10 students honored at Youth Service Awards

Ten high school seniors from seven Sonoma County schools were honored Wednesday for their leadership and civic contributions in the 27th annual Community Youth Service Awards.

The event, sponsored by The Press Democrat, recognizes students who go beyond the volunteer commitments sometimes required of high school seniors to create, organize, run and inspire programs that support a community good.

Projects and programs created by this year’s winners include constructing community gardens, providing blankets and toiletries for the homeless and building homes in New Orleans.

“Our impressive nominees this year inspire a real sense of optimism about our future as a community,” said Steve Falk, CEO of Sonoma Media Investments, which owns The Press Democrat.

“Choosing winners is always difficult when every nominee deserves their own recognition,” Falk said. “This year’s Youth Service winners contributed in varied ways - from tutoring in another language, reaching out to the homeless, to raising a community garden - but all have one thing in common: the desire to make the world around them a better place for all of us.”

Cardinal Newman, Casa Grande and Windsor high schools had two winners each.

The awards were presented in an evening ceremony at the Friedman Center in Santa Rosa. Winners, who receive $1,000, were selected by 30 judges from 128 nominees at 17 high schools. Each category was evaluated independently by a panel of judges who are experts in their field.

AGRICULTURAL/VOCATIONAL

Estefania Fernandez, Montgomery High School

Estefania “Stephanie” Fernandez dug into the sustainable agriculture program the moment she stepped onto Montgomery High School’s campus as a freshman and hasn’t looked back.

Fernandez, inspired by Montgomery’s sustainable practices class, now leads the School Garden Mentor Program that helps high school students maintain school gardens over the summer. She is also a school garden mentor at three elementary schools and launched Montgomery’s Grow In the Sun Club - a group with a mission of creating a garden to augment the school cafeteria menu. She also assists with the school’s special needs’ student garden.

Gardens are more than a hobby, in Fernandez’s view.

“Some of the children I work with might only get lunch at school, and go home to not find food,” she said. “Teaching them the simple skills of growing their own fresh, hand-grown food is an amazing skill to have. My mission isn’t to create all the children I meet into farmers, or an environmentalist, but have them create something for themselves.”

“She continues to amaze,” said Len Greenwood, founder of Montgomery’s Green Career Program. “Her energy, passion and direct action to improve the health and lives (of) everyone she touches in Sonoma County is astonishing.”

ARTS

Lucero Alvarez Vieyra, Windsor High School

Windsor High School senior Lucero Alvarez Vieyra joined the Windsor Bloco Drum and Dance Program in part to bring more multicultural events to the Windsor Town Green.

“I really enjoy being a part of the community by bringing people of different races together so they can appreciate the beauty of the Latin culture,” she said.

Alvarez Vieyra is active with Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos events in Windsor, all through the Bloco program, which features traditional dance and drumming to Brazilian and Afro-Cuban beats.

“The dance came easy to Lucero, and because of her leadership skills, Lucero soon became one of our ‘teachers in training’ for our program,” said Elvia Boné, program coordinator for the Bloco program. “I find Lucero to be dependable, dedicated, honest and, above all, has the patience to work with youth of all ages and backgrounds.”

Alvarez Vieyra dedicated her time to making sugar skulls and papier-maché puppets for events to honor loved ones.

“The impact this has had on other lives is that now more people have awareness and appreciate the Latin culture and (have) seen the beauty in it,” Alvarez Vieyra said. “It brought me pleasure to see people amazed by the traditional dances, foods and art.”

ATHLETICS/PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Brad Neuerburg, Cardinal Newman High School

Brad Neuerburg plays football and runs track for Cardinal Newman but is not what English teacher Ryan Smith describes as a typical athlete.

“Although he is one of our best football players and track runners, none of the athlete stereotypes apply; he is not arrogant, aggressive, apathetic or disengaged,” Smith wrote in support of Neuerburg’s nomination. “His steady commitment to school and learning is the mark of his maturity and intelligence.

“On a personal level, Brad is a good young man with a good heart,” he wrote.

Neuerburg has spent summers as a camp counselor and school breaks helping the less fortunate.

“One of the coolest parts about being these kids’ counselor was that they would never forget who I was and I would always come across them with their families, at the mall for example, and each kid would brag to their parents about me being their counselor and how awesome I was,” he said.

