Freya D., 2nd year member

Project: Raking for the Retired - Freya, along with three other hardworking girls, helped the retired individuals in their neighborhood rake up leaves that had been falling off their trees for months. The girls filled ten bags full of leaves, twigs, and other debris left in the retirees' yards. The couples they helped were very appreciative that they wouldn't have to go out in the cold and rake up their yards themselves. “I was shocked by how many retired people felt like they had to do all their yard work on their own, so helping them clean up their yards gave me a way to give back.” Sponsor: Delanet Staats, Teacher.

Tim J., 5th year member

Project: The Joy of Christmas - Tim and his National Honor Society peers collected more than 100 toys to benefit children in the Marine Toys for Tots program. These toys gave many children a renewed joy in Christmas and enabled them to see the true meaning of the season. The children received all they wanted and more. “I learned that leadership requires selfless service. I also learned that leadership means working together for a single purpose including working through any challenge or disagreement. Working productively with others while encouraging them is an important part of leadership.” Sponsor: Emma Ziegler, NHS Sponsor.

Avery S., 2nd year member

Project: Bears For a Purpose - Avery, and a friend, collected bears donated by students at North Ridge Middle School to give to the Spiritual Care Department at Cook Children's Medical Center. They collected 80 stuffed animals. The stuffed animals will be given to patients who have to stay overnight at the hospital. “This project has helped me to learn how to coordinate individuals to work together as a group toward a common goal.” Sponsor: Shawnee Schumann, Teacher.

Madeline B., 2nd year member

Project: Empower Beadz by Maddie - Madeline and her friends made about 90 bracelets out of natural healing stones with positive charms which were donated to the Children's Health Hospital. She hopes the children loved the bracelets. “Even though this was the second year of me doing this project it didn't get easier. There were many bumps along the road, but we got through them because we never gave up.” Sponsor: Audrey Baek, Mother.

James G., 2nd year member

Project: Holiday Toy Drive - James enlisted the help of the members and leadership of his high school’s Student Council to sponsor a toy drive. Through the toy drive, the student body and faculty collected 147 new toys. Additionally, James promoted the toy drive within his community and collected an additional 184 new toys. In total, James collected 331 new toys to benefit hearing impaired children assisted by the Texas Hearing Institute. The students and faculty of the Texas Hearing Institute were overwhelmed with joy to receive so many toys that would benefit the children around the holiday season. “What I learned with this service project is that leadership consists of many things, for example, being able to successfully plan, implement, and execute the plan. However, it is equally important to have the ability to seek the help of others to achieve a common goal that will positively impact not only the community but others as well.” Sponsor: Christina Cavaliere, Assistant Principal.

Logan M., 2nd year member

Project: Books From Kids For Kids - Logan enlisted the help of students and staff at three schools to gather 3,781 new and gently used books to donate to Books Between Kids, an organization that gives books to kids in the Houston area. This project benefited both the children and the people doing the project. “We learned the joy of giving other people the gift of education.” Sponsor: Toni Davis, Counselor.

Kenzie W., 5th year member

Project: Uplifting Envelopes - Kenzie recruited members of her school's book club to decorate blank cards to send to Not Alone Notes. Her group of 12 made 40 cards to give to people with OCD and other related disorders, to make them feel seen and cared for. “When we all were working on the cards together, it made me feel grateful for the community I have. My club worked together to make a lot of cards, and that is an invaluable experience that I'll never forget.” Sponsor: Candace Clifton, Church Leader.

Katherine T., 1st year member

Project: Leaders for Readers - Katherine and a friend served as a Youth Volunteer at the New Braunfels Public library. While duties varied, Katherine found organizing bookshelves in the Children's Room surprisingly satisfying and fun. Katherine said, “Early childhood reading is so important; when shelves are neat and tidy, children are able to locate their favorite books to read. I improved as a leader because my project was unsupervised necessitating initiative to develop an action plan to accomplish the goal.” Sponsor: Whitney Haslerr.

