Las Vegas Weekly presents: Excessive Faculty Heroes 2024

It’s our privilege at Las Vegas Weekly to shine gentle on the outstanding acts of heroism, generosity, selflessness and group dedication exhibited by a youthful era.

Many people have witnessed outstanding younger folks go above and past to assist others and thought, “This needs to be acknowledged.”

Our Excessive Faculty Heroes awards program is doing simply that.

That is the primary 12 months the Weekly and Las Vegas Solar—our sister publication at Greenspun Media Group—have hosted the Excessive Faculty Heroes present.

It’s a easy idea: Shine gentle on the heroic actions of a youthful era and permit them to encourage the group to observe swimsuit.

This week, we current tales of Las Vegas’ younger heroes. Get pleasure from.

Heroic Act of the 12 months 

Justin Holman, Boulder Metropolis Excessive Faculty

Justin Holman had stopped using his mini bike on this June afternoon within the desert behind Racetrack Highway in Henderson to soak up the sights. The 15-year-old typically heads that means when the solar is about to set for the view of the Las Vegas skyline.

Holman glanced over to look at one other rider, who all of the sudden had a nasty crash and flew about six ft within the air and landed on his head.

Holman, 14 on the time, raced over to seek out the boy unresponsive. He helped the kid regain consciousness and assisted him again to his dwelling. However Jesse Lopez, 16, was dazed and confused, and his household shortly transported him to College Medical Heart.

Lopez suffered a concussion, had a damaged collarbone, and lacerations in his kidneys and pancreas. If it weren’t for Holman springing into motion, there’s no telling how lengthy Lopez would have been alone within the Henderson desert.

Holman, a freshman at Boulder Metropolis Excessive Faculty, mentioned his instincts took over when he noticed Lopez within the air. “I went to test on him. That was a foul accident,” Holman mentioned.

Lopez spent about one week within the hospital. His mom, Gina Aguirre, took to social media after he was launched looking for the Good Samaritan who she mentioned saved her son’s life.

The message shortly unfold to the Holman household, mentioned Tye Holman, Justin’s father.

Justin Holman advised his father of the crash and the way he introduced the disorientated rider to security. However, like all teenagers, Justin was gentle on particulars and downplayed his act of heroism. He’s a shy teenager who doesn’t want the highlight, his father mentioned.

The Holmans are continuously engaged on “something with an engine,” and their son discovered using security at a younger age, Tye Holman mentioned. The household is happy with their son’s motion and stresses that searching in your fellow rider is a lifestyle.

The kids received collectively this summer season for a reunion and the households stay in shut contact.

“I’m glad Jesse is OK,” Justin says. “(On the time) I didn’t understand what I used to be doing was that large of a deal.”

Crew Challenge of the 12 months

Ryan Arcana and Thalia Huygens, Bishop Gorman

Thalia Huygens, a senior at Bishop Gorman Excessive Faculty, walked into a gathering with officers from an area gaming firm and couldn’t assist however be nervous.

She was elevating cash for Scholar Visionaries of the 12 months, an entrepreneurship and venture administration marketing campaign for highschool college students to fundraise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Huygens’ pitch labored.

Golden Leisure made a $75,000 contribution, she mentioned, serving to a fundraising crew led by Huygens and Gorman classmate, Ryan Arcana, elevate$378,000 to assist most cancers sufferers.

“It’s rewarding to see how we impacted the households (of most cancers sufferers) and helped the group as an entire,” Huygens mentioned.

The fundraising of the group Bucks for Battle led by the Gorman duo included contributions from 3,000 donors and ranked sixth nationally out of 1,050 groups. Groups in Nevada mixed to lift $1,180,666, which means the group led by Huygens and Arcana made up about 25% of the fundraising.

The venture included spreading consciousness by way of social media posts, writing letters to firms on the lookout for assist, holding conferences with scholar colleagues and loads of lengthy nights.

And, the teenagers say, it was effectively definitely worth the effort.

The funds will assist Las Vegas sufferers with their medical co-pays and journey help and to fund lifesaving, cutting-edge blood most cancers analysis.

“It’s a great feeling understanding you may assist households which might be struggling,” Arcana, a highschool junior, mentioned.

Volunteer of the 12 months

Grace Netski, Religion Lutheran

Grace Netski, who serves as a lead for the Hope Means Nevada suicide prevention consciousness group, has a message for anybody coping with psychological well being struggles: Your life is value dwelling.

