2011 Hamilton Scholars

Mohamed Adan
Garfield High School
Seattle, Washington

Mohamed is a strong and resilient young man who is motivated to change the world.  He works hard to achieve academically and commits his time to a variety of social-justice causes outside of school.

Among Mohamed's notable achievements is his work with a diverse group of his peers to establish an organization called Art4Justice. Together they wrote and received a $13,800 grant. They planned two youth art showcases aimed at promoting awareness about social justice issues in Seattle and in the world at large. As treasurer and chief solicitor of donated services from local companies, Mohamed was integral in the success of these events, which attracted over a thousand participants.

Mohamed was also winner of a writing contest sponsored by the Holocaust Education Resource Center, which was so impressed with his writing that he was invited to speak before 500 people at their fundraiser. "I entered the Holocaust Center [contest] because I wanted to forge a connection between the Somali community and the Jewish community," says Mohamed. "I spoke about the similarities between the Holocaust and the Somali civil war. It is important to build bridges of dialogue and relations in order to promote brotherhood and kill bigotry."

Mohamed's passion for social justice led to being appointed by Seattle's mayor to the city's Youth Commission. He donates time to Team Read, a program through which high school students help younger students reading below grade level. He also volunteers every Saturday at the Seattle Somali Refugee Center, where he translates documents for elderly Somali people and tutors children in basic math, reading and writing.

Even with all his commitments, Mohamed maintains a challenging course load of honors and Advanced Placement courses. He scored a 5 on his World History AP test and was selected to be take part in the Urban Scholars Program.

Born to Somali parents in a refugee camp in Kenya, Mohamed moved to the US with his family at age four. As the oldest child, Mohamed takes responsibility for helping his mother raise his younger siblings. "My biggest source of strength has been my mother, who has selflessly sacrificed comfort and rest so she could take care of my siblings and me," says Mohamed. "I have very high expectations for myself. I plan to be the first in my entire family to graduate from high school and go to college."

Fatuma Ali

West Seattle High School

Seattle, Washington

Fatuma is highly motivated and conscientious. She has overcome difficult obstacles through her strong will to succeed and unrelenting belief in the possibility of a brighter future. Fatuma expresses her appreciation for life by giving back to the community and setting a prime example for others.

Dedicated to female and youth empowerment, Fatuma has become actively involved in the Power of Hope movement, which works to help girls and women develop their self-esteem, confidence, independence and strength. Fatuma wanted to be sure that no girls were excluded because of the $600 enrollment fee, and consequently organized a fundraising effort. She visited local businesses and schools, winning supporters by describing her vision of helping each girl participate in the program, and also organized a successful dinner event to attract scholarship donors.

In the spirit of education, Fatuma organized a school event where she brought a guest speaker from her local community to discuss the education system of Kenya. Her goal was to remind her peers that education is fundamental to achieving a brighter future, and to inspire them to create change in the world and promote education. "Although I may have experienced some life-testing situations as a young kid, that does not stop me from giving back and contributing to my community," says Fatuma. "My pain and tribulations will always remain an indelible part of my life, which reminds me of the value of giving back and being generous to my community."

While maintaining an exceptional GPA, Fatuma has taken on extra classes that correspond to her future career goals. With a strong interest in architectural engineering, she has become highly involved in the ACE mentoring program, which has given her hands-on experience and fueled her passion for this particular concentration. Fatuma has also become active in a number of community programs. She has taught the benefits of healthy eating through the Food Education Empowerment and Sustainability Team, and has assisted non-English speakers with forms and paperwork at the Southwest Youth and Family Servicest Center.

Uprooted by the civil war in Somalia, Fatuma's family sought shelter at a refugee camp in Kenya, where she lived for most of her formative years. Despite the difficulty of understanding unfamiliar customs when she immigrated to the US, this has not stopped Fatuma from furthering her education and contributing to the community. "Growing up in different conditions has taught me countless lessons that never stop me from appreciating, not only the difficulties, but also the happiness that accompanies pain," says Fatuma. "I would love one day to go back to my home country and give back to the people that are currently stricken with disasters of poverty and political mishap."

Clifford Alonzo
Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School
Honolulu, Hawaii

Clifford does not let anything stand in the way of his goals. His strong work ethic, drive to succeed and insight have enabled him to become an academic and community leader.

Despite serving a large student population, Clifford's high school had discontinued Advanced Placement (AP) courses several years ago. High-achieving students were dismayed, but Clifford took action: he created and led an advocacy group to gather evidence that would show the administration how AP courses would benefit the school curriculum. "My school didn't offer AP courses, which I found unfair, so I fought for it," says Clifford. His efforts were persuasive, and AP courses will once again be available to Farrington students beginning next year.

An outstanding academic role model, Clifford maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA and ranks first in his 639-member class. To offset the lack of AP courses, Clifford has challenged himself by taking courses at Honolulu Community College through the Running Start Program.  He has done well in English and psychology, and plans to take more courses including Japanese and Korean.

Clifford's community and club leadership has taken many forms. He is an animator and modeler for the 3D Animation Club, and an assistant portfolio manager for AKAMAI Prep Club, an organization designed to increase awareness in Hawaii Public Schools about career opportunities in finance. He has been involved with Gear-Up, Filipino-American Club, Key Club, and Robotics, and his current activities include DECA, the Upward Bound Program, and the Pacific and Asian Affairs club, which he serves as vice president.