Brenden B., 1st year member

Project: BGC Donation Drive - Brenden, his soccer teammate Antonio, and his younger sister held a donation drive to benefit Boys and Girls Country. They collected over 20 boxes of non-perishable food, clothing, hygiene supplies, cleaning supplies, bedding, bath supplies, and household appliances. They helped provide necessities to an organization that gives a supportive home to abused and neglected children so they can have a better future. “I felt good knowing what I was doing was helping others.” Sponsor: Megan Shivers, Bridgeland Community Lifestyle Manager.

Michelle B., 1st year member

Project: Woof, Wag, and Paws – Michelle, her older brother, and two of her classmates hosted a donation drive and adoption event benefiting Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue at Woofgang Bakery. This adoption event benefited dogs in finding a forever and loving home. In addition, they collected puppy food donations, toys, crates, pee pads, and $300 to donate to Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue. “It felt amazing to help dogs find a forever and loving home. This is important to me because I have three dogs at home. It felt great to do something special to me.” Sponsor: Regina Gonzalez, Store Owner.

Aidan C., 1st year member

Project: Downspout Revamp - Aidan Chaidez recruited a friend to help repair and improve a drainage issue with the downspouts on one of his church's buildings. The improvements included the repair of six downspouts to divert the water away from the building foundation. The improvements will prevent puddling of water and damage to the building. “I learned the importance of in-depth planning, and problem solving as a team.” Sponsor: Arturo Chaidez, Parent.

Brandon B., 5th year member

Project: Donations for Denton - Brandon asked for the help of his AFJROTC unit to donate food. They successfully filled three large boxes of food which they donated to Lovepacs Denton for distribution to student across the Denton area. “This experience opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to have food on the table every day. I also learned there are kids in my community that are not as fortunate. From a leadership perspective, the project showed me when you get people to work together, they can achieve great things.” Sponsor: Courtney Martin, Community Engagement Specialist.

Brianna B., 5th year member

Project: Feeding Denton Students - Bri and her Silverados Drill Team collected over five large boxes full of granola bars, oatmeal, and canned goods. She asked everyone to donate any of the listed food to help Denton students in need of food for the holidays. They donated the food to Lovepacs to distribute to students to have over the holiday break. “This experience helped me understand how lucky I am to be able to have a full meal everyday and especially on holidays. It made me see how I can help my community and how I can use my leadership skills to help the people around me.” Sponsor: Courtney Martin, Community Engagement Specialist.

Natalee S., 3rd year member

Project: Diaper Drive! - I gathered diapers for the local diaper bank in my town. “This experience has helped me improve as a leader, because it opened my eyes to the many groups of people that need help.” Sponsor: Angela Gamez.

Ryder T., 2nd year member

Project: Cents for Swimmers – Ryder and a friend from Dripping Springs High School helped raise over $3,000 for their local Springs Family YMCA. The money donated went towards awareness for the drowning prevention lessons they offer along with swim equipment for their team. “I really hope that this project touched the hearts of everyone in my community.” Sponsor: Octavio Sanchez, South Austin Aquatic Director.

Antonio A., 1st year member

Project: Buddy’s Blankets - Antonio and five members of his family and friends collected blankets for their local Humane Society. The group collected over 30 blankets to donate to the organization. This has lead to more animals being warm and healthy throughout the winter season. “I learned how to work with others as efficiently as possible as to help our wider community. I also learned the value of time management and overcoming unforeseen issues, each of which have made me a more durable leader in times of distress.” Sponsor: Cari Rocha, Parent.

Mia S., 6th year member

Project: Soar, Succeed, and Accomplish - Mia and her brother with the help of Lucky's Septic Service, collected frozen turkeys and canned and boxed goods to donate to 25 families within her school district that would otherwise go without a hot thanksgiving meal during the thanksgiving break. With the assistance of Communities in Schools, families who would benefit from these thanksgiving meals were identified. “I have been blessed and I like to take the lead and help others feel blessed by helping in any way I can.” Sponsor: Luis Nieto, Owner, Lucky's Septic Service.

