We <3 Action Scholarship Winners!

Do Something teamed up with AT&T to give out 26 scholarships! There were twenty-five $1,000 winners and one $10,000 grand prize winner. We received over 1,000 applications from amazing teens around the country. Winners were chosen based on their commitment to social change and their dedication to higher education. Read about all of the awesome winners below!

Jennifer Allison Tran, 22

Davis, CA
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Jennifer knew her passion was in service after a humanitarian trip to Southeast Asia. When she landed state side, Jennifer founded Red Balloon as her way to give back. Initially Red Balloon began as a not-for-profit that sponsored scholarships for children in Vietnam, Cambodia and Ethiopia. But when Jennifer began volunteering at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital, she found a new calling. During her visit, she witnessed first-hand the benefits of music therapy as a healing process for pediatric patients. Inspired by this experience, she shifted Red Balloon’s focus and now holds an annual benefit concert that raises funds and awareness for music therapy. With Red Balloon, Jennifer improves the lives of children in hospitals by harnessing the power of music.

Kristen Stefureac, 21

Durham, NC
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Kristen lost her mother to suicide in 2006 after a long battle with bipolar disorder. After this, Kristen knew she would devote her life to helping others who have been affected by mental illness, suicide, or other types of loss. She began by volunteering at Comfort Zone Camp, where she helps children cope with the loss of a loved one. To date, Kristen has spent over 1,000 hours at CZC and has served as a mentor to 18 “Little Buddies.” In college, Kristen has started a chapter of National Students of AMF (Ailing Mothers and Fathers), an organization that provides a support network for those grieving due to a lost loved one. As if that wasn’t enough, she has also opened a chapter of Active Minds on her campus—working to decrease the stigma of mental illness. Looking ahead, Kristen plans to continue her work with people affected by mental illness and death by pursuing a career in social work.

Daniel Sparks, 18

Parma, OH
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Frustrated with his school’s brief and inadequate health and sexual education system, Daniel decided to take matters into his own hands. He wrote letters to administrators in his school district, but when nothing happened, he joined forces with other fed-up youth in his school. With their collaboration and persistence, Daniel and his team of activists have been able to grab the attention of higher governmental forces, including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Daniel is hoping to continue educating young people by providing sexual health information to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and STIs. His story is a testament to the power of young people to band together for a cause and change the culture of sexual health education.

Kristina Saffran, 19

Douglaston, NY
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Kristina knows the personal toll eating disorders have on people. She struggled with one herself and experienced both its psychological and financial costs. After her battle to recovery, Kristina founded Project HEAL: Help to Eat, Accept and Live— a not-for-profit organization that encourages healthy body image and raises money for others with eating disorders who are not able to afford treatment. To date, Kristina and Project HEAL have raised over $130,000 for treatment costs and has sent five girls into treatment. In addition to raising money, Kristina acts as a mentor to young girls dealing with body image problems and eating disorders.

Dustin Likens, 18

Wadsworth, OH
After learning that his neighbor lives with severe developmental disabilities, Dustin began to wonder how he could provide normalcy to people dealing with similar conditions. In his sophomore year of High School, he created Club Inclusive to raise awareness about those with disabilities. Since its inception three years ago, the club has raised over $1,000 and recruited over 100 volunteers, who regularly visit and plan activities for over 300 group home residents. Dustin and the members in his club have broken down barriers of discrimination and have formed lasting friendships with the residents. Dustin plans to continue Club Inclusive in college so he can spread his message of hope and acceptance. He eventually plans to attend law school and become a legal rights advocate for the disabled.

Sheel Tyle, 19

Palo Alto, CA
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Sheel was born with severe myopia, a condition which impaired his vision heavily. He was lucky enough to receive custom contact lenses that restore his vision almost completely. But there are 150 million people around the world that cannot afford the eye care necessary, and 80% of those people are forced into unemployment. Sheel decided to take action to help as many of these people as he can receive the same privileges he did. His not-for-profit ReSight trained patients to educate and screen their communities for vision ailments, diabetes, and hypertension. These 20 “Vision Guardians” have traveled to southern India with Sheel to screen over 30,000 people and treat over 2,000 over six months.

Sam Leist, 19

Louisville, KY
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After a life-changing leadership training program in the Arctic, Sam was inspired to take action to provide a sustainable future. He has been volunteering at the Louisville Zoo for the past six years and is a member of their Board of Directors and President of their Youth Board. He has also worked to make establishments green, saving 30,000,000 lbs. of C02 from the atmosphere and changing the energy regulations for 19,000 restaurants. At such a young age, he has held a number of honorable positions, including interning at the Indiana State Legislature and Secretary General of KUNA, the largest Model United Nations organization in the country. Sam has won an international environmental competition and participated in environmental restoration projects around the world, and he has given presentations to high school students and the Indiana State Senate and House of Representatives. His most recent projects are a Boy Scout educational event at the Louisville Zoo, a community improvement club at DePauw University, and a trip to China to study international politics in relation to the environment. He plans to continue being an activist for the environment and social justice, and this scholarship will help him continue his studies at DePauw University to reach that goal.