As a young child, Clifford struggled with a speech impediment which might have sidetracked his leadership talents. Through speech therapy and considerable effort, he succeeded in overcoming this difficulty and now speaks freely. Success in this area has inspired him to strive for the best in all aspects of his life. Although he may not have everything, Clifford appreciates his family and those around him. "I take every opportunity out there that is available to me," he says. His dedication to academics and the well-being of his family is a strong indication of the remarkable person who is Clifford Alonzo.

Teressa Baldwin is the embodiment of altruism. Her selfless pursuit of ways to help others is manifested in her involvement within the community. She manages to balance her work in student government, plus participation on a state board and leadership organizations, with an ambitious academic schedule while maintaining a high GPA.

Since beginning her sophomore year, Teressa has been an indispensable advocate of suicide prevention in Alaska, the state with the highest suicide rate. Following the loss of a friend through suicide, Teressa became lead chair for the Alaska Association of Student Governments, which partnered with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium to create a statewide suicide-prevention media contest. The contest provided a forum for students to speak out about suicide and to seek help from others. Teressa also started an annual suicide-prevention week at her school, and was recently appointed by Alaska's Governor Sean Parnell as youth representative for the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.

Born in a remote village near the Arctic Circle, Teressa is thoroughly grounded in her identity as a Native Alaskan. Her long list of activities is a testament to her love for the community. Although it was not easy at first to gain recognition within her school, she quickly showed herself to be an all-star student and became vice president of her class as a sophomore. This paved the way for her eventual position as secretary and treasurer of the Alaska Association of Student Governments.  Her many other activities include cheerleading, cross country, drama, debate and forensics, student council, Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska, National Honor Society, Sitka Youth Leadership Committee and LEADS. Teressa currently interns with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, performing independent research on Alaska's marine mammals.

Teressa has learned the value of hard work and persistence from her mother, who works to help raise Teressa and her four siblings. "Without her, I would not have motivated myself to get up and join student council or speak out for suicide awareness," says Teressa. "She was the one who taught me that once you lose something special, you need to keep going so that you will win something greater.

Walter Banks IV
Pinedale High School
Pinedale, Wyoming

Walter is an exemplary human being who demonstrates a remarkable capacity for work and a selfless ambition to serve others. His determination to achieve his goals and personal interest in building relationships with a variety of people truly make Walter stand out among his peers.

In addition to his many commitments and his long commute, Walter works as a server so that he can afford the car and the gas that get him to school every day. Walter appreciates the very small, yet supportive, community he lives in. He also appreciates the hard work of his parents, which motivates him to work hard as well and to become a more independent person. While opportunities are limited in a small community, Walter takes the initiative to seek out ways to improve himself and to reach his ultimate dream of becoming a physician. His short-term goal is to be the first in his family to earn a college degree.

Iko'tsimiskimaki (Ekoo) Beck

Hellgate High School

Missoula, Montana

Iko'tsimiskimaki's desire to strengthen those around her and to celebrate the diversity of all people makes her an enthusiastic advocate, natural leader, and inspiring role model in her community.

"The thing that motivates me most is the presence of injustice and prejudice in our current society," says Iko'tsimiskimaki. "After hearing stories of oppression from people who walk every kind of life, I felt the hurt and passion each person expressed, and knew I had to do something." This past year, she received the My Idea Grant from AT&T and America's Promise Alliance to fund her project called Inspire to Lead.  She commenced the initiative by attending an international Leadership in Diversity workshop hosted by the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) in Washington D.C. When she returned to Missoula, Iko'tsimiskimaki developed peer-led training in prejudice reduction and violence prevention for students in elementary, middle and high schools, and led after-school programs for the two younger groups. In all, her program impacted some 857 students in Missoula and utilized dozens of community and peer leaders. Her hard work also earned her the honor of being the only youth who is a senior leader at NCBI Missoula.

Additionally, Iko'tsimiskimaki is involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. She volunteers with Saokio Heritage, a nonprofit whose goal is to stimulate and preserve the history, language and traditional knowledge of prairie peoples. She is a senior program aide for the Girl Scouts and teaches religious education for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Missoula. A cross-country runner at her school, she also plays five instruments: the fiddle, classical violin, ukulele, mandolin, and guitar. She loves to write and was named a winner in the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) contest for her manuscript on Victorian-era classism.

Though involved with many other outside activities, Iko'tsimiskimaki is on track to graduate high school in only three years. Upon graduation she will have taken every honors and AP course her school provides, in addition to studying Blackfeet, Spanish and math at the University of Montana. She has lettered in academics and math, and was named a "most inspirational student" by Missoula Public Schools.

Iko'tsimiskimaki's name, given by her great-grandmother Annie Wall, translates to "salmon-colored shell woman" and refers to a particular type of mussel shell, found only in Montana, that is used in Blackfeet ceremonies. Iko'tsimiskimaki is an enrolled descendant of the Blackfeet and Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribes. She spends her spare weekends visiting her family on the Blackfeet Reservation of Montana, where her mother grew up.

Chicago, Illinois

Nora is a forward-thinking, highly intelligent and thoughtful person. Her background and life experiences have fueled a deep enthusiasm for learning, a commitment to her community and a passion for addressing social-justice issues.

