.25 million for testing, including the PSAT. The next morning, Walter proudly brought a one-page sign-up sheet to his counseling office, noting three things juniors need to know: the date, the link, and that there would be no fee. The result was immediate. Thirty-five juniors signed up at Valley, up from three the year before.
Reflecting on the impact of the initiative on his low-income peers, he wrote, “on a practical level, it provided opportunities for scholarships for students statewide. On a symbolic level, it showed my classmates that we can use our voices for real change. Believing that our voices matter is the first step, because this belief leads to action. Our group is expanding, and we will continue to advocate for scholarships.”
While passing this special appropriation is an initiative he is particularly proud of, Walter’s service varies in cause and impact. He is involved with Valley Academy, where he participates in walks and jog-a-thons accompanying students with Down Syndrome and hosts an annual trunk-or-treat. He also helps manage Viking Closet, a resource at his high school that collects and distributes clothing, prom dresses, and books to students and their families in need. In his freshman year of high school, he even organized a book drive for Read to Me, a literacy nonprofit, collecting more than 3,000 books that were later distributed to schools, laundromats, and food pantries for children to access.
His recommender wrote, “Walter has a strong sense of responsibility to his community. His leadership encouraged classmates to join him in advocacy, and his persistence resulted in the issue gaining statewide support. Through his efforts, his own school’s junior class participation in the PSAT increased dramatically, and the potential statewide impact could be significant. What sets Walter apart is his rare combination of empathy, initiative, and follow-through. He doesn’t wait to be asked to help, he identifies a need and takes thoughtful action to meet it.”
He maintains a 3.82 unweighted GPA while taking various advanced placement courses. Walter plays Varsity Soccer and Golf. He also participates in Mock Trial and was a New Mexico legislative intern. Other distinctions include earning best examination at Law Camp. He also earned the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and Golden Scholar Award. He was also selected to attend the competitive Future Latino Law Leaders Summer Program.
He intends to study history and has applied to Duke University and the University of Texas, and has already been accepted to the University of Alabama.
SILVER - Karyleni Alburquerque
Major: Public Policy and International Relations with a minor in Spanish
High School: Barry Goldwater High School
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Karyleni Alburquerque believes that, at the core of community service, is the belief that we can really make a difference in meeting community needs. While service takes many forms, she is proudest of her advocacy work as a Community Ambassador for Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari and Arizona Representative at Girls Nation.
At Girls Nation, she cast a bold vision for what humane, decriminalized immigration could look like in the United States. At the core of her campaign was the desire and conviction to imagine immigration processes that preserve human dignity and ground themselves in compassion.
Reflecting on what advocacy has meant to her, Karyleni wrote, “That experience marked a turning point. I realized that community service extends beyond volunteering. It also means advocating for a change in narrative. Girls Nation was a preview of the leader I strive to be, one rooted in compassion, courage, and conviction.”
As a Community Ambassador, she regularly listens to constituents’ hopes and concerns for their community and works as a liaison between them and her district office. As a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Junior Alum and Girls Nation alum, she advocates for immigrant and queer rights. She also serves as a fellow with All in Education’s Adelante Program and an intern for Living United for Change in Arizona/Arizona Center for Empowerment. In these roles, Karyleni is committed to advancing equity in education to uplift Latino communities.
One particularly touching moment in advocacy for her was when she was given the opportunity to speak at an event calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention. She, of course, asserted Khalil’s right to freedom, but also used the opportunity to speak more broadly about the importance of free protest and advocacy, especially in support of the thousands of silenced Gazan voices.
Beyond her advocacy work, she volunteers as a camp counselor at Anytown Leadership Camp, teaching youth about social justice and collective action. Karyleni is the president of her school’s Society of Female Scholars organization. Under her leadership, the organization has worked to provide over 700 students access to free menstrual care, one of the many initiatives to support equity in education for women and girls.
As the child of immigrants, she expresses great faith in the promise of the United States, a country she proudly believes is defined by the resilience of its most marginalized communities. She proudly serves and advocates for her community because while she is incredibly proud to be American, she also envisions a more equitable, dignified future for all.
