Haleigh Michel - "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under
whose shade you do not expect to sit." These words have inspired
Bingham High School junior, Haleigh Michel, to live a life dedicated to serving
others, as she has been blessed with a rich abundance of shade. Haleigh
has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout her high school
career, and is set to graduate from high school in 2014 at not only the
top of her class, but also with an associate’s degree. Besides excelling
in her academic endeavors, Haleigh dedicates a large amount of her time to
serving others. She has served as the president of the Bingham High
School Interact Club, where she has teamed with Rotary International to
help within her local community, and also within the Hopi
Indian Community in Arizona. Locally, Haleigh, along with her
fellow Interact Club members, have served at nursing homes, labeled dictionaries
for third graders in Utah, and sold concessions at the West Jordan Rodeo to
raise money for hearing aids. In March of 2013, Haleigh led a group of 25 people on a service trip to Arizona. While there, they provided the Hopi Indian Community with additional heat sources to warm their homes, community water, and an Easter egg hunt for the children. As a result of her outstanding work, she has inspired additional youth to get involved in service, and even start an Interact Service Club at Timpview High School. In 2012, Haleigh traveled to Kajuki, Kenya with the Youthlinc Kenya Team, where she taught lessons at multiple schools, built tables and chairs for a dining hall, dug a trench to carry water to a school, and created a lasting bond and love with the people of Kajuki. In preparation for her service trip to Kenya, Haleigh completed 100+ hours of local service. She chose to complete majority of her service hours working closely with the kids at the Heartland Elementary Boys' and Girls' Club. Haleigh’s desire to help others has rubbed off on those around her, and proves that one person has the ability to change the world.
Megan Dolle
- Megan is currently a student at the University of Utah pursuing a double
major in Spanish and International Studies. She is a student at the Honors
College and is a part of the Bennion Center Community Engaged Learning
Certificate Program. One of Megan’s most fondest service activities was her
trip to Yanamono, Peru with Youthlinc in 2012. She taught lessons on public
health, built bridges, painted classrooms, taught English and aided in
micro-finance and vocational activities. She developed deep relationships with
the people she served, transforming her perspective on service. She will be
visiting Yanamono again in 2013 with Youthlinc as a Cultural Committee Mentor.
Megan has also served with the Real Life in Salt Lake City (RLSLC) mentoring
program for teenage refugees for the past two years. This year, she serves as
the Youthlinc Local Service Intern and has been able to develop meaningful
friendships with both refugees and volunteers at RLSLC. In addition, Megan has
been involved with and held leadership positions in a variety of service clubs
and organizations including Salt Lake County Youth Government, ONE.org, Good in
the Hood, Salt Lake City Rotaract, ASUU Community Service, and more. Megan
strives to set an example for her peers and inspire them to make a difference
in their community. She has learned the value of meaningful, dedicated service
to communities and the profound life-changing effects it provokes. Megan has
discovered what it takes to be a true humanitarian and will continue pursuing
her passion for service. 
Sena Belgard - Sena is a student at the
University of Utah studying Human Development and Family Studies with a minor
in Leadership Studies. She holds multiple student leader positions in the
Bennion Center as a program director for the Social Justice Gardens, a
service-learning scholar and a member of the scholar’s leadership team. Sena’s service goals are to
impact her community by serving the families who garden at the Social Justice
Gardens, finish the service-learning scholars designation with her degree and
continue to serve and make an impact in others lives.
Alexis Jessop
- Alexis is currently a
junior in The Honors College at The University of Utah, majoring in psychology
and minoring in nutrition. At the U, she has been involved with the LEAP
program, a program to help freshmen students transition to college life, as
both a student and a Peer Advisor and she will be a Presidential Ambassador for
the 2013-2014 academic year. Since coming to the University of Utah, Alexis has
become involved with The Bennion Center. She has become a part of the Service Learning Scholar
Program, Americorps Program, and America Reads Program, tutoring children on
their reading abilities. She has worked with underrepresented populations and
refugees through Hser Ner Moo, Neighborhood House, and Washington Elementary.
Alexis’ love and passion for service started when she was young. She first
became involved in service activities in her community and church as a young
adult. Throughout high school, Alexis was
a leader and art director for the local Girl Scout Troop as well as being
involved with the Boys and Girls Club and North Ogden Youth City Council. She
thrives on serving in her community and feels a deep passion for making a
difference in any way she can. Alexis looks forward to the future. Her goal is
to help children and women who are in abusive situations better their lives as
a psychologist.
Ruth Arevalo - Throughout Ruth's life she has had an insatiable wanderlust and passion to not just learn about but to
truly know other cultures and the communities of people of the world. Despite
an evolving home and family life, she has persevered in her studies and hunger to
understand the world. She jumped feet first into the field of culinary arts
at a young age and allowed her love of food and passion of culture to take her through multiple
countries and life changing experiences. Her work, ambitions and
involvement led her to return to Salt Lake in 2007 with the desire to work
with many communities locally.
