Caring Youth Recipients 2010
2010 Caring Youth Recognition Awards: Local Youth Honored For Outstanding Community Service
Thirty youth who have given outstanding service to others were honored at the Caring Youth Recognition event Thursday, March 11, 2010, at 7 pm at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka. The Caring Youth Recognition event is a collaborative effort among the Cities of Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Minnetonka, the Minnetonka and Hopkins School Districts, and the Glen Lake Optimists.
Featured speaker was Craig Pixley, senior director with World Relief, which serves some of the poorest countries in the world with programs including health issues related to children at risk, prevention and care of HIV/AIDS, economic development, refugee and immigrant care and disaster relief. Pixley has a long history of volunteering, including serving in Nigeria and the Philippines and currently mentoring a Boy Scout troop.
The Caring Youth Recognition salutes young people in grades 7 through 12 who have unselfishly involved themselves in a cause or situation benefiting others. It is designed to honor young people who demonstrate caring by reaching out to others or whose day-to-day lifestyles reflect uncommon concern for others. Caring Youth supports the attitude of giving without expectation of reward or recognition. It encourages an attitude of recognizing the needs of others and responding to those needs in a personal, caring way.
Civic and service organizations and faith community members in the Golden Valley, Hopkins and Minnetonka communities nominated the youth. The 2010 Caring Youth recipients include:
- Jesse Abelson, St. Louis Park High School student and St. Louis Park resident: Nominated by We Can Ride, Inc. in Minnetonka for his work with horseback riders.
- Amanda Abrahamson, Mound Westonka High School student and Mound resident: Nominated by Minnetonka-based Sojourner Project Women’s Shelter for her work with children at that organization
- Stephen Bauer, Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for removal of a 700-foot long brick path at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School.
- Jeremy Bayer, Breck School student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for his work with the snowboarding program at Courage Center in Golden Valley.
- Jordan Deguzman, Hopkins West Junior High School student and Hopkins resident: Nominated for his volunteer work at Hopkins West Junior High in partnership with fellow award winner Nick Leeke.
- The Depot Coffee House Board of Directors, including Peter Boisclair (Hopkins resident and Hopkins High School); Anna Coleman (Edina resident, Edina High School); Tyler Gustafson (Hamel resident, Wayzata High School); Jack McCarty (Plymouth resident, Wayzata High School); Olivia Mestad (Minnetonka resident, Hopkins High School); Emily Norell (Eden Prairie resident, Eden Prairie High School); Emily Nuckols (Minnetonka resident, Hopkins High School); Maddie Smart (Edina resident, Hopkins High School); Anna Scheppers (Edina resident, Edina High School), Nia Sotto (Minnetonka resident, Hopkins High School); Elisabeth Spry (Minnetonka resident, Hopkins High School); and Robert Wallant (Plymouth resident, Wayzata High School): Nominated for their collective volunteer work at The Depot Coffee House in Hopkins. This board has together contributed 1,000 hours of volunteer work over what any other board has contributed at The Depot and went above and beyond in their accomplishments in 2009. Note: This is the second time that Maddie Smart has received the Caring Youth Award – she also received a 2008 Caring Youth Award for volunteer work at Gatewood Elementary School.
- Abby Gordon, Minnetonka Middle School East student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for her volunteer work in mentoring other students at Minnetonka Middle School East.
- Gina Gresham, Wayzata High School student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for her volunteer work at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.
- Nick Leeke, Hopkins West Junior High School student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for his volunteer work at Hopkins West Junior High in partnership with fellow award winner Jordan Deguzman.
- Catie Locker, Hopkins High School student and Hopkins resident: Nominated by St. Joseph’s Parish in Hopkins for her volunteer work at the church.
- Dan Mann, Hopkins High School student and Golden Valley resident: Nominated for his volunteer work with the Big Brother/ Big Sister program of Jewish Family and Children Services in Minnetonka. Dan’s twin sister, Rosie Mann, also is an award winner this year.
- Rosie Mann, Hopkins High School student and Golden Valley resident: Nominated for her volunteer work with the Big Brother/Big Sister program of Jewish Family and Children Services in Minnetonka. Rosie’s twin brother, Dan Mann, also is an award winner this year.
- Weston Reindl, Wayzata High School student and Minneapolis resident: Nominated for his volunteer work at Speak the Word Church International in Golden Valley.
- Hannah Roth, Minnetonka High School student and Chanhassen resident: Nominated for her volunteer work at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.
- Katie Snyder, Minnetonka High School student and Minnetonka resident: Nominated for her volunteer work with the Ridgedale YMCA/Minnetonka Heights program.
- Michael Thomson, Minnetonka High School student and Shorewood resident: Nominated for his volunteer work at the ICA Foodshelf in Minnetonka.
- Andrew Urevig, Robbinsdale Middle School student and Golden Valley resident: Nominated for his volunteer work with the Golden Valley Library.
- Michelle Vohs, Hopkins North Junior High School student and Eden Prairie resident: Nominated for her work with Be the Change, North Junior High’s student volunteer group.
- Shane West, St. Louis Park High School student and St. Louis Park resident: Nominated for his volunteer work with horseback riders at We Can Ride, Inc. in Minnetonka.
Questions? Contact Communications Coordinator Cheryl Weiler at 763-593-8004 or cweiler@goldenvalleymn.gov.