Katherine K., 5th year member

Project: Hygiene for the Holidays - Katie enlisted the support of the Coronado High School Band and Key Club to collect 250 hygiene products benefiting the clients of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, exceeding the original goal by 150%. The holiday season can be very stressful for those struggling to meet their basic needs and the provision of personal care items may help those in need with improving their ability to be more self-sufficient while also improving their outlook on life during the holiday season and beyond. The success of the project over the holidays sparked a second hygiene drive in the Spring semester. “The overwhelming support of the Coronado High School Band and Key Club reminded me that possibilities are endless through acts of service and kindness as a leader and motivated me to continue to serve the community in a second hygiene drive in the Spring semester.” Sponsor: Maggie Ensley, Teacher/Coach.

Olivia Z., 9th grader, Clements High School, 1st year member

Project: Books4Good - Olivia and Lana organized and executed a book drive called Books4Good, and recruited a student from Dulles High School to help sort the donated books. They collected 291 elementary and middle grade books from their community, with 52 of those books donated to the Quail Valley Middle School Library and 239 books donated to the Sienna Branch Library. This project impacted students in the Fort Bend ISD community by raising the availability of books within Fort Bend ISD to enrich the minds of many more young readers. “I have learned that true growth and development come not only from our successes, but also from our failures. Embracing the lessons learned from both has allowed me to lead with greater empathy, resilience, and a stronger commitment to continuous improvement.” Sponsor: Brittany Revia, Dulles High School ELA Teacher.

Lucile W., 1st year member

Project: Trash Away! - Lucile, two of her friends, and her family picked up trash in front of Cornerstone Elementary School and along the path of a nearby river after a rainstorm. They filled seven trash bags with trash. This benefited the animals, the plants, and the river. When they were finished, they felt proud that they had cleaned up a part of their community. “The weather tested our ability to keep going, but we did, and that made me feel like a more encouraging leader. We felt proud of our work when we finished.” Sponsor: Jack Exum, Teacher.

Anant A., 1st year member

Project: Mathistry4U - Anant visited Dulles Elementary School to demonstrate interesting chemistry experiments! Together with his sister, he has fostered the seeds of curiosity in young minds and has donated over 20 kits to underprivileged students. They have spread the love of chemistry, enabled students to witness a variety of safe chemistry experiments within their homes, and allowed kids access to equal education opportunities. “Seeing a student’s face light up with fascination is a remarkable sight. I loved the satisfying feeling that came from introducing a new, wondrous subject to a student.” Sponsor: Marilupe Hren, Teacher.

Lana N., 2nd year member

Project: Books4Good - Olivia and Lana organized and executed a book drive called Books4Good, where they recruited a student from Dulles High School to help sort the donated books. They successfully collected 291 elementary and middle grade books from their community, with 52 of those books donated to the Quail Valley Middle School Library and 239 books donated to the Sienna Branch Library. This project impacted students in the Fort Bend ISD community by raising the availability of books within Fort Bend ISD to enrich the minds of many more young readers. “This experience truly showed me the importance of communication and effective time management, especially now that I am a high school student. Working with Olivia was also a great way to expand my collaboration skills.” Sponsor: Brittany Revia, English 1 AAC Teacher.

Alexis F., 2nd year member

Project: Pawssibilities for Pets - Alexis recruited two friends, Adriah and Kiersten to collect donations for Fort Bend County Animal Services. They collected $205.88, 15 towels, two pet bowls, a leash, a bottle of hand sanitizer, four pet pads, five blankets, one set of king-sized sheets, and one cat house. “We learned better marketing techniques and that no matter how many times we are rejected, we need to keep going.” Sponsor: Charles Summerhill, Application Architect.

Tyler L., 2nd year member

Project: Give a Book, Change a Life – Tyler, his mother and his sisters, gave out 682 books equally to the Fort Bend Women Center, Domestic Abused Women and Children, Star of Hope, Homeless of Houston, and Afghanistan Refugees of Houston. This nonprofit helps adults and children experience a whole different world by supplying them with various books. “While doing this service project, I learned how to communicate with others and organize different schedules.” Sponsor: Jam Lopez, Educational Diagnostician.

