Mayor John Gates, presented the National Youth Service Day Awards (NYSDA) to individuals and groups at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd at the new City Center South Campus. These residents went above and beyond in providing exceptional community service in the Greeley area and were recognized for their hard work, dedication and commitment.
National Youth Services Day Awards are designed to broaden national, regional and local recognition of the power of youth service. The purpose of this day is to reinforce to young Americans the importance of helping others. Of the many nominations, seven individuals and one group was recognized. The 2019 recipients of the NYSD Awards in Greeley included the following individuals: Taylee Beilman, Mikyla Bowen, Erica Horning, Kaylee Bumgarner, Abigail Granrud, Allison Palmer and Levette Sanchez; as well as the group, RESIST. Winners attended an awards reception and dinner prior to the City Council meeting.
Taylee Beilman, a Northridge High School student, is a leader on the soccer team. She supports her peers and classmates by providing personal and academic assistance when needed. She has volunteered with the daycare at her church, Habitat for Humanity, SD6 Back to School Kick-Off, the Independence Day and St. Patrick’s Day parade, Sources of Strength, Northridge High School Blood Drive, Link Crew, Unified Basketball, and created survival kits for college students during finals.
Mikyla Bowen, also a Northridge High School student, demonstrates leadership in organizations and on teams that she participates in by mentoring younger members so they can realize success. Mikyla volunteers at the Loveland Humane Society as an animal photographer, she is a member of National Honor Society, she has participated in the STEM Festival, Student Health Advisory Committee, Sources of Strength, High School and Middle School Speech and Debate meets, Veteran’s Day Assembly Committee as well as the Northridge High School Blood Drive.
Erica Horning, a Northridge High School student as well, has a diverse skill set of community service work with varied interests. Erica is involved in 4H, she has assisted with 4H interviews and as a Judging Clerk. At school, she has participated in Link Crew Freshmen Orientation, Trick or Treat Street/Haunted House set-up and event planning, Winograd STEM Fest, Middle School Speech and Debate Tournament, High School Speech and Debate Tournament, Council of Student Representatives, Toys for Tots fundraiser, NHS Blood Drive and is a member of the Council of Student Representatives.
Kaylee Bumgarner, the secretary for Builders Club (a community service club), is always ready to do her best, whether suggesting new ideas or taking notes. Kaylee has attended and worked hard on monthly Food Bank projects. She and her fellow officers worked on a little Library project for the Immigrant Refugee Center. She has helped with making bookmarks for elementary students, dog and cat toys for the Humane Society and tie blankets for A Woman’s Place.
Abigail Granrud, a Frontier Academy student, is a primary member of Ubuntu. She organizes outreach from older students to younger and new students, thus improving school environment for everyone. She is the Lieutenant Governor for Key Club, visiting and communicating with other school Key Clubs. She has planned two big rallies and worked hard to inspire service in the clubs she works with: Key Club International and Rocky Mountain District Board of Trustees. She has served as the Lieutenant Governor for Frontier’s Key Club Division for 2 years, she is Frontier Academy’s Ubuntu program co-founder and has volunteered at the local hospital, NCMC, for the past 6 months.
Allison Palmer, also a Frontier Academy student, her contributions to the school’s band and community are powerful. As the #1 ranked tenor saxophonist in Colorado, Allison literally invented a mentorship program and nurtured it into a large organization. She is involved in the Prairie Heights Middle School Mentor program and has been a tutor for 3 years, Cache Bank and Trust Junior Board Member, Camp Invention youth leader for 2 years, Key Club member for 4 years, Frontier Unity Project board member for 2 years and the National Honor Society secretary for Frontier Academy.
Levette Sanchez believes in helping others even if it means adding more to her plate. Levette has served as a mentor for the Link Crew Program, designed to help 9th grade students acclimate to high school. She is also active with sports serving as the manager for Greeley West Football team for 3 years, manager for Greeley West Track and Field team for 3 years, and manager for Greeley West Boys Basketball team for the last 3 years. She has also volunteered with Dream Team special events and activities for the past 7 years.
RESIST Group is comprised of the following students: Angelica Orozco, Kaitlyn Clevenger and Levi Sanchez. These participants have been mentors with the RESIST program for 3 years. They are strong leaders with both peers and 5th Graders. RESIST is an afterschool program at Madison Elementary for 5th grade students to receive help and prepare them for middle school. They teach lessons on positive character development, boundary setting, refusal skills, avoiding risky behavior and having a successful transition to middle school. They have gone above and beyond developing ideas and activities to supplement and enhance the lessons; and even volunteered four times per month, when the requirement was just twice a month.
Greeley Recreation would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s National Youth Service Day Awards for a job well done! NYSDA nominations are solicited from teachers, school counselors and the general public on an annual basis for outstanding community service. For more information about National Youth Service Day, contact Brecken Arnold, Recreation Supervisor at 970-350-9771 or visit GreeleyRec.com and click on Rodarte Community Center.