Ranging from simple volunteer work with the Red Cross, working with the 4th
Street Clinic, and working extensively in refugee communities, Ruth has had her hand in many worthy causes right here in Utah. Working with and mentoring youth, teaching English, working with Women of
the World, educating on domestic and sexual violence, working with immigrant
populations, working on climate justice, fundraising, and doing outreach are all tasks that Ruth currently takes on with excitement and determination. 
Taylor Johns - Taylor is
a freshman at the University of Utah where she is studying
International Studies and Gender Studies. Taylor has always been service minded but has become enthusiastic about
service this year as she has started to serve with the Salt Lake City refugee
population. This is where she has found true joy and inspiration. Taylor has been involved with the Hser Ner Moo refugee after school program as a tutor for
elementary school aged children, along with working with the refugees at the
International Rescue Committee. She has also become motivated by
human trafficking issues related to her work with the refugee population. She recently led an open community dialogue on campus to bring
awareness to trafficking as not only a worldly problem, but a local problem as
well. This love for people and the world community has inspired her love of
service and even her college degree selection which she hopes leads her to work with women
and children. Taylor is also obtaining a yoga
teaching certificate with which she plans to use yoga to empower women who have been
oppressed, trafficked, or are struggling with life’s hardships. Taylor wants to use her
passion to help others empower themselves, thus creating a domino effect of
positive impact that all begins with love.
Alyssa Clark - Serving has always been Alyssa's passion. Locally, she has served extensively
at Shriner's Hospital for Children, where she helps conduct recreation
activities for patients and their family members. In 2012, she served as a
counselor in training at Camp Hobe, a camp for cancer patients, and has
continued her service during the year through fundraising. She will be returning
as a counselor in training this summer. Most recently she has enjoyed
connecting with the international community through Real Life Salt Lake
City, a mentoring program for refugee teens. She is looking forward to an
international trip through Youthlinc to Vietnam this summer. As part of
her preparation for that trip, she has organized projects at three
different schools to sew school bags and has organized medical and school
supplies drives through clubs at her school. Alyssa is a senior at
Brighton High School where she serves as a co-president of Interact and as
a class representative in the National Honors Society and FCCLA.
Through her service, Alyssa has come to the conclusion that she is here to do
more than simply exist and she strives to make her life meaningful through
helping others. 
Kyle Niedrich - Kyle is a junior at Utah State
University. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints from 2007-2009. He is currently studying Human
Movement Science and has attained a minor in Chemistry and Business
Management. Kyle's favorite quote is from Mark Twain who once said, “I
have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Kyle feel that
being a humanitarian has been a huge part of his life and education. Almost every
week since he has been at USU, Kyle has coached Special Olympics. He started the
celiac disease club (called Aggies Against the Grain) and the Optometry club
(called USU Opto Club), both of which are heavily involved in service. Kyle traveled to Peru to work at a children’s after school
program where he was also able help at an eye glass clinic. He started the annual USU
Zombie Chase for Charity 5K Run which raises money to buy wheelchairs
in Mexico for those that can’t afford to buy one. Kyle serves on
the College of Education Student Council as the Service Vice President and is currently working on creating a service link on the college’s web page to
make it easier for students to find service opportunities, especially related
to their field of study.
Jessie DuPre - Jessie is a second
year student at the University of Utah studying Psychology and Human Biology in
the Honors Program. This year, she has worked as a Sustainability
Ambassador at the Office of Sustainability on campus and currently works with
the youth at Red Butte Garden teaching kids' science classes. Jessie
remains involved on campus as she pursues and assists with research in the
Psychology Department in a Health Psych and Developmental Psych lab. She
has focused her service efforts on engaging others in service at her position
as the Bennion Center Service Corps Chair, and assists in a special education
classroom at Bryant Middle School where she has fallen in love with her
students. Jessie loves yoga, dancing, traveling, and going on adventures
with her friends and family. 
Andrew Gee - Andrew Stimpson Gee was born and raised in South Salt Lake Utah, where at an early age he was exposed to and learned to love people from many different cultures. By the time he was a teenager many refugees from other countries had been brought to his community in the center of the city. When the Karen refugees began coming he built many strong and lasting relationships with them and served often in their community, teaching English and helping in other community events. Andrew served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arequipa, Peru and further
learned to love and serve people from another culture. Upon his return from Peru he again became
actively involved in the Karen refugee community. He organized Karen language and English classes,
parent meetings, helped tutor, and much more in the Karen community. He continues his work in the
refugee community despite going to school full-time at Brigham Young University in Provo where he is studying Public Health and Asian Studies.
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