SAMMI Awards 2012 Finalist Profiles: Teen Spirit and Spirit of Sammamish Awards

This year the SAMMI Awards Foundation has invited Sammamish Patch to share with you the comments of finalists in its 11 award categories. We'll bring you several of these categories each day this week as we approach the March 16 awards ceremony. The public is invited to attend the ceremony at 7 p.m. at Eastridge Church on 24205 SE Issaquah Fall City Road.

The doors open at 5:30 p.m., and Girl Scout Troop 41595 has 6 girls who are doing a Silver Award Project to highlight past recipients at the Ceremony Reception. Be sure to stop by and say "Hi" to Sammamish Patch at the ceremony as well!

The foundation will be awarding the Youth Advocate Award this year in honor of Officer Stan Chapin, and is dedicating the ceremony in his memory of serving the community in so many ways. 

Here are this year's finalists, in their own words, for the Teen Spirit and Spirit of Sammamish Awards (See also  and Art and Courage finalists, and Environmental and Learning Promotion finalists. Last week, the Foundation announced the 2012 recipient of its 2012 Founder's Award):

Teen Spirit

A Sammamish teenager who shows a passion for helping others, for giving service to our community, and for being a shining example inspiring his or her peers and younger generation to follow suit.

Jonny Bannick: As long as I can remember service has always been an expectation for me. As I spread peanut butter on bread to make sandwiches which were placed in bags and delivered to food banks, my mom would explain the importance of community service, but my brothers and I were generally too young to understand the reasons and impact. As I grew older, my understanding of service deepened and I began to see service as not only an expectation, but also an avenue to find fulfillment. My learning is a never-ending process, full of countless lessons. But the most important lesson that I have learned is that my purpose in life is to serve others. I look for the opportunities to follow my purpose because it is through service that I find joy. This idea guides me throughout all areas of life and reminds me that I must always keep learning.

Mariana Cuevas: I read an article about the droughts in East Africa, and how 13 million people were at risk of dying from lack of food and water. We complain about the rain EVERY DAY and yet there are people on the other side of the world who aren’t getting any at all! Learning that the number of victims continued to rise, especially among children, I felt angry. In a world that has the ability to produce more than enough food to feed the entire population, millions are still starving! So, even though I am only 14 years old, I decided I could do something to help. I held a set of fundraisers over the summer to raise money and donate those funds through the United Nations World Food Program. I want to inspire and educate other teens on the importance of not wasting food and to be more aware of humanitarian crises like this one.

Nicolette Dworkin: I am passionate about soccer. Soccer brings joy to my life, and I want to share the joy I feel with people who don’t have the opportunities I do. In 7th Grade I brought the Play It Forward program to Eastside Catholic School to collect old uniforms and gear to send to Africa. These items get distributed to children who do not have the opportunity to play organized sports, so that they can feel some of the joy I feel participating in a team sport.

Jordan Lim: I have grown up being very fortunate and privileged, not having to be worried about a meal or a warm home. Driving with my parents into Seattle I couldn’t help but notice the people under makeshift tents and shelters; the images of the less fortunate and homeless were always on my mind. As a 9th grader I’ve had the opportunity to do something serving with Heroes for the Homeless. Working with other student volunteers we have planned, made and delivered sandwiches each month to the people I have seen on the streets. I believe in The Amazing Law of Influence, “When one life touches another, a life is potentially changed. When one life touches another, the world is changed.” I live by this quote and believe the power of few will inspire others to get involved in our community and make a change.

Justin McOmber: Sammamish is a city with great people, art, faith, and service. I love the diversity we have here and our respect for each other. I want to help the world see all of that. Sammamish inspires me. Officer Chapin is one of my heroes. He was a man that cared for everyone, who noticed everyone’s worth and found a way to make a difference…someone I aspire to be like someday. My older brother Gregory was diagnosed with Autism before I was born. He inspired me to begin the Camelot Club at Inglewood Junior High School to establish an after-school club for special needs students. Gregory's life is full of the challenges of being understood. I devoted my experience with Boy Scouts of America to lead a team of 43 volunteers through a project called the Amazing Race to Understand Autism. Participants came from as far away as California to participate. The race involved taking clues to 13 different locations across Sammamish. At each location participants performed a task that revealed to them what it was like to live with Autism. Additionally, we raised more than $10,000 for Autism Speaks. I am proud that I have been the spark for other communities to adopt similar programs, and honored to be a nominee for a SAMMI!

