ANA KADKHODAYAN
Ana Kadkhodayan, 17, a senior at Collinsville High School, founded the “Scientific Kids of America Club” at her school to perform science experiments for disadvantaged children and show them that science is fascinating and fun. Ana began her project after a lab partner in her chemistry class reacted to a disappointing experiment by saying that she hated science. Concerned that similar frustrations keep others from enjoying science, Ana first wrote a booklet of 46 simple chemistry and physics experiments for kids, called Science Magic. Then she wrote a proposal to form an official school club, received her principal and school board’s approval, and persuaded her physics teacher to sponsor the group. After contacting children’s shelters to arrange performances by the club, Ana and her fellow members gathered regularly to practice their experiments. Recently, the club made its first trip to a local elementary school and participated in the school’s Science Night, presenting experiments on water tension and density, and making ice cream. “I am excited to be part of something that can give a child a more imaginative mind,” said Ana, who plans to continue the club after she graduates.
AVIDAN ACKERSON
Avidan Ackerson, 17, a senior at Beth Tfiloh Dahan High School, co-authored state legislation that now allows 16-year-olds in Maryland to donate blood. Avidan wanted to donate blood after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but was turned away after being told he needed to be 17. Disappointed yet curious, Avidan conducted his own personal research study and found no medical reason why a 16-year-old could not donate blood. He decided to try to change the law. “I thought that it was important to allow as many people to help as possible, because donating blood is giving the gift of life,” said Avidan. He contacted a state delegate, and together they drafted a bill. Avidan then testified before the House and Senate committees on the topic, sent petitions to schools throughout the state, and sought support from the Maryland Association of Student Councils. After the bill was passed, Avidan proudly witnessed its signing by the governor. He figures the expanded pool of potential blood donors in Maryland could ultimately help save thousands of lives, and is now working with students from other states to help them change their state laws. “All I did was question why a policy existed and it led to a new law,” said Avidan.
KRISTI BENSON
Kristi Benson, 18, a freshman at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, created a non-profit corporation that has raised more than $34,000 to provide essential educational materials to public schools and students in her rural county that cannot afford to buy them. Kristi said she has always been aware of students coming to school without the tools they need to learn. “I had an idea of a way to help bridge the gap between those who have tools and those who have none,” she said, and decided to follow the teachings of Gandhi to become “the change you wish to see.” Kristi created the “Beaverhead County Angel Fund” and began appealing for donations of money and supplies through news articles, promotional speeches and newsletters. She also raised money with activities such as a Halloween booth at a community party and “Denim Fridays” at schools, and attracted additional funds from United Way and her high school’s honor society. The proceeds were used to supply every school with “Angel Fund Tubs” filled with calculators, backpacks, notebooks, crayons and other items. In addition, a radio appeal by Kristi for gently used computers and printers helped six schools develop technology programs and connect to the Internet. She has since expanded her influence beyond her county, and is now advising teens in eastern Washington and northern Montana on starting their own Angel Funds. Her charity has raised more than $38,700, funds that have impacted children in need throughout the county.
Last spring, Kristi graduated valedictorian of her class at Beaverhead County High School and she won the most prestigious award of the school, the Alumni Cup. This award is presented to a senior who demonstrates outstanding Leadership, Service and Scholarship. Kristi was accepted in the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program at Gonzaga University. She continues to work with her charity from her campus. She is studying Business with an emphasis in Leadership. Her desire is to direct her charity to become active nationally. She is on a path to do so by learning about the business world and enriching her general education.
JACE KILBOURNE
Jace Kilbourne, 13, a seventh-grader at Chaparral Middle School, organized a “Helping Hand” food drive at his school that yielded more than 52 boxes of canned goods and non-perishable food to feed 75 children at an orphanage in Mexico. Jace’s project was born as a result of seeing a program on the school news channel about hungry children in that county. It made him feel sad that children in Mexico were eating food from garbage cans to survive. After talking to his mother and school principal, he came up with the idea for a food drive. Jace made posters and food collection boxes and placed them throughout the school. He also enlisted help from fellow students to count and pack the donations for their trip to Casa De Libertad Bethel in Juarez, Mexico. Jace recently conducted a second drive for the orphanage. It involved four schools and they collected an addition al 60 boxes of canned goods and laundry products. Jace learned that anyone can make a difference in the world if they try.
DREW KINGSEED
Drew Kingseed, 15, a freshman at Kokomo High School, led an effort to design, finance and build a handicapped-accessible park in his town for special-needs children and their families. When Drew, who is handicapped himself, was asked last spring to head up a committee to plan and build a special park, he embraced the opportunity. Since his is in a wheelchair himself and has not had the change to actually play in a park before, he was excited about making sure other children did not miss out on that opportunity. Drew attended planning meetings with community and school officials to create design plans and select equipment. He then wrote and gave presentations to civic, church and school groups, appeared on radio talk shows and raised money by selling address books and collecting donations at football games. Finally, when the project was completed, Drew cut the dedication ribbon to officially open the new park. Drew hopes this park will benefit and impact the lives of handicapped children and their families for many wonderful years to come. Now thest children can do what other children do everyday. Playing at the park seems like such a small thing, but when you have to sit in a wheelchair and watch other children; it is truly a big thing.