Charlize L., 6th year member

Project: Share Warmth, One Coat at a Time - Charlize recruited her family and some close friends to collect 280 articles of clothing, as well as, 124 laundry detergent samples and shampoo/conditioner sets. The donations benefited the Star of Hope, Houstonians Afghan Welfare Foundation, Pennywise Donation Center, and Fort Bend Women's Center. Making donations to the homeless, survivors of domestic abuse, and refugees has taught the group that even the smallest act of kindness can make a significant impact on someone's life. “When I started my service project, it became clear to me that effective leadership involves more than just taking command and assigning tasks—it also involves listening to, appreciating, and encouraging people around you. I gained valuable collaboration and communication skills, as well as the ability to motivate others toward a common goal, via this experience. Not only have service initiatives improved my leadership skills, but they have also made me a kinder, more sympathetic person overall.” Sponsor: Jam Lopez, Educational Diagnostician.

Advika A., 1st year member

Project: Mind Medley - Advika gathered volunteers from her school and brought people together with creative projects. They hosted sessions with middle schoolers and high schoolers to let them unleash their creativity. She helped a branch of Toastmasters, a gavel club, bond using her activities. This experience left the students as well as Advika more open to the possibilities when they use their creative mind. “Working with others, this project was made possible. Having support enabled me to make an impact.” Sponsor: Kamilah Holme, Teacher.

Rohan D., 4th year member

Project: Robotics Kits for Excelsior Academy - Rohan and a friend prepared a set of mini robotics kits for young students with learning disabilities at Excelsior Academy. They taught about 20 students how to assemble these kits over a four-week period and even demoed some more advanced robots, all to foster a greater interest in robotics in the students. The kids presented a newfound interest in entering the STEM field as a result of these efforts. “Despite setbacks in finding a potential recipient for our robotics kit donations due to lasting COVID restrictions, I felt accomplished by sparking a passion for STEM in a population that may otherwise have been unlikely to be exposed to such a field.” Sponsor: Rajiv Mehta, Robotics Coach.

Ashlynn B., 1st year member

Project: Love for Littles - My stepsister, my friend, and I ran and advertised a toy drive. We collected around 200 toys, $150, and 150 small toiletry items for the homeless shelter. This impacted our community because a large amount of children and families in the DFW area are not as blessed to have toys or even simple hygiene products. “This experience has helped me by opening my eyes. A lot of young girls don't even have access to pads or tampons and I think just seeing that really made me realize how blessed I am and how we can all step up and help our community.” Sponsor: Brandi Bullard.

Dhanvi B., 1st year member

Project: Donating Clothes - I recruited one friend, and we collected 60 clothing items. The donated items we collected filled four bags. “We rise by lifting others.”- Robert Ingersoll Sponsor: Vishnu Bethalem.

Yuti C., 1st year member

Project: Give During Shiv Jayanti! - Yuti recruited four friends to help her give back to the community in a cultural south Asian event. We made healthy meals for over 200 people. “Leadership is not about having success, but about using your talents and resources to serve those in need.” Sponsor: Rahul Ghandi.

Shruti A., 1st year member

Project: ACEing Childhood Cancer - Shruti has been learning tennis for the past four years and played competitively. However, she felt she could do more. She leveraged her skill set to raise $500 for St. Jude's. She taught basic tennis skills to around 20 kids with her brother. With these funds she was able to achieve her goal and provide an hour of physical therapy to a patient. “This program was a success in many ways. The kids had lots of fun and parents wanted to schedule additional sessions. But most importantly, I was able to meet my goal of raising $500 for St. Jude's. I was able to use my passion for tennis to help a cause.” Sponsor: Jennifer Paine, School Tennis Coach.