This year, Neuerburg began coaching a Special Olympics basketball team, after starting as a bowling coach. He led the charge to raise funds for uniforms and travel to the University of California at Berkeley, where the team played a scrimmage at halftime of a Golden Bears game.

“My goal in helping with these kids was to let them know that they are equal to everyone else and deserve the right to play any sport that they like,” Neuerburg said.

COMMUNITY ACTION

Bismark Torrez Rodriguez, Analy High School

Bismark Torrez Rodriguez said he grew up feeling afraid of his immigration status.

“As a child, my parents told me never to speak about my legal status, where I came from, or to let anyone hear my Nicaraguan accent and I grew up hearing ‘Don’t go outside! Don’t tell anyone! Don’t speak! Don’t ... ’?” he said. “?‘Don’t’ was the one word that led me to join the (North Bay Immigrant Youth Union). I put aside the fear and joined the ranks of those who were fighting for the same cause, because we alone understood the battle each of us were fighting.”

Torrez Rodriguez is now active in the youth union, Latino Student Congress and Analy’s MEChA club, leading informational programs on immigrants’ rights, education and resources. He helps families apply for two programs - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability - that allow some undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States. And he works to “inform both students and counselors of opportunities and resources that are available to undocumented students, as to their education and how to fund it,” he said.

“With a more educated and determined community, our future becomes even brighter, promising superior lives,” he said.

The change in Torrez Rodriguez as he has become more active in various organizations is “astonishing,” said Sandy Valenciano, an organizer with the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance.

“Bismark has never been intimidated to take on tasks that can be challenging,” she said. “He is motivated by his vision of seeing a better community, despite the hardships that he has encountered at such an early age.”

“Bismark has shown strong leadership characteristics ... which have led him to be involved in local, state and national issues that can impact his family and his community,” she said.

ECOLOGY

Serah Almeyda, Windsor High School

It’s a wonder Windsor’s Serah Almeyda has the time to earn her 4.2 grade-point average.

“Serah is not only an academic powerhouse with tremendous grit, she is also a fearless and infectious activist,” said Adam Leslie, an advanced placement government and economics teacher.

“Serah brings a worldly wisdom and voracious curiosity to my classes, and she sees education as a means to a larger voice in society,” he said.

Almeyda honed that voice through three years in varsity debate at Windsor High. She is also co-president of the school Feminist Club, Global Student Embassy club and she’s a youth advisory board member with the Center for Climate Protection. She is a graduate of Tomorrow’s Leaders Today and is vice chair of the Youth Empowerment Council. In addition, she is a student board member for Social Advocates for Youth.

Almeyda has made two trips to Nicaragua through Global Student Embassy, one in which she shadowed nurses in a local clinic and built garden beds for another. Her second trip saw her tending three school gardens.

Nearer to home, Almeyda helped launch the school garden at Cali Calmecac Language Academy.

“The Cali garden is an essential project for the Latino community in Windsor to promote healthy eating habits during an obesity epidemic,” she said. “The students will learn how effective sustainable agriculture is and they will also learn about nutrition. These lessons are ones they can take home to their families and create change.”

ENGLISH/FOREIGN LANGUAGE/EDUCATION

Cristian Placencia Mata, Technology High School

Technology High senior Cristian Placencia Mata tutors classmates in both English and Spanish but says his greatest impact is a much simpler act.

Sometimes it’s something as small as a lunch time conversation with a student who is sitting alone.

“This act is something that brings my school great joy because students at my school enjoy having conversations with me,” he said. “They know that when they talk to me I will respect them and honor their opinion and give them guidance in things that I don’t find to be correct.”

For years Mata has helped native English speakers with their Spanish classes, as well as helping native Spanish speakers, including members of his family, learn English.

“I also tutor my relatives who have trouble learning English, because I know exactly what they are going through and it is very difficult to learn,” he said. “Just like my students for Spanish, I teach them correlations to Spanish, speech, writing and a passion.”

David Freebairn, a Spanish teacher at Technology High, said students gravitate toward Placencia Mata.

“Students enjoy working with Cristian because he is fun, but also serious, and students know they will learn from him,” he said.

“Because of his personal knowledge of the language and his willingness to share that knowledge with others, so many students are helped and relieved,” Freebairn said.

And Placencia Mata’s own work is always top notch.

“Cristian is an extremely diligent and meticulous student,” he said.