GLORIA CHEUNG
Gloria Cheung, 12, a member of the Volunteer Center of Alachua County and a seventh-grader at Howard W. Bishop Middle School, created a teen-run summer day camp designed to develop young children’s interest in reading, art and music. Having won awards for her reding ability, piano playing and drawing skills, Gloria wanted to share her talents with others – especially children in need of a helping hand. After researching ways to create a summer program, Gloria contacted public officials for advice and assistance. She designed a logo; produced a promotional flyer; wrote lesson plans for art, reading and piano classes; found classroom space; recruited teen and adult volunteers; and then sent letters to prospective students and their parents. A local toy company donated art supplies after reading about Glroia’s project in the newspaper. Twenty-one children graduated from Glroia’s first two-week summer camps, and she hoped to repeat this experience each year. She would like to tell other young people to set their own goals, try your best to achieve, be a leader, a creative thinker and a problem solver.
GORDAN VISSER
Utah’s Boating Law, 73-18-15.2, requires all youth, between the ages of 12-17, to complete and pass a Division approved boating safety course before they may operate a PWC on waters in Utah. Utah State Parks and Recreation uses volunteers to teach Utah’s Personal Watercraft Education Course. Gordan Visser has played a significant role in teaching Utah’s PWC Education Course.
He has been an instructor since 1996, and frequently finds time to teach a class on a weekly class. He has been directly involved with teaching over 2,700 of the youth who have completed Utah’s PWC Education Course. In fact, Visser has volunteered over 1000 hours to Utah’s Boating Program and teaching boating and PWC safety for Utah State Parks and Recreation.
In one of his many classes, Visser found himself engulfed in a myriad of frustrating problems and thought about discontinuing his volunteer service. After pondering the ramifications of such a decision, he concluded that if just one person’s life could be saved through his efforts, it was well worth continuing teaching the classes. From this, he has made a statement where he says: “I will not teach a class with less than one student.” Since the inception of Utah’s PWC Education Program in 1995, PWC accidents have decreased over 51 %. They feel Visser’s involvement in teaching Utah’s PWC Education Course has had a significant impact on this outcome.
When Visser retired from Questar in October of 200l, he began to volunteer more of his time in the Division’s Boating Program. He has learned how to operate and master the Captain B. Safe robot boat for boating safety. His expertise with Captain B. Safe thrills children at many events. In addition to teaching a weekly PWC class, Visser assists in scheduling PWC classes and completing the necessary paperwork for each student. When a 6-month seasonal position became available in the Boating Program, Visser filled the position. However, he still volunteers to teach a weekly PWC classes and volunteers his time the remaining months of the year.
Visser is also a member of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Auxiliary’s missions include: Teaching public education courses regarding safe boat handling, legal responsibilities, aids to navigation, rules of the road, piloting, etc; training for and assisting with search and rescue, environmental awareness issues, assisting with special marine events; and performing Vessel Safety Checks, where members of the auxiliary conduct free vessel safety examinations to ensure boats have the proper safety equipment and meet the requirements of both state and federal laws.
Visser’s efforts with regards to teaching and promoting boating safety and fulfilling the mission of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has helped to keep Utah’s waters safer and more enjoyable for the boating public.
BETTY JO BABIC
Betty Jo Babic has spent a good part of her adult life volunteering in various ways to make other peoples’ lives better. A breast cancer survivor, she is a lady of extraordinary integrity who freely shares her talents and abilities with others with no regard for personal gain or recognition.
After the death of a friend from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Betty Jo Babic personally organized an ALS Support Group in Ormond Beach (now recognized by the ALS Association – Florida Chapter). It is the only ALS support group in Volusia County. She has given unselfishly of her time and personal financial resources to ensure that the group has a place to meet and whatever else is needed for its continued growth and service to those suffering from this disease and to their families and caregivers. Instead of battling this disease virtually alone, victims of ALS and their caregivers (from 25-30 people per meeting at present) now have a source of comfort and support, the latest information available about ALS and access to an Equipment Loan Closet from which they can borrow a variety of items, such a motorized wheelchair, to make their lives easier.
ALS is not a well-know disease; there is no cure and victims often do not live long after being diagnosed. Prior to the formation of the Ormond Beach ALS Support Group there was no way for victims of the disease and their caregivers to interact so as to discover new and better ways of coping. Betty Jo Babic saw a need and responded to it by forming the support group. She made all the arrangement for the ALS support group, including finding a place to meet once a month, advertising the formation of the group in various media, acting as moderator of the group at each meeting, contacting the ALS Association – Florida Chapter, working tirelessly to accomplish her goal.