Kyle Baltrusch, 24

Havre, MT
Growing up as a homosexual in a conservative environment, Kyle constantly felt the need to hide his true self. Feeling ashamed for being someone he could not change, he masked his homosexuality to his parents and to his peers. After losing his boyfriend to a car accident, Kyle felt the need to share his lifestyle with his family. Since this time, Kyle has started following his passions by serving the medical needs of the forgotten parts of the world by becoming a reconstructive surgeon. A career in this field will give him the skills necessary to treat those suffering from life-threatening disfigurements and diseases. This scholarship money will go to his tuition at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine and help him advance this goal.

Kendall Ciesemier, 18

Wheaton, IL
At just 11 years old, Kendall watched a program that highlighted stories from some of the 12 million African AIDS orphans. The show changed her life and she became dedicated to helping the population she saw on TV. When Kendall was 11, she underwent two liver transplants and instead of gifts from her family and friends, she asked for donations to the not-for-profit she created, Kids Caring 4 Kids (KC4K). Since then, KC4K has grown enormously to support eight different projects in Africa. Kendall and KC4K has built a dormitory, two orphan care centers, and provided 300 specially built bikes, indoor plumbing, and healthy meals. They have helped 6,000 people in Africa by inspiring 6,000 young people in America to raise over $870,000 for her cause.

Zach Grove, 21

Alfred, NY
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After working with a counseling service that helps patients realize their life’s meaning, Zach found his own life meaning—assisting others. Through Boy Scouts of America, Zach has participated in multiple volunteer activities. To earn his Eagle Scout, Zach directed a group of Cub Scouts and created twelve bird houses for the lawns of the American Legion Veterans’ post in Henrietta, NY. In the future, Zach hopes to continue his altruism by teaching music to underprivileged teens. He believes that the arts allow for a constructive and creative outlet for children, and plans to use this scholarship to pay off student loans to help him achieve this goal.

Daniel McFarland, 18

Keithville, LA
When Daniel started volunteering at Chimp Haven, his community’s chimpanzee sanctuary, he learned of the facility’s struggle to survive because of its reliance on monetary donations. Committed to helping the sanctuary and chimpanzees he had come to love, Daniel started figuring out ways to collect donations. He created “Chimp Change” buckets: brightly decorated and placed around his community where people can drop donations. Daniel has also organized a chimp food drive, created a “Chimp Challenge” educational booklet, and started a campaign called “Chimp Charge” protecting chimpanzees from being used for research. Through his hard work and dedication, Daniel has helped ensure the safety of chimpanzees everywhere.

Melvin George, 19

Hialeah, FL
Melvin has been involved in a number of community service programs, but his most significant impact came with volunteering at four hospitals in his community. Currently, he works at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he is involved with patient care and does whatever he can to help the patient ease their way into recovery. He puts genuine care and concern into every patient, ensuring them that they are not alone and that they are loved. Through his experiences, Melvin has decided to enter a nursing career so he can continue caring for patients. He has gained personal insights from volunteering, and is motivated by the idea of making a difference in someone’s life. Approaching each obstacle with an open mind and an open heart, Melvin is sure to be successful as he continues his studies at the University of Central Florida.

Elise Hopkins, 18

West Hartford, CT
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Students with special needs are often left out of programs because of their disabilities. At the national not-for-profit Unified Theater, teenagers with and without special needs come together to put on a theatrical production, where they learn to support, not compete with, one another. Elise’s experience with Unified Theater changed her life: the special needs students taught her about appreciating the simple things and how to overcome obstacles with persistence, hard work and a positive attitude. As a student at UNC Chapel Hill, Elise serves on the Unified Theater Board of Directors, where she hopes to expand the organization’s impact. She has even started a program on her college campus, and after graduation she plans on increasing her work with special needs students by becoming a speech therapist.

Nicole Billingslea, 18

Plainfield, NJ
Plainfield, NJ is known to its community as a place of violence and murders. The violent crime rate in Plainfield is 999 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to the NJ average of 342 and the national rate of 676. After participating in a number of service organizations, Nicole found her passion in helping her community promote peace by working with both the Plainfield Gang Task Force and the Plainfield Youth Summit Council. Along with the rest of the Gang Task Force, Nicole brainstorms ideas to stop the violence and walks the streets disrupting possible violent activity. As an organizer for the Youth Summit Council, Nicole works year-round to plan workshops for the youth summit. She books performers for the summit and designs the interactive workshops offered at the event. Although she faces many obstacles and resistance from her community, the death of one of her classmates reminds her of the importance of her work. Nicole plans on using the scholarship money to further her education and eventually serve her community as either mayor or city administrator of Plainfield so she can continue to promote peace and offer a sense of hope.