"I enjoy learning for the sake of learning," says Nora. And learn she does. She is taking the most challenging curriculum that her school offers and ranks in the top 5% of her class. Her academic activities outside the classroom are equally impressive. She read twenty books in the Battle of the Books and helped her team place second in the Chicago competition. She attended the Carleton Summer Science Institute, collaborating with a college professor and graduate students to complete a research project about the effects of land use on water quality. She has been named a National Hispanic Law Scholar and was a finalist in the Chicago Metropolitan History Fair.

Vice president of her school's student council, Nora has also been president of the peer jury. She took part in the Green Festivals Challenge, a citywide effort by environmentally-aware teens to promote recycling and other forms of wise resource use at their neighborhood festivals. Nora has also written four articles published on TravelBIGO, part of a website devoted to family travel.   

Nora does more than just learn -- she takes that knowledge and uses it for the good of her community.  She obtained funding for the mentoring program at her school by writing a grant proposal for $1,500. With the help of a teacher, she got the club started by recruiting mentors, creating educational presentations and facilitating team-building activities.

Nora was also selected as a member of Youth Safety branch of the Mivka Challenge City Youth Council, where she served as lead grant writer. She was responsible for securing a $20,000 grant to fund youth-led projects around Chicago that focus on decreasing violence among young people.

Other community efforts which have benefited from Nora's involvement include the Cesar Chavez Social Justice Project, Chicago Parks District and the Gads Hills Center, a family resource organization serving low-income residents.

Nora speaks Spanish and French in addition to English. "For as long as I can remember, I have had a strong interest in world languages and global issues," says Nora. "For me, learning a language is not only about understanding the pattern and phonemes; rather, it is about building a relationship with a divergent culture and society in order to bring peace and inspire global communication." Recently, she worked with a teacher to bring travel opportunities to her school and was awarded a $30,000 national travel grant that will enable her and eight other students to go to Costa Rica and learn about environmental issues, leadership and volunteerism. She hopes that this experience will empower other students to have a passion for global communication and volunteerism.

"My family, community, and [sense of] integrity have profoundly impacted my life," says Nora. "I want to make my parents' struggles worthwhile and pursue a career that enables me to help my Hispanic community."

Nina Christie

William Howard Taft High School

Woodland Hills, California

Nina loves to be active and has a passionate desire to succeed in all her activities, whether they relate to academics, clubs, sports or her future career.

Nina is most proud of her work as founder of Law Post 1926 in San Fernando Valley, an organization whose goal is to inspire a diverse group of teenagers to seek future careers in law and government. As a freshman, Nina had joined a different law post and quickly rose to become its president, but that unit was dissolved. Inspired by her peers, Nina was determined to keep this group of students together and worked tirelessly to find another law office and attorney to sponsor her new organization, Law Post 1926. Once a sponsor was secured, she continued to pour her time and energy into the organization by running fundraisers to raise money for group events. Says Nina of this experience, "I feel that I have not only helped myself to gain experience of learning from such intelligent people, but I have also helped any student who wants to be involved in law to be able to do so regardless of race, gender, or economic status."

Another achievement that Nina relishes is her success on the swim team. This is particularly special to her because she first had to overcome an intense fear of jumping into the water head first. She spent many hours working with her brother to overcome this problem – which she did so well that after joining the team she was awarded a trophy as the best new swimmer.

Nina takes a challenging course load of AP and honors courses, and has been continually recognized by her school for her academic success. She has been a member of the California Scholarship Federation and participates in Knights and Ladies, for which her service has included tutoring, concessions, and helping with school events.

Nina has logged many volunteer hours with One Generation, an organization that helps senior citizens affected by Alzheimer's and other diseases, and has also volunteered at a senior care center in Woodland Hills. Additionally, she works as a private tutor to pay her expenses and help her family.

Nina cites her older brother as a powerful influence and strong role model. While her family is a strong influence, Nina seems to have been born with a natural urge to excel. "I am motivated by my desire to be successful," says Nina. "With everything I do, I have an innate need to succeed." 

Sino Esthappan

Susan E. Wagner High School

Staten Island, New York

Sino is a motivated young person who has maturity and perspective beyond his years. He uses his intelligence and entrepreneurial skills to serve his school and to assist those in need.

Sino maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while taking a heavy schedule of Advanced Placement and honors classes. Last summer, he was chosen to take part in The Cooper Union's Summer Research Internship Program, through which he studied chemical engineering and attempted to prove the hypothesis of a recent Cooper Union graduate.

Sino has spent much of his extracurricular time dedicated to his school and raising money for causes he believes in. He has been a class officer since entering high school, and as a senior will be vice president of student government. He has worked to raise funds for the Jeneba Project, an organization that builds schools in Sierra Leone. Events that he has organized include bake sales, car washes, general donation solicitation, and a 'battle of the bands' rock concert. He also organized a charity concert for Operation Smile, which provides reconstructive surgery for children around the world who were born with facial deformities.

Sino serves as treasurer of Arista, the National Honor Society at his school, and is active in organizing the school's International Festival, a major annual event that showcases students' cultures through dances, skits, foods and displays. Not content to be only a background presence, Sino also played the lead in a student production of Sing! Sing!

His community involvement has included volunteer time at the Sea View Rehabilitation Center, where he has undertaken tasks ranging from filing paperwork to helping residents work on their physical therapy programs.

Sino is an entrepreneurial thinker, who uses his energy to succeed personally and to create change in his community. Says Sino, "If one were to ask me to describe myself in one word, the first thing that comes to mind is 'adaptable.'….I am an abstract thinker, I generate new ways and ideas to adapt to situations."