She continues to serve as a moderator of the group’s meetings, keeping records of attendees, minutes of the group’s meetings, attending meetings here and elsewhere involving the ALS Association – Florida Chapter, has attended two seminars – one in Ft. Myers and one in Orlando, participates in a telecon once a month, is available by phone to current members of the group as well as to anyone who might be interested in joining.
Babic has accumulated more than 10,000 service hours as a Pink Lady Volunteer at Ormond Memorial Hospital and has served as President of the Auxiliary and Chairman of the Surgical Waiting Desk. Some years ago she helped form the Cystic Fibrosis Support Group in Volusia County. As a Charter member of the Pilot Club of the Halifax Area, she has worked on health issues involving children, such as distributing helmets and helmet labels to Volusia County children. These labels are placed inside bicycle helmets with vital information about the child in case there is an accident and the child is unable to speak to rescue workers. She also is active in presenting to kindergarten and first graders a signature program of Pilot International entitled Brainminders, designed to teach young children to protect their brains.
Betty Jo Babic is an outstanding example of what one dedicated, energetic person can do. She turned her grief at her friend’s death into a living memorial of service to others.
BRITTANY COLON
Brittany Colon, a 12-year-old from Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, started volunteering her time with the Buddy Ball Sports League for the handicapped when she was 10 years old. Brittany is a “Buddy” with the Buddy Ball Organization, which teams up healthy kids and young adults with those who have mental or physical disabilities to play sports. Brittany finds volunteering with Buddy Ball very rewarding. Her involvement with helping the handicapped motivated her desire to pursue a career in teaching the handicapped when she gets older.
The Buddy Ball program itself began in 1995 and has been helping youth in the tri-county area of New Jersey enjoy playing sports which they would not be able to do otherwise. Brittany has made some good friends through Buddy Ball and has even missed school dances and functions because they interfere with the Buddy Ball schedule. Despite being ridiculed in school, Brittany still chooses to do what she loves best, and that is helping others less fortunate than herself.
Buddy Ball does not compensate the children who participate or assist with the games. They simply do it on their own and shed a little bit of light on the life of others. Brittany was chosen as the international Amazing Kid of the Month for May, 2003 and will be the guest of her Congressman in Washington, D.C., for her involvement with Buddy Ball.
Brittany goes above and beyond the call of duty for young girls her age and makes Buddy Ball as one of her priorities, not something she merely fits in when convenient. Her commitment to Buddy Ball makes a difference in the community and in the lives of those who benefit from the Buddy Ball Organization. Without young people volunteering their time, the disabled in the area would not be able to play organized sports like those without disabilities.
WARREN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
In January of 2002, just a few months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the food service students at Warren Technical High School in Atlanta, Georgia took on a unique and heartwarming project. They decided to help the men and women of the Georgia National Guard, who were enforcing the heightened security at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, by making lunches for the troops one day each week. They prepared a delicious and nutritious lunch that would appeal to the healthy appetites of these hungry soldiers. The Warren Tech students started sending 200 delicious lunches each Friday, and they are still sending them -18 months later.
Warren Technical School, part of the DeKalb County School System in suburban Atlanta, is unique in Georgia. It is the only public vocational high school solely for students with a range of disabilities. The Warren Tech students are taught skills that will enable them to enter the world of work after graduation. Young people with disabilities do not often get the chance to serve others, and these teenagers have taken to the lunch project with refreshing enthusiasm.
As the 20 students learn to prepare, package and present food, they turn out delicious lunches each Thursday. The lunches include sandwiches, slaw, salads and cookies. Each week the students make one extra and delicious item. This could be a cake, or a platter of deviled eggs, or something equally tempting – it depends on the time of year, the weather and the season. The Salvation Army picks up the lunches each week and delivers them to the USO at the airport.
In April of 2002, the Georgia National Guard troops were relieved of duty as the security situation changed. Mary Lou Austin, President of USO Georgia, immediately requested that the Warren students continue to make the lunches for the USO. Ms. Austin said that the large numbers of military personnel passing through the Atlanta airport cannot afford expensive airport food and would really appreciate the lunch. For over a year now, the USO has received 150 lunches every Thursday and they have been very well received. Each lunch includes an evaluation form -and the evaluations are overwhelmingly positive, with heartfelt thanks included from military personnel being deployed to countries around the world.
This wonderful project is a collaborative effort between Warren Tech, The Salvation Army and the Georgia Learning Resources System. GLRS pays for the food, and the Salvation Army is responsible for the weekly “Lunch Run” to the airport. In addition, the DeKalb County School System helps with goods and services; Warren Tech teachers volunteer their time, and chefs from the American Culinary Federation volunteer assistance in helping the students to prepare these tasty lunches. The ultimate winners are the students, who are honing their culinary skills while learning how deeply satisfying it is to help others.