Shannon R., 1st year member

Project: Books For Grand Prairie - Shannon along with her two friends helped collect and catalog 423 books donated by friends and families in the community. The books will go out to the Grand Prairie Public Library System to give kids and adults access to free books. “I learned how to lead a team and focus on one goal.” Sponsor: Jennifer Sykes.

Matthew G., 1st year member

Project: Blankies for Babies - Matthew Gather and Drake Smith created a project known as Blankies for Babies to benefit the Family Promise of Midland. They created many flyers, set up donation bins at various locations, and went door to door requesting donations and handing out flyers. Altogether, they collected and donated over 60 packages of diapers, 140 blankets, and 130 packages of wipes. “By developing and executing this special project, I became better at public speaking, and I learned how to finalize a project.” Sponsor: Heather Brown, GT/DI Teacher.

Delaney M., 1st year member

Project: Bobcat Bonanza - I, Delaney McGurren, and a handful of my friends helped organize a 5k/1k run at my school in addition to games based off of sports our school offers, with the full support of our principals. We raised hundreds of dollars from this and ended up donating the money to the Ronald McDonald Charity nearby which helps give children and families food as well as lodging. We were able to interact with our community in a positive way while doing something for a good cause. “It helped me improve as a leader by showing me how to positively interact with my community and give other people the opportunity to be a leader as well.” Sponsor: Aaron Lloyd.

Evan H., 1st year member

Project: Highway House Keeping - Evan, his 4H club, and his boy scout troop did a two mile highway clean-up for adopt-a-highway, and the people who drive on the road in Holliday. The project will help drivers, other people, and the environment by making it a cleaner area. “I found that one way to be better, is to work as a team. One person can't change the world, but as a world we can. This experience taught me better teamwork skills” Sponsor: Maranda Revell, Archer County 4H Extension Agent.

Cindy T., 2nd year member

Project: BEAR - BE A Resource - Cindy and three of her fellow students distributed flyers asking for donations on behalf of the BEAR organization. They collected over 260 toys, 80 books, and 100 items of clothing for children in the Houston area. “I learned how to lead a team and communicate with people to reach a common goal.” Sponsor: Alice Rowlands, Instructor.

Arjun C., 1st year member

Project: Drawing the End of Childhood Hunger - For my project, I got the elementary students to decorate 1-2 brown paper bags each. To do this, I got two of my friends to help count and the elementary art teacher to get the bags to the kids. After all of that, we ended with 896 bags. “This experience was a wake-up call for me to remember not to procrastinate. If I didn't procrastinate, I probably could have reached 1000 bags.” Sponsor: Junrui Garcia.

Brennan S., 1st year member

Project: Toiletries for Troops - Brennen recruited two friends and sent out texts and posts to tell people about his collection drive for veterans. He collected a total of $1,300 worth of toiletries donations for the USVETS organization. This was a total of 378 items and he is still getting more. It made a great impact on my friends and they have been very supportive. “If you are stressed step away, breathe, and think.” Sponsor: George Mayhall.

Ethan G., 5th year member

Project: Hygiene for the Homeless - Ethan Gandham, with the help of his mom's workout community, collected hygiene items for the Arlington Life Shelter. He managed to gather 650 items from this group and helped the residents of the Arlington Life Shelter. He was able to spread homeless awareness throughout his community and positively impact his own leadership skills throughout the process. “This experience has been able to help me improve my leadership qualities through using public speaking skills and teamwork in order to spread the word of the project.” Sponsor: William Wells, Counselor.

Kyle C., 1st year member

Project: Food for Far Away - Kyle, along with a small group of personal volunteers and a larger group of strangers, got together and volunteered for "Feed My Starving Children" by packaging meals to be sent to Kenya. Each of these packages would feed six people with 36 packages per box. With a total 97 boxes, Kyle and the volunteers fed around 57 children for over a year! “I learned how to delegate tasks and lead a group in a fast-paced environment.” Sponsor: Joseph Nicholas, Teacher.