Brandon Gardner

Starkville High School

Starkville, Mississippi

Brandon is a determined student who aspires to be successful in the business world. He works hard in school and is not afraid to step up and take on demanding responsibilities in the organizations that are important to him.

Brandon holds a leadership position in every club and activity that he participates in. He is vice president of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), president of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), president of his junior class and the likely student body president for his senior year. Brandon also serves as chairman and director for an awards program at his school and  is responsible for organizing the entire presentation event. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership abilities and achievements, Brandon was selected to represent his school at the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference.

As an aspiring business professional, Brandon is showing early promise. This year he placed at the district FBLA competition and qualified for the state competition, although unfortunately he was unable to attend due to the organization's lack of funding. Outside of school, Brandon spends much of his time working at McDonald's to help support himself and cover extra expenses he may incur. On the job for nearly a year, he was the youngest employee to be offered a management position. Although he was not quite old enough to accept, this offer was just one more example of Brandon's leadership potential being recognized.

Brandon is inspired to achieve by his family. In 2009, he tragically lost his oldest sister and nephews in an apartment fire. He was able to persevere by focusing on making his family proud. Says Brandon, "I woke up every morning with one thing on my mind, and that was ensuring that I get my education and make, not only my sister proud, but also my mom…. To me, success is just steps away from where I am now and I'm not stopping until I get there."

Dalayna Gardner

Helix Charter High School

La Mesa, California

Dalayna is a strong and independent person. On a daily basis she exhibits qualities of strength and perseverance that inspire those around her to make healthy choices and reach their highest potential.

As a way to inspire and encourage others, Dalayna co-founded a club called Young Black Scholars, an encouragement group focusing on unity, diversity, and community and cultural awareness. As the club's president, Dalayna works to reach out to young people in the community and help them make healthy life choices. The club also seeks to lead by example, participating in citywide service events such as holiday event catering and city cleanups.

Dalayna works to be a voice for positive choices in all of her activities. She serves as a student representative on the Helix Charter High School Board, through which she can be a voice for the student body, addressing ongoing issues at the school with the faculty and administration. She has also organized presentations for her school's students and faculty, and for the local community, to raise awareness about drug use, underage drinking, gang violence, and bullying.

Dalayna's most time intensive service activity, however, is her work with Camp LEAD, a leadership program meant to engage students in a supportive learning environment that will increase their personal awareness and communication skills. She cites her work at Camp LEAD as an inspiring and life-changing experience that has allowed her to both learn about herself and help others to find their leadership potential.

In her first two years of high school, Dalayna struggled in math. "With constant confusion and discouragement from my family, who chose not to proceed with their education, I felt hopeless. Yet I refused to give up," says Dalayna.  She chose to get private tutoring and soon felt confident in the subject that had caused her so much anxiety. Her transformation as a math student inspired her to help others, and she became a tutor at her high school, putting her skills to work and helping other struggling students become successful. She also serves as a tutor and peer mentor at her church.

Dalayna is resilient and determined to succeed. "Constantly I have been discouraged to succeed," says Dalayna, "but I chose to go another route and create my own pathway in life…. Being the first in generations even to look into attending college, I strive not to repeat the history of my family. Drug-free, here I stand, with my grandmother's six words that have gotten me where I am today: 'be a leader, not a follower.'"

Robert Hsu

Andover High School

Andover, Massachusetts

Robert is a dedicated student with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to help others work through problems. Whether coaching an elementary-school Destination Imagination team, running an Ultimate Frisbee clinic, or just being a person his friends can open up to, Robert is motivated by seeing others grow.

Robert's academic skills and activities are varied and exceptional. He ranks in the top 5% of his class while taking a rigorous schedule of AP and honors courses. He has won several essay contests including a Kaplun Foundation Scholarship, and has been invited each year to participate in the American Mathematics Competition and the Massachusetts Mathematics League. He was the sole nominee from his school to Boys State, a competitive leadership-development program for students who show a keen interest in American government and politics. Robert participated in the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, DC, where his peers named him press secretary in a Congressional simulation. In addition, he plays the flute in his school's pit orchestra, is a successful baseball player, and is a member of the Junior State Debate Team.

One of Robert's greatest passions is Destination Imagination (DI), a nonprofit educational creative problem-solving organization. Each year teams must not only solve a new problem, but also present their solutions in an 8-minute skit. Last year, the team coached by Robert won the DaVinci Award, DI's highest honor, for their work.

What makes DI unique is that students are expected to take a creative leadership role in every aspect. This year, an unprecedented number of students in Robert's community made it to the global finals. Because attending globals is expensive, Robert took the lead in organizing a variety of fundraisers that brought in over $8,000 in 8 weeks. Robert also coaches an elementary DI team and worked intensively with them on teamwork and acting techniques. This team won the state competition and went on to compete at the global competition.

Robert's other major enthusiasm is Ultimate Frisbee. He is junior captain of the varsity team at his school and has also used his passion for the sport to address the problem of childhood obesity. First, he launched an after-school intramural Ultimate Frisbee program at the middle school he attended. Next, he created an indoor Ultimate Frisbee clinic for students in nearby Lawrence, MA, which has the state's highest childhood obesity rate. By the second week he had attracted 20 student participants.

During summer vacations, Robert volunteers digging dinosaur bones with the Marmarth Research Foundation in North Dakota, where he has worked in the lab preparing fossils. He has also volunteered with the Andover Historical Society, designing a web display of historical signs.