Odunola Ojewumi, 19

Beltsville, MD
Odunola has been fighting for her life since the 5th grade. After battling a multitude of illnesses she became the recipient of a heart and kidney transplant at age 12. The experience opened her eyes to the needs of transplant recipients around the country and she created a not-for-profit called Sacred Hearts Children’s Transplant Organization that provides grants to other organizations working with young transplant patients in the hospital. Her grant program has funded a mentoring summer camp in the DC metropolitan area and donated 300 teddy bears to transplant hospitals. Odunola is also the US Student Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which has given her the chance to travel to Guatemala to assist in providing women with maternal healthcare and equal education. She has also written for Marie Claire Magazine about ending global violence against women and gender-based discrimination, and she has lobbied Congress for $65 million in advanced funding for UN’s women’s health programs. Odunola is the chair of the Darfur Action Committee to end genocide in Darfur. Through events like The Rock Your Cause Benefit Concert, Odunola and her team have been able to raise over $3,000 and enact a bill entitled the Darfur Protection Act into Maryland state law. Most recently, she has served as Chairwoman of the Young Political Leaders of Tomorrow (YPLT) to improve healthcare in her state by expanding it to those who cannot afford it. Odunola truly believes in the power of people, regardless of age, to stand up and take action for change.

Vanessa Kristensen, 21

Eugene, OR
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Over 50% of men and 80% of women are dissatisfied with their body in some way. Alarmed by these statistics, Vanessa co-founded All Sizes Fit, which aims to increase body positivity and acceptance at her University of Oregon campus. Her campaign looks to raise awareness about eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Those that suffer from negative body image are more likely to develop an eating disorder or to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation and low self-esteem. All Sizes Fit hopes to help people understand and appreciate their natural body figure and refrain from judging others based on appearance. Vanessa was in charge of the marketing and publicity of the organization, and through health articles, presentations and activities she promoted awareness of the problem and an atmosphere of acceptance. After suffering from clinical anxiety and a lack of self-worth, Vanessa has learned that she can overcome any obstacle. She hopes to spread this message throughout her campus and is motivated and determined to achieve any goal she has for herself.

Pilar Zaragoza, 24

Santa Ana, CA
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Pilar witnessed the effects of poverty firsthand when she was in the Philippines shooting a documentary about architecture. Children would flock to her while she was filming, and she realized the potential for art as a therapeutic outlet for these children. She started Project Artist as a way to empower at-risk youth through the arts by conducting film workshops and art initiatives. The children are able to tell their stories, bringing awareness to their plight and fostering a sense of community. So far, Project Artist has been able to work with over 3,100 at-risk youth in Ghana, Mali, the Philippines, and the United States, and has extended support to similar organizations in Senegal, India, and Mexico. Pilar believes organizations like hers will educate these children about possible solutions to their problems other than crime. With this information, they can become active solution seekers, rather than passive recipients of aid. Pilar plans on continuing her work by developing and implementing new prevention and intervention efforts for these at-risk children.

Catherine MacLean, 19

Hamilton, MA
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After a life-threatening diagnosis, Catherine spent six years in treatment before receiving a bone marrow transplant. At nine years old, she created an event called Catherine’s Craft Fair. Since then, the fair has become an annual event for which she makes and sells handmade crafts. All proceeds go to the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia International Foundation (AAMDSIF), an organization that helps people with bone marrow failure syndromes by providing information about treatment plans and explaining the disease and safety protocols. Catherine and her team have raised over $15,000 for the organization in the past ten years, and her Craft Fair continues to expand. She is also a volunteer advocate on behalf of AAMDSIF, and actively supports any governmental action that positively pertains to bone marrow failure syndromes. Despite the many obstacles Catherine faced with her Craft Fair, it continues to be a success and an inspiration for children to give back. Catherine will use this scholarship to help finance her education at Wesleyan University so that she can enter a career helping others.

KJ Hill, 24

Birmingham, AL
Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic and one that KJ experienced firsthand. Growing up overweight, he didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem until he hit 360 lbs. He started FitnessFleet as a way to educate members of his community about nutrition and leading a healthy lifestyle. He has partnered up with a local produce delivery company as well as The Infinity Initiative, a program that promotes health literacy. This scholarship will allow KJ to continue sharing his story and helping educate others so that the knowledge of healthy eating can be passed down and, ultimately, the root of childhood obesity can be solved.

