Twelve Young Achievers of Year picked

Twelve young St. Louis area kids have been picked as Gateway 2002 Young Achievers of the Year. The kids were recognized for their school and community achievements.

The area Young Achievers of the Year will receive a $1,000 savings bond. They are entered in the national Achievers of the Year competition.

The Gateway achievers are:

Elementary school (grades 1-6):
Jazzmine Booker of Florissant, Mo.
Tori Fenemor of St. Charles, Mo.
D.J. Lampert of St. Louis.
Miles Toenyes of Highland, Ill.

Middle school (grades 7-9):
Hanna Dumey of Ellisville, Mo.
Freddie Hull of St. Louis.
Ben Levinson of University City.
Christine Parsons of House Springs, Mo.

High school (grades 10-11)
Ashley Coleman of Florissant, Mo.
Paul Lee of Bel Nor, Mo.
Jeff Price of Des Peres, Mo.
Sarah Schuessler of Belleville, Ill.

These dozen will be among over 500 area kids to be recognized Sunday, May 5, for their accomplishments. The recognition program will be at Saint Louis University's Busch Memorial Center.

Barbara Eichhorst heads the local office of the International Leadership Network. That group sponsors the Young Achievers of the Year program. Nominations are gathered from many groups and individuals before selections are made.

In addition to the Achievers of the Year, Eichhorst said 50 Medallion and 550 Gateway Achievers will be honored.

Here is a thumbnail sketch of the four elementary and four middle school Young Achievers of the Year. (Young Saint Louis.com will feature more complete profiles of these kids in future editions of the website.)

(For more information about the Achievers program, log on to www.iln-gateway.org)

* Jazzmine Booker of the Ames Visual Performing Arts Center in Florissant.

She was recognized for work at her church, with the Girl Scouts and in school. She helped with her church's building program by personally raising $1,000. A top Girl Scout cookie seller for three years, she also helps raise funds for senior citizen services. When her father had a heart attack, she used her own money to take CPR classes so she'd be prepared in case of emergency at home.

* Tori Fenemor attends Hardin Middle School in St. Charles.

Shocked by the World Trade Center bombings last September, Tori and a friend set up a Kids Who Care program. With the help of a local store operator, they set up a table to sell homemade T-shirts and collect funds. They raised over $1,000 in a 10-hour period. Money went to the Red Cross. She is very active in school and youth programs.

* D.J. Lampert attends Wohlwend Elementary School in south St. Louis County.

He has been recognized by the United Nations for his efforts to promote awareness of organ donation. He received the UN's 2000 Millennium award. He also participated in the 2001 World Transplant Games in Japan as the only child on the U.S. team. He is the recipient of a liver transplant and makes talks to promote awareness of transplants.

* Miles Toenyes attends Highland Upper Elementary School in Highland.

He is another kid recognized for his fund-raising efforts in the wake of the Sept. 11 World Trade Center collapse. He and two young relatives set up a lemonade stand at a local gas station and raised $400 for the Red Cross' disaster relief effort. He was recognized when he found a woman's wallet and turned it into police. The wallet contained $750, which was the woman's Christmas money. He also shows livestock at local and state fairs.

* Hannah Dumey attends Crestview Middle School in Ellisville.

Her recognition came because of active participation in a wide variety of school, church and community programs. She participates in her school band as a clarinetist and plays during the summer at a nursing home. She participates in Operation Christmas Child, which collects gifts to be sent overseas. She also works with her Girl Scout troop's April Showers community service project.

* Freddie Hull is a 7th grader at Gateway Middle School.

He is active in a host of school and community activities. He has been a science and math tutor at Gateway School. He also has been a Salvation Army volunteer. He also helps elderly neighbors with leaf raking and snow shoveling at no charge. He's placed in various science fairs and got a certificate of Excellence from the NFL's Punt, Pass and Kick competition.

* Ben Levinson attends the Brittany Woods Middle School in University City.

He was recognized for his school performance (a 4.0 GPA) and community and church activities. Through his temple, he has helped with winterizing, animal shelters, soup kitchens and putting on plays at retirement homes. He also helped at the Savvis Center to set up the arena for hockey games. He also volunteers in the summer at the public library.

* Christine Parson is an 8th grader at Northwest Valley School in House Springs.

Although she has degenerative eyesight, it hasn't caused her to reduce her school and community activities. She's an honor student and works to help parents of young blind people understand their children's situation. She has been published an Anthology of Poetry. She writes short stories, poems and essays and enjoys horseback riding and even whitewater rafting.