Robert's intellectual curiosity and commitment to others drive his impressive achievements. He works very hard at all that he does, and is determined to meet life -- and all the challenges it brings -- with a smile.

John Jimenez

Narbonne High School

Harbor City, California

John is a creative, thoughtful and bright student. Using his determination and ambition, John has achieved at stellar levels.

John earns exceptional grades and ranks in the top 1% of his junior class. A member of the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation, John has received the Presidential Scholars Award and the Los Angeles County Chicano Scholar Award for outstanding citizenship and high academic achievement.

His love for business led him to attend the University of Southern California Leventhal Accounting Program, where he explored business leadership and entrepreneurship. He was subsequently accepted to the UCLA Riordan Scholars Program, through which he nourished his knowledge about stock markets and financial statements. This summer he will be one of 30 students nationwide to experience the LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) Program offered through the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School of Business.

When his older brother was laid off in 2008, John used his newly gained entrepreneurial skills in a very practical way. Says John, "While we were eating, I kept complementing his tacos because they were simply delicious. A light clicked and I decided it would be very wise to create a catering company." In order to get publicity and business for the new company, John asked his high school to hire his brother to sell food at the football games. The school hesitated at first, but soon found that the food was selling well and bringing in impressive revenue. Through this exposure, John was able to publicize his brother's catering business and attract a number of customers.

John is also dedicated to community service, especially through KIWIN's, an affiliate of Key Club which raises money for global causes. John has served as president, vice president and treasurer. Altogether he has contributed over 1,000 hours of community service!

A martial arts enthusiast, John was proud recently to be awarded his black belt, and attributes much of his success to the skills he has developed through this endeavor. "Martial arts helped me learn to become independent and focused," says John.

In addition to his many other activities, John works to help support his mother and family. John believes that his life circumstances have shaped his character. "My family's struggles fostered my ambitious attitude and goal-oriented mindset," says John. "Their hardships taught me to embrace obstacles and become a stronger individual."

Courtney Jones

Thurgood Marshall Academy

Washington, DC

Courtney is a self-motivated activist who is willing to step up to leadership positions and make her voice heard. She maintains high academic standards and hopes to become a business professional.

Courtney has made significant contributions to the District of Columbia community through her service and activism. As president of her school's Green Club, she initiated a program through which club members taught elementary-school students about the benefits of a healthy diet.

Committed to creating dialogue about important social-justice issues relating to education and the environment, Courtney recently led a march for S.T.E.P. UP DC (Success Through Educational Progress) in support of better education in Washington DC schools. A member of Youth Leadership Greater Washington, she facilitated a group of diverse teens discussing problems in the DC high schools.

Courtney further expresses her commitment to education and dialogue through the organization Wilderness Leadership and Learning, which provides opportunities for team-building and learning about environmental issues. She also worked with the Anti-Defamation League at her school to create an anti-bullying activity for elementary-school students.

Additionally, Courtney participates in the Super Leaders program, which brings together leaders from high schools around the Washington area to learn about and address issues of violence in their communities. She has volunteered at the Latin American Youth Center, facilitating meetings about immigration and education, and in recognition of her work received the Letelier Youth Activism Award.

Courtney maintains an excellent GPA with a demanding schedule of AP courses, and is also a stellar athlete in volleyball, soccer, baseball and track. When her schedule permits, she earns money to contribute to her family's wellbeing.

Courtney is eager to become the first person in her family to attend college. "Staying positive and self-motivated are the qualities that I continue to use to succeed," says Courtney. "I work very hard to get where I am in life, and I am always looking for any opportunities that can help me achieve and have a better future."

Yunah Kang

Thomas Jefferson High School

Auburn, Washington

Yunah is an outstanding student who radiates positive energy. She is hard working and is highly involved in her community.

Yunah is ranked first in her class of 468 students and maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while taking all International Baccalaureate classes. She is a member of the National Honor Society and was nationally commended for her PSAT score.

Deeply involved in her school community, Yunah is an active member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and has competed with them at the state level. In 2010, she placed fourth in website development and, in 2011, she placed first in desktop publishing. This year she took on the primary responsibility for her FBLA chapter's website.

In addition to FBLA, Yunah is active in Key Club and iswebmaster of Division 33. She also participates in IGNITE, a mentoring program at her school that helpsfreshmen transition to high school.

Yunah is a very active member of her church. She is a member of the fundraising committee in her church's youth group and regularly organizes fundraisers such as bake sales and charity performance events. She is also on the administration committee,working to organize the yearly retreat and other fellowship activities. During the summers, Yunah also volunteers at her church's vacation Bible school.

Yunah's other achievements include helping to establish a group called Blooming Youth Volunteers, a weekly student-led tutoring program that allows high school students to tutor students of all ages; volunteering at a homeless shelter once a month to serve hot meals; competing in varsity gymnastics and helping her team place fourth in state competition, and participating in the varsity cheerleading squad.

In view of her many achievements and activities, it is hard to imagine that Yunah was once introverted. "After a great deal of time being painfully shy, I opened up to the supportive environment around me," says Yunah. "With the help of the welcoming members of my church youth group, I escaped the shyness and let myself make new friendships and relationships with the people around me. Today, I consider myself a fairly extroverted person and enjoy being around other people."

