Below are this year’s winners. We hope their stories give you a vision for the impact young people can have.
Winner
Natalie Ware (18), Wyoming
Natalie Ware, an 18-year-old from Douglas, Wyoming, has a passion to minister in Belize—an impoverished, third world country in need of the light of Jesus. She has done extensive missions work in the city of Dangriga.
She works primarily through New Hope, a resource center which seeks to provide support to those in need. The center is currently building a home for girls who are victims of human trafficking.
During her past mission trips, Natalie has helped in elementary schools, lead bible studies, and taught a training course for others who are interested in getting involved in this important work.
In her own words:
“The most rewarding work is being able to give something as simple as a hug to those who feel they are too dirty for one, or painting nails with some of the girls who feel like they are worth nothing, building treasured relationships that will last a lifetime.”
Honorable Mentions
Zoe Cole (16), North Carolina
Zoe Cole, a 16-year-old from Arden, North Carolina, decided to make a difference in the lives of orphans in Ukraine during the recent Russian invasion. She was part of a larger missions trip whose goal was to provide medical supplies to injured women trapped behind enemy lines.
In Ukraine, Zoe worked at refugee centers that provide needed supplies and other services to single mothers like babysitting, counseling, and kid’s art lessons. Zoe realized she could do art therapy projects with the orphaned children. She learned the Ukrainian alphabet and many Ukrainian phrases so she could incorporate hope-filled messages into her interactive art lessons.
In her own words:
“I knew I could make a difference if I offered to help, but also combine that help with Hope. There may never be enough help for all of the people suffering but if we can equip them with Hope they can begin to find their own pathway.”
Cash Daniels (13), Tennessee
Cash Daniels, 13, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was motivated to become a water conservationist after realizing that the Tennessee River, which provides drinking water for over five million people, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world.
He has collected over 25,000 pounds of trash with the help of his family and his community. He created monofilament bins to collect excess fishing line and worked with the state parks and TVA to install over 50 of them at boat ramps and state parks in middle and east Tennessee. Cash founded a nonprofit to educate kids about the environment and wrote a book about river conservation to inspire other kids to make a difference in the world.
In his own words:
“I started doing cleanups with my family and then realized this was a bigger problem than I had realized. I thought if I could get more help, I could make a bigger impact. I spoke to local news stations and recruited help from my community.”
Finalists
Jonathan Albert (17), California
Jonathan Albert, a 17-year-old from San Diego, California, works with We See You San Diego to serve the homeless. This organization hosts weekly dinner parties where they serve food and provide clothing and hygiene products.
In his own words:
“Serving at We See You San Diego is the best part of my week. It has provided me with a chance to take on responsibilities that have helped me mature immensely. I plan to continue serving indefinitely.”
Kariann Tachikawa (16), California
Kariann Tachikawa, age 16 from Harbor City, California, has a passion for music and the performing arts. She knew there weren’t many Christian musical theater programs for students in her community. Keriann put her love for dance into action at South Bay Faith Academy, where she developed a faith-based musical theater club.
In her own words:
“My vison was to provide a Christ-centered theatre club where students could work hard to develop their God-given talents, grow in godly character, and would be intentional about doing it all for His glory.”
Evan Miller (18), Pennsylvania
Evan Miller, an 18-year-old from Yardley, Pennsylvania, has a love for performing music as a saxophone player. He is a member of the local orchestra and is in a saxophone quartet. Knowing that public school music departments are often underfunded, he decided to create a program called Music Mechanic that accepts donated instruments in unplayable condition, repairs the instruments, and gives them back to students in need.
In his own words:
“Without a doubt, music impacted my life. Being able to make the same impact on someone else’s life is an enormous accomplishment. It gives me great fulfillment to give back to the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County through the instruments I donate.”