HEALTH SCIENCES

Joey Lucchetti, Cardinal Newman High School

An afternoon of volunteering at the Redwood Gospel Mission handing out coats to the homeless changed Cardinal Newman senior Joey Lucchetti’s perspective on life.

Since he witnessed a young girl try unsuccessfully to find a coat that would fit her, Lucchetti has spent countless hours volunteering to collect and distribute coats, blankets, toiletries, Bibles and other items to the homeless.

“The homeless feel invisible, that no one cares for them,” he said. “I want them to know that I care and I see them.”

Lucchetti calls his effort Help Warm a Life.

“When a person is homeless they are at rock bottom,” he said. “These are people with feelings and fears and great need. I feel compelled to talk with them, bring them gifts that may lift their spirits, and show them they are cared about.”

With all of his volunteering, Lucchetti still managed to earn slightly better than a 4.0 grade-point average.

Lucchetti was the first alternate at Boys State and was a member of Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.

JOURNALISM/MEDIA

Quinn Pieper, Casa Grande High School

As editor-in-chief of Casa Grande High School’s award-winning school newspaper, Quinn Pieper could have held the Gaucho Gazette at status quo, but he had a different vision for the paper under his leadership.

“I’ve done my best to prioritize developing and under-covered stories rather than only events - dances, plays, sporting events - because I want to encourage discussion rather than just write summaries of past events,” he said. “Our paper’s spread about non-gender-conforming, deaf and Dream Act-hopeful students have been among many that I think have really given a voice to Casa Grande students, and been the most interesting to read.”

In addition to his work at the paper, where he has held almost every position imaginable, Pieper has had an internship at the Petaluma Argus-Courier and for the past two summers has volunteered at Camp Boost, a day camp dedicated to helping children with cerebral palsy. Pieper documented students’ lives in photos, but also helped stretch limbs in physical therapy and played with campers.

“All I can say is that every so often, a teacher is lucky enough to come across a student brimming with curiosity, keen intellect, and a creative eye, and I found this rare treasure in Quinn Pieper,” said Athena Kautsch, advanced placement English teacher and Casa Grande’s journalism adviser.

MATHEMATICS/TECHNICAL

Haaris Khan, Casa Grande High School

Haaris Khan saw a need and filled it.

Longing for a computer science class at Casa Grande, Khan and his friend Fayed Ali created one. They established a club, wondering how many of their fellow students would show up. Ten? Try 60.

Khan, who had taken computer science at Santa Rosa Junior College, worked with Ali to establish curriculum, publish assignments on a website, and create projects and competitions.

“Although it is a not-for-credit class, he is approaching it in that way. There is homework, a defined agenda and an expectation,” said Nick Wilson, Casa Grande’s Tech Committee chairman. “He is a natural teacher; humorous, flexible, patient and well-prepared.”

The club was so successful and so highlighted a need on campus that the school is poised to offer two computer science classes in the fall, Khan said.

“Students like Haaris are very rare,” Wilson said. “His academic achievement and capabilities are a small part of what makes him remarkable. He is most always smiling, has boundless enthusiasm, wit, focus, compassion and an ability to enter into a dialog without the conviction that he is correct. In a debate he can assist in finding the truth in a web of confusion.”

MUSIC

Hadley Deardorff, Petaluma High School

Hadley Deardorff is co-president of the Tri-M: Music Honor Society, the Drama Club and the Gay-Straight Alliance at Petaluma High School, but also finds time to volunteer outside of school by singing at local assisted-living centers, the Petaluma People Services Senior Day Center, as well as local elementary schools and food pantries.

A four-year member of the Petaluma High School Chamber choir, Deardorff was given the Maestro Award for Outstanding Solo Performance at the 2012 Anaheim Heritage Festival.

“Music is a very personal, yet very public expression,” Deardorff said. “In high school, many individuals are trying to understand their peers (while) trying to understand themselves. Music, for me, is a way that softens the blow, it’s a catalyst to becoming the person you want to be.”

Deardorff is active in her church and through the St. Bernard Program took a trip to New Orleans and worked with Americorps volunteers to build houses in New Orleans.

Deardorff’s accolades “are evidence of her exemplary musicianship, responsibility and leadership qualities,” said Elizabeth Robertson, choral director at Petaluma High. “They also represent the confidence and respect of her peers.”

You can reach Kerry Benefield at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @benefield and on Instagram at kerry.benefield.