Jonah Lucas

Belvidere High School

Belvidere, New Jersey

Jonah is an independently motivated person and a leader with strong sense of who he is. "I believe that to truly show one's commitment to community service and prove oneself as a leader, one must not only be involved in clubs and community service, but initiate these activities," says Jonah.

Jonah ranks in the top 10% of his class. His core courses are all either honors or Advanced Placement, and he has been elected to both the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. In addition, he has placed at the Post and District levels in the Veterans of Foreign Wars "Voice of Democracy" audio essay contest.

As a person who loves to lead and give back, Jonah is active in as many organizations and groups as he can be. A sampling of his involvements includes Leo Club, a community service organization affiliated with the Lions Club; student government; Building Connections, a group dedicated to improving his high school through service projects such as painting murals and hanging inspirational quotes in the hallways; NJ REBEL, an organization promoting healthy lifestyles and nonsmoking norms; SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions); HOPE Club, a charity fundraising organization; and TOPSoccer, which provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play soccer. As a senior, Jonah will manage a lock-in event at his school to raise money for the Interfaith Hospitality Network, a charity helping homeless people across the country.

In recognition of his leadership, Jonah was chosen as a participant in the New Jersey Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Training Seminar, as well as New Jersey Boys' State. He has twice been named to staff the Boy Scouts National Youth Leadership Training Seminar, and was chosen to represent his high school as part of Leadership Warren, a program of the Warren County Chamber of Commerce.

Jonah is also very involved outside of school. In Boy Scouts he has held multiple leadership positions, including assistant senior patrol leader and patrol leader. He is currently working on his Eagle Scout award project, leading efforts to landscape and refurbish the area in front of his town's municipal building. He also serves as a volunteer counselor at Genesis Farm Environmental Day Camp, where children learn about earth literacy and environmental sustainability.

To round out his activities, Jonah is also a talented musician and athlete. He takes part in two of his school's audition-only performance groups, the jazz band and the madrigal choir. He plays varsity soccer and competes in swimming and golf. Jonah was director and stage manager of his high school's production of Urinetown, The Musical. He has also earned certification as both a Red Cross lifeguard and a New Jersey recreational soccer referee.

"The best word to describe me is 'involved.' This isn't really a characteristic, but is a word that describes the way I live. I like to be involved in everything. I am often happiest when I have almost no time to just relax," said Jonah.

Ryan Montgomery

Pendleton High School

Pendleton, Oregon

Ryan has a tenacious, motivated spirit and a commitment to making the world a better place. "I am an enthusiastic student, athlete, leader, volunteer and brother," he says.

In addition to leading his class academically, Ryan is ranked in the top 10 OSAA Academic All-State in 2009 and 2010, and received an honorable mention in the Nestle Very Best in Youth program. He also founded an award program at his high school, which recognizes both a dedicated student leader and an outstanding teacher each semester.

Ryan's two passions – running and serving others – are central to many of his activities. Recently, he organized a 5K fun run to benefit the local domestic violence shelter. He was a top finisher at Nike Cross-Country Pre-nationals, and medaled at the 2010 Footlocker USA Cross-Country Western Region Championships. At age 14 he achieved 8^th place in the Prince of Wales Island (Alaska) international marathon. He volunteers as a coach for the Round-up City Racers youth track and field team, and aspires to compete on the cross-country and track teams for Brigham Young University.

Chosen as one of two US youth ambassadors by the organization impossible2Possible, Ryan recently joined young athletes from other countries on a running/chemistry expedition to the largest salt flat in the world, in the Bolivian Andes. There he ran over 200 kilometers in six days, while broadcasting live and video-chatting with students around the globe. The purpose of the project was to encourage young people to reach beyond their perceived limits, use experiential learning to educate students in the classroom and empower students to launch social and environmental actions. The Gatorade company is producing a television mini-series about the experiences of Ryan's expedition, which will be broadcast around the world in late 2011.

Committed to service, he spearheaded an adopt-a-family program, helped lead a clothing drive to benefit elementary-school students, and initiated a care-package project to provide recreational items and vital necessities to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Last winter, Ryan appeared on the Outdoor Channel's Friends of NRA program, representing youth nationwide as a way of encouraging other young people to become activists for Second Amendment rights and to support shooting sports for youth recreation.

A strong leader, Ryan is president of his high school's Key Club and ASTRA Club, treasurer of the Pro-Life Club, captain of the cross-country team, a member of the track team, and a student representative on the Pendleton High School SITE Council. He served as sophomore class president and ASB vice president, and next year will be senior class president. He also serves on the statewide student executive council as an Oregon at-large representative.

For his achievements he has received many awards and recognitions, including: Oregon Community Leader of the Year, Pendleton Outstanding Teen Award, Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Award, National Rifle Association Youth Ambassador and Pendleton High School Citizenship Cup.

"I envision a world of achievers who believe in their hearts that nothing is out of the realm of possibility," says Ryan. He is certainly leading by example!

Hannah Moore

Richlands High School

Richlands, North Carolina

Hannah is creative, perceptive, and mature beyond her years. She excels academically and dreams of making a difference in the world.

Ranked first in her class, Hannah takes an extremely challenging schedule of Honors and Advanced Placement classes. She further enriches her education via a North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics online program, through which she has taken advanced courses in math and science, such as Green Environmental Geology.

In recognition of her academic successes, Hannah was selected to participate in the Governor's School of North Carolina and in the Summer Ventures Program. Her work through the Engineering Academy has allowed her to fulfill all of her graduation requirements early, so that she is able to focus on more specialized math and engineering courses.

