Katie Elliott

December 31, 2014

Katie was a volunteer intern at Make-A-Wish in Anchorage. She helped grant wishes to children battling life-threatening medical conditions and assisted with events that raise awareness for Make-A-Wish. As a former recipient of a wish, Katie brought empathy and a passion to help other kids who face steep challenges similar to her own.

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Jared Braudis and Quinn Berry

December 30, 2014

Jared and Quinn created “Hope for Homeless Youth” as part of a theology school project. They collected items from Covenant House’s Wish List, organized a clothing drive and planned and participated in awareness events. They also organized a panel discussion addressing human trafficking and youth.

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Kyra Hoenack

December 19, 2014

Kyra started Steam Driven Boutique, a teen-run shop that helps fund Wasilla’s MyHouse teen outreach center. She designed a business plan and manages the boutique.

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Byron Nicholai

December 12, 2014

Byron participates in the Take Wing Alaska program where he is a role model and a leader to his fellow classmates. On his spare time he shares the singing and dancing traditions of his Alaska Native culture by making YouTube videos and uploading them to his Facebook page, “I Sing. You Dance.”

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Claire Kincaid

December 3, 2014

Claire uses her artistic talent to brighten her community. She has painted six murals in Soldotna and is working on another for the library. Her art embodies the culture of the Kenai Peninsula.

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Joseph Pepe-Phelps

November 24, 2014

Joseph has a passion for ham radio and created the Lumen Christi Amateur Radio Club. He secured a sponsor for his club, sought out donations from ham operators across the nation and obtained a license from the FCC. He teaches fellow club members about ham radios and helps prepare students for their ham radio license exams.

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Juneau’s Lead On! Digital Storytellers

October 22, 2014

Analicia Castaneda, Korbyn Powers, Deanna Hobbs, Justin Sleppy, Addisohn Jones, Calvin Zuelow were central in creating a digital story promoting healthy relationships, healthy sexuality, and nonviolence. They led interviews, edited footage and put together the final production.

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Jenna Hansen

September 10, 2014

Jenna raises reindeer and brings them to educational and fundraising events. She and her reindeer have raised thousands of dollars to help homeless youth in the Kenai area from ringing the bell for Salvation Army to offering reindeer photo shoots to the public. Jenna also visits classrooms to teach students about reindeer.

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Gerrit Vreeman

August 26, 2014

Gerrit invented an ozone water treatment system for his school’s science symposium. He then developed it into a product that could provide clean, safe water in developing countries. He hopes to develop his O3 System as a humanitarian product as well as a consumer product.

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West High School IB Garden Group

August 13, 2014

The West High School IB Garden Group created an on-campus community garden where they planted, cultivated and harvested vegetables. Their entire crop was then donated to charity. Students not only gained valuable gardening skills, but they learned how locally-grown food can benefit those around them.

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Jessica Roper

April 16, 2014

Jessica provides swift water training to emergency personnel in Kenai’s community fire departments. She sponsored a fundraiser to train emergency personnel involved in rescue work. Her contribution will benefit people who might find themselves in need of rescue on Kenai’s waterways.

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