Kathrine R., 3rd year member

Project: Cause for Paws - Kathrine Ramirez, along with the help of two friends, gathered donations of pet food from the community to donate to Dorothy H. O’ Connor Pet Adoption Center and Animal Control for the holidays. The donations helped the shelters with much needed food to the wonderful pets looking for adoption. “I was able to incorporate my hobbies and leadership skills into my project and it helped me to create a fun and amazing experience.” Sponsor: Emma Ramirez, Parent.

Aubriana R., 3rd year member

Project: Give Clothes and Make a Fashion Statement! - Aubriana and two of her classmates collected many clothes from people all around their community. They then drove to their local thrift shops and donated the clothing for people who are unable to express themselves due to the lack of “cute” clothing options in their budget. The group strengthened their public speaking abilities and their teamwork in order to collect and donate the clothing. “I’m so glad I chose this service project because this experience helped me strengthen my public speaking ability and I was able to make a difference along side my friends.” Sponsor: Emma Ramirez, Parent.

Royce M., 1st year member

Project: Bereavement Bears - Royce, with the help of his school, organized a teddy bear drive during the month of February. They were able to collect over 30 teddy bears which were donated to the Children's Bereavement Center in San Antonio. The bears will be given to children to help cope with the loss of a loved one. “I really enjoyed getting the school involved with flyers and announcements for the teddy bear drive. It helped me understand how to be a better leader as well as helping others along the way.” Sponsor: Derrick Byrd, Teacher.

Katherine M., 1st year member

Project: The Coat Commission - Katherine and a group of her fellow camp alumni went around her community and collected 50 coats, scarves, and other warm winter clothing from her neighbors, friends, and family. While providing other people in need with coats amidst the nationwide cold front, the project also helped Katherine and her friends develop stronger problem-solving skills . “This project was a very unique experience because while I got to help others I also had to find ways to problem solve and make sure that my project successful” Sponsor: Tola Marinho, Guardian.

Kristopher H., 15th year member

Project: Warm Blanket Drive - Kris enlisted his school and neighborhood to collect blankets, towels, and sheets for a local organization that saves animals on the euthanasia list at shelters and finds them homes in Colorado. The animals are in desperate need of towels for the transports they do every week and he filled two and a half trucks. “It takes one person to be passionate, to lead people for good.” Sponsor: Marlea Hodgin, United Safety Supervisor.

Kaila P., 1st year member

Project: Colors of Kindness - I, Kaila Pierson, recruited the help of 13 of my fellow classmates to complete my service project. In this project, we were able to tie-dye, decorate, ship, and donate 100 t-shirts to the Alay Pag-asa Christian Foundation in Barangay, Philippines. This foundation is a shelter program for children and families living on the streets, and the shirts provide a colorful spark to a day that may have otherwise been gloomy. “This project aligned my love of creativity with my respect and appreciation for the Filipino community, and shaped the way I view the world and those around it. By exploring and honing my skills of dependability, patience, and providing instructions, I have become a better leader.” Sponsor: Maria Carmen Pierson.

Brooke H., 1st year member

Project: Helping HSNT Hearts – Brooke, her brother, and cousin collected donations for the Humane Society of North Texas. She collected over 30 pet items that her community donated. "This experience helped me improve as a leader because it taught me not all animals have all the things they need and donating makes a big difference.” Sponsor: Monica Hayes, Parent.

Maggie G., 1st year member

Project: Caring for the Cold-Blooded - Maggie collected items for Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue (NEWRR) that they need most. Her teacher hosted a donation box, she distributed flyers in her neighborhood, and her mom shared her project on Facebook. She collected 44 rolls of paper towels, 34 baby blankets, 401 puppy pads, 16 flat bed sheets, and 608 ounces of Dawn dish soap - all of which will help NEWRR take care of their rescue animals! “After seeing my brothers do service projects over the past few years, I couldn't wait to do my own. I learned how fun it can be to lead others in helping a nonprofit organization, especially one that helps animals!” Sponsor: Rebekah Ortiz, Teacher.