Netski, a senior at Religion Lutheran, spends her free time volunteering in initiatives to assist “youngsters, animals and rescues, the army, homeless, veterans, aged and anybody in want,” mentioned Melanie Bowline, an advisor at Religion Lutheran who nominated Netski.

But it surely’s her work in suicide prevention that she is most happy with.

Hope Means Nevada promotes messaging like “you aren’t alone,” and “it’s OK to not be OK.”

Netski has relayed these sentiments to teenagers in want and is hopeful that the group’s mentoring can present inspiration to dwell hopeful lives.

At the least 11 teenagers enrolled in Clark County Faculty District colleges died by suicide within the preliminary months of pandemic college closures in 2020, officers mentioned.

There have been 1.2 million suicide makes an attempt in america in 2020, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

Netski finds worth in serving to her teen friends cope. She’s devoted to serving to elevate stigmas related to psychological well being struggles.

“I’ve all the time been drawn to serving to these in want in my group,” Netski mentioned.

Netski for the previous two years has served because the Key Membership president at Religion Lutheran, having a hand in planning many outreach occasions, similar to group service initiatives for Ronald McDonald Home Charities.

She has moreover served as an envoy for St. Jude Kids’s Analysis Hospital, plans group service initiatives at Ronald McDonald Home Charities and led a crew of volunteers handing out provides on the Las Vegas Marathon.

“Grace exudes serving from the guts,” Bowline mentioned.

Greatest SOCIAL Impression

Maddy Hanlon-Oviatt, Palo Verde Excessive Faculty

One among Maddy Hanlon-Oviatt’s closest buddies at Palo Verde Excessive Faculty is Jennifer. They had been launched by way of the Greatest Buddies program, which promotes one-on-one friendships between college students with and with out mental disabilities.

Hanlon-Oviatt, the group’s president, helped develop Palo Verde’s Greatest Buddies affiliate from 21 members to a whole bunch of scholars. The group was named the Nationwide Excellent Chapter of the 12 months for 2024, beating out 1,100 different colleges.

“My reward is the friendships. That’s what’s most vital,” she mentioned.

Hanlon-Oviatt was matched with Jennifer two years in the past. The buddies change textual content messages, get collectively on weekends for a film or for go-kart racing, and test on one another all through the course of the varsity day. That, in any case, is what being a buddy is about.

Hanlon-Oviatt, based on a nomination from Palo Verde, “encourages our college students in (particular training) to learn to use self-advocacy and set targets to realize independence.”

Because of the boldness gained from being paired with Hanlon-Oviatt, Jennifer is now a board member for Palo Verde’s chapter.

And when Hanlon-Oviatt represented Palo Verde in July on the Greatest Buddies management convention in Bloomington, Indiana, Jennifer accompanied her for the occasion.

“Maddy ensures that each one college students really feel included and have a optimistic expertise like Jennifer,” her nominators wrote.

Hanlon-Oviatt was nonverbal till first grade, ultimately overcoming the speech difficulties with the assist of her household. She mentioned the expertise helped develop an understanding of challenges confronted by particular wants college students. It’s given her the dedication to make a distinction in advocating for inclusion.

“We foster one-on-one friendships and an inclusive surroundings,” she mentioned. “Greatest Buddies is about creating buddies, and people buddies bringing (the most effective) out of you.”

Environmental Helper of the 12 months

Micah Feller, West Profession & Technical Academy

Since his freshman 12 months, Micah Feller has labored with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to convey again endangered fish species to the Colorado River.

It began with rainbow trout eggs, a 150-gallon water tank and a water cooling system. The tools was used to hatch the eggs into child trout, the senior at West Profession & Technical Academy mentioned.

Now, the aquaculture system has grown to a 700-gallon tank for 300 bonytail chub, probably the most endangered of the massive river fish within the Colorado Basin watershed.

The college obtained the aquaculture system within the 2022-2023 college 12 months and began elevating bonytail chub the next 12 months, Feller mentioned.

He retains the tank clear, feeds the fish, takes water high quality checks and mentors college students within the venture. 

“The bonytail chub is vital to the ecosystem (as a result of) they’re a local species of the Colorado River,” Feller mentioned. “Their inhabitants has been degraded to a degree the place they don’t have any sustaining populations within the wild.”

