Outstanding Phoenix Youth Leader of the Year

Sandra Day O'Connor High School

I lead with purpose by creating initiatives that educate, protect, and empower Arizona families and students.

Western Maricopa Education Center

I strive to strengthen my community by leading initiatives that promote safety, learning, and well‑being for Phoenix youth and families.

Pinnacle High School

I try to make a meaningful impact in Phoenix by showing up for people the way this city has shown up for me...through steady service, humble leadership, and the belief that even small acts can help a community grow.

Basis Peoria

My experiences delivering heat relief, advocating for youth mental health, and preserving Arizona’s history have taught me that service means listening, honoring people’s dignity, and making sure no one in my community faces hardship alone.

Pinnacle High School

I learned the power of youth leadership when I helped my school raise over $13,000 to grant a Make‑A‑Wish child’s dream, an experience that transformed fundraising into purpose and showed me how creativity, community, and compassion can create real change.

Brophy College Preparatory

My work serving Phoenix families, advocating for immigrant youth, leading student service groups, and pursuing justice in honor of my father has shaped my commitment to a future in law where I can stand beside those who feel unheard and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and fairness.

Sandra Day O’Conner High School

Shaped by my work supporting immigrant families, leading national FBLA initiatives, and authoring a bilingual children’s book, I’ve learned that meaningful leadership begins with understanding others deeply and creating educational pathways where every student can see themselves and thrive.

Brophy College Preparatory

Motivated by a belief in fairness and sustainability, I grew a small book drive into a nonprofit that has donated over 110,000 books, created an AI tool to reduce waste on campus, and learned to take action now to help build a more just and sustainable future for communities from Phoenix to the Navajo Nation.

Phoenix College Preparatory Academy

Shaped by instability, student advocacy, and service to Phoenix families, I’ve learned that leadership is resilience, courage, and the drive to build a future in immigration law where every family can find stability, dignity, and hope.

PXU City

As the first in my family to pursue higher education, my own journey toward self‑worth, and the compassion I’ve developed through medical training, I am driven to become an OB/GYN who provides mothers and families with the dignity, care, and understanding I once had to learn to give myself.

Bioscience High School

I learned that leadership isn’t about being the best player but about showing up for others, and through coaching and supporting my own under-resourced team, I’ve grown into someone who wants to help young people believe in themselves the way my mentors believed in me.

Phoenix Country Day School

Growing from a child who once hid her culture into a leader who uses storytelling and advocacy to build understanding, I hope to keep bridging divides through global affairs and creating spaces where every student feels proud of who they are. 

Basis Ahwatukee

Shaped by early struggles with health, years of leadership in sports medicine, and a commitment to expanding access to life‑saving care, I’m working toward becoming a physician‑researcher who protects underserved athletes and families through science, empathy, and community partnership.

University High School

Guided by service, community, and a belief in the power of small actions, I strive to create welcoming spaces where every child feels seen, supported, and inspired to grow.

Franklin Police and Fire High School

Inspired by my father’s journey from Jalisco and shaped by the compassion I learned while volunteering at Banner, I’m determined to become a crime scene investigator who brings closure to families and honors my parents’ sacrifices as the first in my family to earn a college degree.

Mountain Pointe High School

Rooted in service, shaped by advocacy, and inspired by powerful teaching, I’m working toward becoming a journalist who uplifts resilient communities in Phoenix and beyond.

Basis Ahwatukee

Driven by the losses I’ve seen and the resilience my aunt taught me, I’m working toward becoming a forensic toxicologist who uncovers the truth with compassion and serves Phoenix families with dignity.