Lane H., 1st year member

Project: HSNT Donation Drive - Lane and Brooke asked their neighbors and family for donations to benefit the Humane Society of North Texas. They collected around $150 worth of pet care supplies. This donation helped ensure the health of rescue animals in the Humane Society's care. " Sponsor: Monica Hayes, Parent.

Samantha B., 2nd year member

Project: All Smiles at SafeCare - Samantha and her three friends teamed up to make 20 craft bins for a special needs group home. These bins included a coloring book, crayons, a blank journal, four sticker sheets, and two mini stuffed animals. They hand delivered them to the residents during the holidays to bring them some cheer! “I have truly never felt more proud of myself and I am amazed at what I have learned throughout the project. This is an experience I will forever cherish.” Sponsor: Julianna Morris, English Teacher.

Tyrone N., 1st year member

Project: Sharing for Caring - Tyrone and his brother collected new clothes, blankets, and towels to deliver to the Presbyterian Night Shelter. This helped a lot of people in the shelter, by providing them with clean cloths and sleeping materials. “This project showed I can contribute to society by helping those in need.”

Ethan F., 2nd year member

Project: Guadalupe River Cleanup – I recruited nine volunteers to join help me collect trash along the Guadalupe River. During 51 combined hours, we collected around 32 bags of trash. Our project impacted the city as a whole and the people who enjoy the river trail. It also helped to get some of our group members, who were less keen on going outside, to join us for a good cause. “This experience taught me that planning and execution are the most important aspects of a service project.” Sponsor: Skye Farhoudi.

Ethan C., 4th year member

Project: Cards for Soldiers - Ethan enlisted family and friends to create cards to help with the homesick feeling the soldiers experience. Ethan organized people to sign 100 cards to send to the troops at an Army base in El Paso, Texas. These cards help the soldiers feel a little piece of home while on deployment. “Make sure you get the priorities done before you do the fun and extra things in your life.” Sponsor: Leah Yargo, World Geography Klein Prep Teacher.

Haylee G., 3rd year member

Project: TABS (Together Arranging Band Support) - Haylee, with the help of members of her community, came together and collected the can tabs from cans of soda. Once collected, the tabs were turned in for money that would go directly to the Lago Vista Band. “Anything is possible with love and support from the people around you” Sponsor: Naomi Giroux, Band Booster Member.

Gael R., 1st year member

Project: Books for Hope - Gael enlisted the help of his friend Alejandro Agudelo to request and collect book donations. Gael also put together flyers to post in the school hallways. Together they collected 26 books for the teenage girl residents of Hope Haven of East Texas providing them with the joy of imagination. “Despite the slow start, we did not give up hope and continued to spread the word for our book drive. It felt good to help the teenage residents with traumatic pasts have some escape through books.” Sponsor: Tracie Rand, Principal.

Nora W., 2nd year member

Project: Snacks For Seniors - Nora and two friends packaged 50 "Senior Snack Packs" to benefit Montgomery Foodbank's monthly drive for elderly people in the community. Along with packaging the snacks donated by her family, she made cards for each bag to help bring some creativity and joy to the recipients. “I learned that things do not always go as planned and sometimes you even have to create a different plan. This helped me to become a better leader by improving my ability to adapt to certain situations or issues.” Sponsor: Jeff Woytek.

Graham H., 4th year member

Project: Share A Toy - Graham, along with the Maud Student Council, collected toys for the Maud community. The children of Maud were blessed during the holiday season by the 163 toys donated. “The holiday season is a joyful time in children's lives. I hope that our donation put smiles on so many faces. Team work really was the key to making this a success. I reached out to sources I felt would help me to get a greater response to my project.” Sponsor: Kayla Harrell, Counselor.

Chelsea T., 1st year member

Project: From Me to You - Giving Back Drive - I collected items the McKinney Little Food Pantry needed, such as toilet paper and toothpaste. “I was able to help others and give back in a small way. Through that, I was able to experience a form of leadership I have not experienced and give back kindness.” Sponsor: Contessa Falconer.