Hannah has spent a significant amount of her time gaining real-world experience by working nightly as a waitress. Through this endeavor she feels that she is gaining important life skills and reducing the financial drain on her parents.

Hannah is also active in her school and community. She participates in Student to Student, an organization that helps new students transition into high school. She is also a member of Future Teachers of America as well as Beta Club, a service and leadership organization. In addition to school activities, she volunteers at the local museum.

"I am motivated by the thought of the future. My wish is to make a good life for myself and my family. I am also motivated by the promise of helping others," says Hannah. "I wish to be a part of Doctors Without Borders, so that I may bring relief to those who may not otherwise be able to gain access to medicine."

Faique Moqeet

Northside College Preparatory High School

Chicago, IL

A successful and motivated young person, Faique has taken advantage of the opportunities that his school has provided, and has thrived in ways that even he finds surprising. He is an exceptional student who maintains a very high GPA with an extremely demanding schedule of all honors and Advanced Placement courses.

Beyond his academic achievements, Faique has had three main passions in high school: journalism, Latin and international service. As a journalism student, he has already earned considerable notice. Along with writing a column for two years and editing the editorial section for his school newspaper, he has written more than 40 items included in various other publications. Faique was featured on the cover of a major journalism conference report on student news media. He was recently named one of two top student journalists in the state by the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference.

Faique is vice president of the Latin club and a member of his school's Latin Honor Society. In state and national Latin competitions he has won over 45 medals, ribbons and honors in less than two years. He is especially proud of participating on the Certamen Team, which took 2nd place at nationals, the highest a team from his state has ever placed. His expertise on this team was in Roman history, and in a test on this subject alone he placed 3rd in the nation.

Faique co-founded and is currently the director of a nonprofit: Project ARC (www.arcnp.org), a disaster-relief organization run completely by youth. The goal of Project ARC is to raise money for various causes around the world and to get other youth involved. The group has raised thousands of dollars for multiple causes and is currently collecting old prescription glasses for distribution in third-world countries. Faique also serves on the Youth Advisory Board of Do Something, the nation's largest teen non-profit.

In addition to his excellent academic achievement and exceptional extracurricular activities, Faique has spent much of the past year helping his family launch a new restaurant. He has taken on the marketing aspects, including designing the menus and website, setting up the online delivery service, and managing online accounts such as Yelp and Facebook. In addition to the marketing efforts, he often works as a server and cashier.

Faique strongly believes that his successes reflect not only on himself but also on how he was raised and the community he was raised in. "If we are products of our environments, I am fortunate to have been reared in an environment that stressed hard work and provided me with a sense of empowerment," he says.

Jesus Moran

Manual Arts High School

Los Angeles, California

Jesus is an enthusiastic learner and an articulate young man. His energy and determination have made him influential among his peers and teachers. Always up for a challenge, Jesus takes every opportunity to foster improvement and cultivate curiosity in every environment.

As a sophomore, Jesus joined his school's Speech and Debate Society. Thoroughly enjoying his experience the first year, he was soon named captain of the squad and has held the post ever since. Jesus has won three debate tournaments and placed in the top 16 at a national tournament.

A true entrepreneur, Jesus co-founded the Health and Science Society at his school to promote healthy living in his community. Furthermore, he is creating a peer-mentoring program to assist ninth and tenth graders with assignments and to instill efficient study habits. Jesus also helped raise funds for a staff member at his high school to aid in her fight against breast cancer. He volunteers for his school's assistant principal and gives considerable time at the California Science Center, logging over 400 hours of community service.

Ranking second in his class of 760 students, Jesus takes challenging honors and Advanced Placement courses and continually seeks more educational opportunities. His independence and strong work ethic have led him to excel in the rigorous University of Southern California Neighborhood Academic Initiative Program.

Jesus works hard to surpass his own expectations and also to break down stereotypical expectations others may have toward him. Self-empowerment and diligence are his strongest traits, and although he has encountered prejudice, he has found the inner strength to look past obstacles and believe in his potential.  His passionate and positive attitude is contagious to those around him. "Every day presents a challenge, whether we acknowledge them or not," says Jesus. "One of the most difficult challenges that I have faced is being told that I cannot do something or that I should not do something…we should always have and find the inner strength to help us get through."

As a high-school sophomore, Mary discovered the prestigious Young Epidemiology Scholars competition, and designed a project titled "Assessing the Role of Alcohol Use to Address Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression." For eight months she worked on modeling adolescent depression by gender using a massive dataset and coding in SAS, the multivariate statistical analysis program used by most statisticians and epidemiologists. Her polished research paper, over 30 pages long, earned her a designation as one of twelve national finalists.

Mary's interest in science policy and innovation led her to apply to LearnServe International, a program which trains high-school students to be social entrepreneurs. For her venture, she partnered with Scientists and Engineers for America in an effort to confront problem areas in the biotechnology pipeline. To this end, Mary founded SEA student coalitions in two schools with dual aims: to help her peers understand issues in science policy, and to inspire students to lobby elected representatives to push biotechnology companies toward better utilization of research and discoveries to help people.

Not surprisingly, Mary excels academically, maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA while taking 5 AP and 4 honors classes. As a senior she plans to study post-AP linear algebra, multivariable calculus, and organic chemistry. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Latin Honor Society, and won a gold medal in the National Latin Exam. She has taken high honors in numerous science and engineering events at the local, state and national levels. She also loves reading and writing, and is currently a finalist for the Vince Kaspar Prize for Excellence in the Arts.