Karyleni maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple International Baccalaureate and honors courses. In 2024, she was a DECA state finalist in Human Resources Management. In 2025, she received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her advocacy work and community service. She is, moreover, the President of her Speech and Debate Team.
She plans to study public policy and international relations and has applied to Arizona State University, George Washington University, and Fordham University.
High School: Barry Goldwater High School
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Karyleni Alburquerque believes that, at the core of community service, is the belief that we can really make a difference in meeting community needs. While service takes many forms, she is proudest of her advocacy work as a Community Ambassador for Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari and Arizona Representative at Girls Nation.
At Girls Nation, she cast a bold vision for what humane, decriminalized immigration could look like in the United States. At the core of her campaign was the desire and conviction to imagine immigration processes that preserve human dignity and ground themselves in compassion.
Reflecting on what advocacy has meant to her, Karyleni wrote, “That experience marked a turning point. I realized that community service extends beyond volunteering. It also means advocating for a change in narrative. Girls Nation was a preview of the leader I strive to be, one rooted in compassion, courage, and conviction.”
As a Community Ambassador, she regularly listens to constituents’ hopes and concerns for their community and works as a liaison between them and her district office. As a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Junior Alum and Girls Nation alum, she advocates for immigrant and queer rights. She also serves as a fellow with All in Education’s Adelante Program and an intern for Living United for Change in Arizona/Arizona Center for Empowerment. In these roles, Karyleni is committed to advancing equity in education to uplift Latino communities.
One particularly touching moment in advocacy for her was when she was given the opportunity to speak at an event calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention. She, of course, asserted Khalil’s right to freedom, but also used the opportunity to speak more broadly about the importance of free protest and advocacy, especially in support of the thousands of silenced Gazan voices.
Beyond her advocacy work, she volunteers as a camp counselor at Anytown Leadership Camp, teaching youth about social justice and collective action. Karyleni is the president of her school’s Society of Female Scholars organization. Under her leadership, the organization has worked to provide over 700 students access to free menstrual care, one of the many initiatives to support equity in education for women and girls.
As the child of immigrants, she expresses great faith in the promise of the United States, a country she proudly believes is defined by the resilience of its most marginalized communities. She proudly serves and advocates for her community because while she is incredibly proud to be American, she also envisions a more equitable, dignified future for all.
Karyleni maintains a strong GPA while taking multiple International Baccalaureate and honors courses. In 2024, she was a DECA state finalist in Human Resources Management. In 2025, she received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her advocacy work and community service. She is, moreover, the President of her Speech and Debate Team.
She plans to study public policy and international relations and has applied to Arizona State University, George Washington University, and Fordham University.
BRONZE - Miguel Salazar
Major: Public Policy with a minor in Politics
High School: Cibola High School
Hometown: Yuma, AZ
Looking back on his service, Miguel Salazar is proudest of co-founding the nonprofit Agricultural Latino Immigrant Valued Organization (ALIVIO). The organization works to improve the welfare and working conditions of agricultural workers in Yuma, Arizona. He grew up witnessing hardworking agricultural field workers labor tirelessly to provide for their families and communities. Miguel could not help but notice, however, the long hours and unacceptable conditions that these workers felt compelled to endure. ALIVIO makes many strides to improve these conditions, including distributing care packages containing gloves, first-aid kits, hygiene essentials, and more.
Describing the impact of ALIVIO, he wrote, “seeing the joy in the workers’ faces and hearing their stories reflected my belief that even small acts of kindness can create lasting change.” For Miguel, ALIVIO represents a bridge between generations of immigrant perseverance and the leadership he hopes to carry forward. “It has shaped my identity as someone committed to advocacy, sustainability, and community service.”
ALIVIO plans to expand its advocacy work and accessibility efforts by organizing with local schools, nonprofits, and agricultural workers, with the aim of seeing lasting change through policy. His work is deeply inspired by his own upbringing as a child of immigrants in the small border town of Yuma, whose culture and economy are rooted in agriculture.