Spirit of Sammamish

One who embodies the highest level of commitment to the community selflessly giving of their time and talents.

Gene Dales: In 2006, I became a teacher and head football coach at Eastlake High School, after teaching and coaching at Skyline High School for the four years previous. I am in a unique position that allows me to influence the connection between our community and our students. I strongly believe the community and family events are essential to help our kids understand the importance of recognizing and honoring the people who love and support them most. It has always been of utmost importance to me that students and parents who are part of this community get more from the process of the journey than the end result. This is true in the classroom for a grade, on a playing field for a score, and many other aspects of life. Traditions are a way to bond kids and adults together with pride and build character. One of the things I enjoy most is a former student returning for a visit and I can see what a quality young adult they have turned out to be. I hope that my actions and beliefs have played a part in their development as a person with integrity. I like to share this with my students: “There are two types of class: First Class and No Class.” My hope for them is they will always choose to live their lives First Class.

Susan Evans and Grace Lievens: (Susan) “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” These words changed me when I heard them spoken the first time. I believed they were spoken to me; I have followed that mandate ever since. By giving to my community, in simple ways, hopefully, some lives will be made better. If each of us committed to a life of service, imagine what our world could be. Volunteering with the very elderly and with children are my passions. By helping with those populations, I touch lives at their beginnings and at their endings. Who better to learn from but the very innocent and the very wise? I do what I do because it is right; because it brings me joy, and because I have been blessed.

(Grace) As a young adult, I was fascinated with biographies of famous people and the great things they accomplished. Reading about Mother Teresa made a lasting impression on me when she said, “We can do no Great things. Only small things with Great love.” That simple rule became my life’s directive. Small things with Great love can take many forms; Volunteering at Marionwood as Auxiliary President, board member, or simply adding beauty by placing donated flowers each week for six years in the halls of Marionwood. Small things are more personal. It’s visiting the sick, helping the elderly with store trips and house cleaning, and being a friend who listens and loves each person I meet. I find strength and purpose in my reunion group. Five of us meet twice a month to support each other, and give to each other so we can carry on our mission of doing small things with Great love.

Kent T. Kiernan: I feel I am a champion of people, spiritually present with a power of a gentle man, displaying courageous calm with faith and integrity. My purpose is to love unconditionally, honor and trust all people. I look forward to new challenges as they are presented to me. I embrace each day as a gift from God as I maintain balance in mind, body, and spirit. I believe that one of my strengths is being a catalyst for connection in the mentoring relationships I have experienced in my life journey. Having the perspective of a former police sergeant, I partner with public officials, city services, safety professionals, non-profit organizations, and retail business owners to help make a difference in planning for emergencies and disasters through my volunteer involvement with the Sammamish Citizen Corps Council. Barb and I are the proud parents of six wonderful children and seven grandchildren. I have enjoyed living and working in Sammamish since 1999.

Sandy Marshall: My husband Rob and I have raised our sons Austin (20) and Collin (17) over the past 23 years of residing on the Plateau. I have been active at McAuliffe Elementary, Inglewood Jr. High, Renaissance School and Eastlake. At Inglewood I started the Children’s Hospital Helpers, and have been the Parent Advisor for Eastlake’s Junior Orthopedic Guild for the past five years. As an active donor and supporter of a variety of organizations, I formed what started as a neighborhood program called the SAMMAMISH CIRCLE OF GIVING. Its purpose is to bring people together to learn about charities and contribute financially in a unified effort. Since inception, the group has grown to over 30 members and has contributed over $12,000.00 to non-profit organizations, as well as providing volunteers, in-kind donations and funding to KIVA Micro funds to finance small business worldwide. I believe everyone has time, money or gifts to share.

Stacy Wells: I truly believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. Living in Sammamish is part of the much I have been given. We live in modern Mayberry where our children are nurtured and challenged to succeed both socially and educationally. How can we not support those in our community who help our children achieve their goals? I also believe that if you see the need for something to be done or improved, or someone in need, it is not an obligation but rather an opportunity to contribute. A friend shared this Ecuadorian proverb “When one helps another, both gain in strength”. The gifts of volunteering far outweigh the expended effort. We do not need a position of power or wealth to make a difference - the most impactful gift is our time. As Mother Teresa taught, we cannot all do great things but we can all do small things with great love.