That’s as a result of dam building has brought about adjustments in migration routes and water high quality, Feller mentioned. The water temperature can be now not splendid for the fish, he mentioned.

“It’s a little bit of a conundrum,” Feller mentioned. “Dams are just about required for the ability era, however … a doable answer could be to not rely as a lot on (dams) for energy and rely extra on our photo voltaic farms …to entry that power and assist produce extra power in order that dams are much less wanted.”

When the fish are able to be launched into the Colorado River, they’re taken to the Willow Seaside hatchery.

Together with the aquaculture system, situated on the college’s greenhouse, there’s a show tank with three of the endangered fish species of the Colorado River, Feller mentioned.

The show tank raises consciousness about endangered species within the river. It contains the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker and bonytail chub.

“We’ve proven the Division of Fish and Wildlife that we’re accountable,” Feller mentioned. “We will do that venture.”

Cultural Advocate of YEAR

Katelyn Cambeiro, Bishop Gorman Excessive Faculty

Katelyn Cambeiro’s grandfather immigrated from Cuba to america and finally settled in Las Vegas.

One of the crucial tough elements of the transition: Studying a brand new language.

Cambeiro, a Bishop Gorman senior, is decided to offer younger immigrants coming to the nation one other device for getting adjusted to their new dwelling.

She is the co-founder and president of Empowering Immigrants, a nonprofit group that launched in the course of the pandemic to assist Spanish-speaking college students obtain proficiency in English. The group supplies handmade flashcards to Clark County Faculty District colleges to assist Spanish talking college students study a brand new language.

A lot of the colleges the group offers with are from underrepresented neighborhoods, she mentioned.

“I’m grateful that I’ve the chance to assist and make a distinction,” she mentioned.

Empowering Immigrants later expanded by creating a smartphone app—LEAF, or Studying English in a Flash. It presents visible and audio components to assist college students see and listen to the phrases they’re studying. The app was developed partly due to a $5,000 fellowship. The playing cards and app are free choices.

Cambeiro’s grandfather continuously harassed to members of the family the significance of acquiring an training. For brand new residents of our group, that begins by gaining confidence in with the ability to talk and perceive what’s being taught, she mentioned.

She has met with principals and lecturers within the college district to advocate for equal entry to training.

“Katelyn’s compassionate nature and progressive strategy have positively impacted numerous lives,” her nominators wrote.

Greatest Group Accomplice

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders hadn’t deliberate a recreation in Las Vegas. But proprietor Mark Davis noticed the group his franchise was shifting to struggling in the course of the early phases of the pandemic in 2020 and couldn’t stand idly by on the sidelines.

The Raiders made a $500,000 donation to the Nevada Group Basis to assist get rid of meal debt for space youngsters. When a household doesn’t qualify at no cost college meals for a kid and doesn’t have the means to pay, a debt is positioned within the household’s identify. This donation coated that debt.

It’s one of many many contributions the Raiders have made of their 5 years of calling Las Vegas dwelling, together with many donations which have impacted college students.

Take an initiative to offer back-to-school haircuts and styling for 600 college students, setting them up for a assured begin to the tutorial 12 months. And there’s the annual vacation get together for youngsters from underserved communities and foster properties at Allegiant Stadium, the place the youth take part in actions on the sphere, and obtain a festive meal and items.

The Raiders gamers are concerned within the charity, being energetic in initiatives similar to Nevada Studying Week.

The franchise’s generosity extends into athletics, the place they contributed at the least $100,000 to highschool soccer packages for much-needed tools. A lot of the work is completed with groups from underrepresented neighborhoods.

The franchise additionally opens Allegiant Stadium for the state championship video games at no cost, hosts ladies flag soccer tournaments at its observe facility in Henderson and hosts a coach of the week program offering a $1,000 donation to the successful coach’s program.

Greatest International Impression

Sara Franco Gutierrez, Veterans Tribute Profession & Technical Academy

Sara Franco Gutierrez listened to a younger affected person’s signs, identified the ailment and helped provide you with therapy.

The affected person lived in Nigeria and was attending a telehealth appointment with the 16-year-old Franco Gutierrez this summer season as a part of the Management Initiative’s Superior Medical and Public Well being Internship at Georgetown College. A licensed doctor was a part of the appointment.

The initiative paid for the therapy. Franco Gutierrez, citing privateness legal guidelines, couldn’t element the aliment.