In addition to his work with ALIVIO, Miguel has demonstrated strong student leadership and generosity of spirit. As President of Cibola High School’s Interact Club, he has led projects ranging from park cleanups to food drives for low-income families. He even organized a clothing drive for local shelters, collecting over 500 garments for children and adults in need. As a CTE Ambassador for FBLA, he worked to expand career readiness opportunities for students in his community by promoting skill-building workshops and mentorship programs. He also serves on the Governor’s Youth Commission (GYC) for Yuma County, where he contributes to regional conservation initiatives, encouraging sustainability practices and helping implement community recycling campaigns. Miguel also volunteers his time to Yuma Rotary’s Midnight at the Oasis and Amberly’s Place, local area nonprofits. He is also the Chair for Substance Abuse Prevention in the GYC.
He maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. Miguel is the Arizona State VP of Community Service and Alumni Relations for Future Business Leaders of America. He won the 2024 SkillsUSA National Statesmen Award. He also plays the violin in the Yuma Orchestra Association. He was also honored as the 2025 CHS Academic Varsity Wrestler of the Year. Also in 2025, the Governor’s Youth Commission recognized his exceptional community service.
His recommender spoke to his work ethic and resourcefulness, writing, “From the moment I met Miguel, it was clear that he possessed a remarkable level of initiative and drive. Miguel recognized the importance of seeking opportunities within and beyond our community’s borders. His resume speaks to his academic prowess and his involvement in his community…Perhaps most impressive is Miguel’s unwavering diligence. He has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic towards the steps needed to achieve his ambitious goals.”
He plans to study public policy and has applied to Stanford, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
High School: Cibola High School
Hometown: Yuma, AZ
Looking back on his service, Miguel Salazar is proudest of co-founding the nonprofit Agricultural Latino Immigrant Valued Organization (ALIVIO). The organization works to improve the welfare and working conditions of agricultural workers in Yuma, Arizona. He grew up witnessing hardworking agricultural field workers labor tirelessly to provide for their families and communities. Miguel could not help but notice, however, the long hours and unacceptable conditions that these workers felt compelled to endure. ALIVIO makes many strides to improve these conditions, including distributing care packages containing gloves, first-aid kits, hygiene essentials, and more.
Describing the impact of ALIVIO, he wrote, “seeing the joy in the workers’ faces and hearing their stories reflected my belief that even small acts of kindness can create lasting change.” For Miguel, ALIVIO represents a bridge between generations of immigrant perseverance and the leadership he hopes to carry forward. “It has shaped my identity as someone committed to advocacy, sustainability, and community service.”
ALIVIO plans to expand its advocacy work and accessibility efforts by organizing with local schools, nonprofits, and agricultural workers, with the aim of seeing lasting change through policy. His work is deeply inspired by his own upbringing as a child of immigrants in the small border town of Yuma, whose culture and economy are rooted in agriculture.
In addition to his work with ALIVIO, Miguel has demonstrated strong student leadership and generosity of spirit. As President of Cibola High School’s Interact Club, he has led projects ranging from park cleanups to food drives for low-income families. He even organized a clothing drive for local shelters, collecting over 500 garments for children and adults in need. As a CTE Ambassador for FBLA, he worked to expand career readiness opportunities for students in his community by promoting skill-building workshops and mentorship programs. He also serves on the Governor’s Youth Commission (GYC) for Yuma County, where he contributes to regional conservation initiatives, encouraging sustainability practices and helping implement community recycling campaigns. Miguel also volunteers his time to Yuma Rotary’s Midnight at the Oasis and Amberly’s Place, local area nonprofits. He is also the Chair for Substance Abuse Prevention in the GYC.
He maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking multiple advanced placement courses. Miguel is the Arizona State VP of Community Service and Alumni Relations for Future Business Leaders of America. He won the 2024 SkillsUSA National Statesmen Award. He also plays the violin in the Yuma Orchestra Association. He was also honored as the 2025 CHS Academic Varsity Wrestler of the Year. Also in 2025, the Governor’s Youth Commission recognized his exceptional community service.
His recommender spoke to his work ethic and resourcefulness, writing, “From the moment I met Miguel, it was clear that he possessed a remarkable level of initiative and drive. Miguel recognized the importance of seeking opportunities within and beyond our community’s borders. His resume speaks to his academic prowess and his involvement in his community…Perhaps most impressive is Miguel’s unwavering diligence. He has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic towards the steps needed to achieve his ambitious goals.”
He plans to study public policy and has applied to Stanford, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.