Sejal Hathi, 19

New Haven, CT
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After recovering from anorexia nervosa, Sejal decided to make the most of her experience by empowering girls to channel their potential into social good. Through her not-for-profit Girls Helping Girls, she has worked to help girls around the world make their visions and dreams a reality. Sejal hopes to change the way girls treat one another by teaching them mutual respect and appreciation, thus creating a more accepting world and preventing the number of girls falling victim to low self-esteem and eating disorders. Under her leadership, Girls Helping Girls has trained over 30,000 women in 20 countries to become leaders and follow their dreams. Sejal has also cofounded a hybrid social enterprise called girltank, which connects young women changemakers to one another and creates a community of empowered girls to further accelerate their impact. Along with many other service organizations at Yale University, Sejal continues her efforts by organizing and chairing her school’s Women in Leadership Conference, which brings female students together with alumni to share stories and strategies for personal and professional leadership.

Dajah Spence, 18

Cleveland, OH
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Dajah’s childhood was filled with adversity. Growing up, she moved from one relative to the next and lost many loved ones along the way. The only place she really called home was the Boys and Girls Club, where she felt loved and safe. The club has taught her leadership, social skills, and how to stay motivated. She now attends college and plans to graduate to land a job and provide for her family. She gives back to the community and the club to help other kids the way she was helped. Dajah hopes to change the image of violent neighborhoods by mentoring children to feel confident and motivated. Through community service on her campus and at home, she is changing the lives of children in her community, giving them the same opportunity for success that she was given. Her scholarship will help pay her tuition at Bowling Green State University.

Anna Suchy, 23

Rogers, AR
Anna learned about her passion for helping others after her experience with AmeriCorps NCCC, where she clocked in over 1,800 hours of community service helping communities across the country. When she volunteered at Camp Sunshine in Maine, she decided she wanted to enter a career in occupational therapy. Camp Sunshine gives terminally ill children the summer camp experience other children have. There, she worked one-on-one with an eleven-year-old girl and helped her with everything from walking to eating to communicating. Anna realized the potential impact she can have on a person’s life, and through occupational therapy, she hopes to give people the independence they did not have previously. With the tools, skills and resources she provides, her patients will become self-sufficient in their environment. She will use this scholarship money to help further her education in graduate school.

Andrea Galicia, 20

Canoga Park, CA
Andrea realized her passion for working with underprivileged and minority children after her many volunteer experiences. She was a student leader in both the Boys and Girls Club and Beyond the Bell, where she promoted positive alternatives to drugs and alcohol, such as sports and community service. She currently serves as VP of the FIRE for our Dreams Club, where she is involved with lobbying and attending rallies for underprivileged students. This club includes a support group for 540 students and also raises money for scholarships. Now in college, she hopes to be the first in her family to graduate. Despite her family’s push to get a job, she is motivated to remain in school and combat the negative stereotypes about the Hispanic community. She hopes to help minorities by impacting governmental change.

Lauren Horning, 18

Bellefonte, PA
One of Lauren’s closest friends is blind and inspired by her story, Lauren created the Centre Country 4-H Seeing Eye Puppy Raisers Club. The club recruits volunteers to train puppies to become guide dogs. In the six years since she started the club, the number of volunteers has grown from 8 to 42. Lauren’s team has trained five puppies to give to visually-impaired people, and she is happy that she has been able to serve her community.

Vineet Singal, 21

Stanford, CA
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Vineet has been involved in multiple service organizations at Stanford University. His largest project was the foundation of Anjna Patient Education (Anjna), the largest student-run not-for-profit organization at Stanford. Anjna provides health education programs at free clinics. After volunteering at free clinics for over 8,000 hours and suffering obesity himself, Vineet became frustrated at the lack of adequate health education available. With the help of 40 student volunteers, Vineet trained 100 undergraduates at Stanford to become health educators, and now the program educates over 5,000 patients a month. Anjna has expanded to include over 200 volunteers across 14 college campuses and medical schools, and the program is used at 40 free clinics. In addition, Vineet serves as the Executive Director of One Hundred Thousand Cheeks, Stanford’s national campaign to register 100,000 people on the national bone marrow registry. Under his leadership, over $50,000 has been raised and 40,000 people have been registered. Vineet hopes to continue his bone marrow efforts by collaborating with large companies to start a bone marrow registry in India and register a million people in the US.

Hannah Meckstroth, 18

Granger, IN
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children, especially among those who do not know how to swim. After hearing these tragic statistics, Hannah used her swimming background to teach two young foster children how to swim for free. Though it was challenging at first, Hannah was able to build a trusting relationship with the girls and soon enough they were able to swim across the pool unassisted. Hannah has learned to appreciate the impact one person can have on someone’s life and believes we all have an obligation to help the less fortunate children in our communities in any way we can.