“It’s a life-changing feeling understanding I helped somebody really feel higher,” she mentioned.

Franco Gutierrez, who’s a part of the EMT magnet program at Veterans Tribute, aspires to be a health care provider. She certified for a public well being internship by excelling in a Future Well being Professionals—previously Well being Occupations College students of America (HOSA)—convention of Nevada teenagers in Reno.

“Throughout Sara’s internship, she demonstrated a excessive degree of professionalism and a formidable work ethic,” her nominator wrote. “Sara’s enthusiasm was evident alongside together with her considerate contributions and her willingness to go the additional mile.”

Franco Gutierrez discovered learn how to diagnose the 4 commonest and deadliest illnesses within the creating world, together with malaria. She created a public well being marketing campaign to coach the group about malaria, elevating consciousness and probably defending numerous lives.

A local of Colombia who got here to Las Vegas in 2016, she aspires to check drugs as a result of it will probably assist save lives—particularly for many who lack enough care.

Franco Gutierrez says it finest: “I need to make this world a greater place.”

Greatest Volunteer Challenge

Kiran Talim, West Profession & Technical Academy

Kiran Talim seen a spike in misdemeanor crimes amongst her friends following closures introduced on by the COVID pandemic and was impressed to assist.

She coordinated with Metro Police to launch the DREAM program—“Uncover, Redirect, Empower, Advocate and Mentor”—on the Summerlin Space Command station to assist mentor at-risk youth.

Talim leads emotional assist and empowerment classes twice every week as a part of this system. The peer-to-peer counseling is making an impression, she mentioned.

“Whereas Summerlin has quite a lot of sources, there was a void for at-risk youth,” she mentioned.

Talim moreover collaborates with Metro to work with youth already convicted of crimes, internet hosting a three-month mentoriship program that’s helped 16 teenagers full their probation, based on her nomination letter.

That venture included coordinating with probation officers and people within the authorized system, the letter mentioned.

Her strategy to working with troubled friends is to be “pleasant and understanding,” she mentioned.

Talim, on monitor to be the West Tech valedictorian, proudly says she’s by no means obtained a grade decrease than an A. She plans to check drugs in faculty and aspires to turn into a surgeon.

She’ll by no means cease advocating for these in want—one thing working with at-risk youth has solidified.

Philanthropic Excessive Faculty of the 12 months

Clark Excessive Faculty

Clark Excessive has a repute of being a powerhouse educational college, persistently rating in Newsweek’s record of the nation’s high performing excessive colleges. Clark’s magnet program has obtained the Magnet Faculties of America excellence award, reaffirming the varsity’s mission to encourage college students for faculty readiness.

A part of the readiness, principal Zeola Braxton stresses, is studying the worth of volunteering. There’s a hyperlink entrance and heart on Clark’s web site with volunteer alternatives—an inventory of about 25 on-campus golf equipment the place college students could make a distinction.

Within the 2023-24 college 12 months, college students amassed 2,581 hours of group service, Braxton mentioned. Braxton says lots of the college students are so devoted to serving that they carry classmates together with them.

“We work actually onerous to ensure everybody has a possibility to be concerned,” Braxton mentioned. “Loads of the scholars are getting concerned as a result of they’ve that keenness.”

Robert Chondro, a Clark senior, helped launch Giving to Youngsters, a student-led nonprofit that gives academic sources and requirements to youngsters worldwide.

They hosted a fundraiser that introduced in $25,000, enabling the group to donate $5,000 to College Medical Heart to assist households who couldn’t pay their youngsters’s medical payments. And this summer season, they traveled to Vietnam to offer assist with hundreds of {dollars} value of college provides to orphans.

“It’s very fulfilling,” Chondro mentioned. “A bunch of youngsters have a greater alternative due to our efforts.”

Hairmella Faito, a Clark senior who was a part of a gaggle that supplied vacation meals to the aged, mentioned the giving spirit at Clark is contagious with classmates.

“We now have so many golf equipment that assist the group. You see your folks concerned and also you need to be a part of it, too,” she mentioned.

Sile Smith, who was a part of a gaggle that helped with a cleanup of Springs Protect, say some college students carry out group service as a result of it’s a resume builder for faculty. Nonetheless, a lot of his friends at Clark are concerned for an additional purpose: To make Las Vegas a greater place.

“It’s nice friendships,” Smith mentioned. “You’re a part of one thing larger than your self.”

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