A natural leader, Mary is unafraid of responsibility. She is founder and co-president of Bioengineering Projects of the Future, project coordinator for the Nanotechnology Club and an alumna of the Hugh O'Brian State Seminar. Mary chaired and organized the first Northern Virginia Community Leadership Workshop. She has spent two summers as an intern at the National Institute of Bioimaging and Bioengineering. An award-winning varsity policy debater, she has chaired her school's physics committee and has also earned varsity letters in swim and dive each year of high school. Her nearly 600 hours of community service have included being webmaster of the Women in Science and Engineering organization.

Mary aspires to make a true political difference in the treatment and advocacy of major medical conditions by founding her science policy organization. As she prepares to finance her own college education, she muses that "disappointments are as much a part of me as are successes, and I have learned to be open-minded, willing to embrace whatever opportunities come my way." Her resilience, determination, and belief in herself will guide her in her path to success.
 

Von Dickens Ulsa

Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School

Honolulu, Hawaii

A native of the Philippines, Von immigrated to Hawaii only two years ago. He notes that "in the Philippines, when your family is poor, your dream will be unreachable." Once settled in Hawaii, he was struck by the bountiful opportunities presented, and has eagerly invested himself in accomplishing more than he could have dreamed in his previous life.

Von rose quickly to the challenge of overcoming the language barrier, and after passing the English Proficiency Test, he placed out of English as a Second Language courses. Only seven months after arriving in the US, he took the COMPASS test, the placement exam for the Running Start program through which high-school students are able to take community-college classes. He placed English 100 level and passed the college-level course. He maintains a demanding course load that includes calculus and honors physics. His essay-writing skills have earned a first-place finish in both the divisional and regional English Olympics, as well as second place in the University of the Philippines-Namnama Essay Contest.

Lauded for his personal warmth, Von is also well respected by his peers as a student leader. He serves as fundraising chair for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs club (GEAR UP), and the money he raises goes toward funding college prep courses, summer programs, social events and scholarships. He is a distinguished debater and member of the mock trial team, winning awards as best debater, outstanding defense lawyer and outstanding prosecutor. Through his involvement in National Honor Society, he tutors other students in calculus, algebra, trigonometry, expository writing, physics and chemistry.

Von's National Honor Society chapter annually organizes two academic competitions called Matchwits and Academy Bowl, and Von took on the responsibility of writing questions, creating advertisements and keeping score for these events. He is also a member of the robotics team, Animation Club and the Kalihi Media Club.

Von is passionate about art and won three art competitions in his first year in Hawaii. Named most outstanding fine arts student at his school, he has won awards for excellence in many formats, including editorial cartoons, calendar art, video and posters. His love of art leads him to volunteer in a local museum, and he chooses not to track his service hours because he believes that "the value of service is in the willingness of the participant."

Having grown up in a poor family, Von notes that "realizing that there are actually more people out there that are less fortunate than I am gives me the drive to do more and help for as long as I can." Hard work pays off, and Von is surely laying the foundation for a life in which he will break free of the constraints of poverty and bring his dreams to life.

Kevin Ung

Long Beach Polytechnic High School

Long Beach, California

Compassionate and intelligent, Kevin is driven to succeed. A member of his family's first generation for whom a college education is possible, Kevin describes himself as "a hardworking student who strives to improve my flaws."

A member of an accelerated academic program, Kevin follows a rigorous course schedule but maintains a top-1% rank in his class of 1,117 students. He participated in the Bay Math League and won 5th place on the top team in his school. He has challenged himself to take Mandarin Chinese language and culture classes for the past 12 years, and has become fluent. He has competed in the Chinese History Bee, and his team won 1st place in Southern California and 5th place at the US National competition. He was honored with the Pursuit of Excellence Award for Physical Laboratory Science ACC in 2008, Chemistry 1-2 Honors in 2011, and Physics C AP M/EM in 2011.

Kevin shines outside of academic realms as well. He is a member of the California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Society, which he has served as vice president, co-treasurer and service project coordinator. Through NHS, he co-founded a tutoring program to help elementary-school students improve basic math skills.  He has also helped to coordinate stories-and-crafts days for youngsters at the Dana Branch Library. A member of the cross-country team, he broke the six-minute mile mark as a freshman, and recently achieved his personal best of 5:20. He notes that cross-country has "taught self-discipline along with the passion to strive for anything." Kevin also plays percussion in Symphonic Winds, his school's advanced band and orchestra. He can play a variety of drums and cymbals, and the group has annually won a rating of "unanimous superior" for the past three years at the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Music Fest.

He is passionate about marine wildlife and the environment. He works as a VolunTEEN, a program through which he helps teach guests how to preserve aquatic life in the Pacific and how to protect and save the environment. He also works as an educational volunteer for the same program, which allows him to help teach and train new volunteers about marine life and how to save the ocean.  Additionally, Kevin volunteers at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. In total he has amassed over 200 hours of community service.

He is motivated by competition, and credits this to often feeling overshadowed by his older sister while growing up. Fortunately, as he has grown older he has learned how to set himself apart by taking different classes, participating in other extracurricular activities and pursuing his own interests. "I am now motivated to control the path of my own life and act on things that I solely believe will help me in the future" he proclaims.