2024-2025 SEYMOUR AWARDS SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Congratulations to these exceptional CSF Sealbearers nominated by their CSF chapter Advisers and selected as Seymour Award Finalists. On March 29th they met in a group interview setting to compete for the South Central Seymour Recipient Award.

Ava G. Adlam – Chapter 203 El Segundo High School
Adviser Judy Munger
Principal Steve Gebhart
El Segundo Unified School District

Ava dived into community service in the seventh grade when she joined the National Charity League. As she explains, she intended “to spread the love” and support she had experienced growing up in the El Segundo community. Whether baking Mickey Mouse cupcakes for a girl in the foster system, encouraging an athlete in the Special Olympics, or enabling an awkward child smile, Ava has been grateful to have the opportunity to serve her community, especially those in need. Entering high school, she joined the Key Club and CSF to continue to reach out to the broader community and her fellow students. Her CSF Adviser, Judy Munger, shares that she “could depend on Ava to be a supportive tutor for anyone [she] paired her with.” Additionally, Judy notes that as co-vice president, Ava and the vice-president have taken over publicity, weekly drop-in peer tutoring, recruitment, and local scholarships.

As a tri-sport athlete, Ava has played varsity volleyball, beach volleyball, and her favorite soccer, which she has played since age five. This year, she was selected as the Best Defender, among other awards on and off the field. With an eye to being a corporate lawyer, Ava plans to major in business management or political science. To that end, she interned last summer at a law firm where the managing partner described her as “extremely intelligent and thoughtful” and “a natural leader” who will add tremendous value to her communities.

Sahasra Anne – Chapter 106 Simi Valley High School
Adviser Shauna Poutre
Principal JC Baxter
Simi Valley Unified School District, Great Oak High School

Don’t let Sahasra’s time on the runway during Fashion Week in Milan cause you to misjudge her. While Sahasra may love fashion, she also loves helping people; in college she plans to major in computer science in order to create programs to advance education and healthcare for the betterment of all people. Lisa Safaeinili, CEO and Executive Director of the Westminster Free Clinic and Community Care Center, where Sahasra has volunteered for seven years, notes that “Sahasra consistently demonstrates a genuine concern for patients, and makes sure each person has a positive experience.” In 2024, the County Board of supervisors recognized her for her contribution to creating access to healthcare in Ventura County. Despite the numerous hours she volunteers at the clinic and Adventist Health Simi Valley Hospital, Sahasra co-founded the Book Hoarders Club at Simi High, which raises money to collect and mail books to children in Africa, and co-founded the non-profit organization, Anne Foundation, which advocates for equitable resources for children’s education, and for girls in STEM and sports. In all that Sahasra does, whether it is her work in the medical field, time on the basketball court as a player and a coach, service as treasurer for CSF and NHS, or organizing food and toy drives, she believes that “the smallest acts of kindness can go a long way and changes lives.”

Erica Chen – Chapter 186 Moorpark High School
Adviser Kristin Swenson
Principal Zaid Bakoo
Moorpark Unified School District

Erica describes the time she spent in her parents’ restaurant “surrounded by customers [as] a blessing in disguise” because it was there that she “discovered my superpower: forging connections.” Through customers, the regulars and the drop-ins, she learned “how small acts of kindness can make someone’s day . . . [and] bridge worlds.” She used these lessons and her superpower in her three years as a CSF officer, increasing service opportunities and scholarship funds, on the tennis team supporting her teammates, and as a Junior Sensi at Code Ninjas Simi Valley, where she worked with students building their coding skills. However, beyond her work with the Close the Gap Foundation, Moorpark Teen Council, and Our Minds Matter Club, and her other volunteer work, you will find her teaching young people about personal finances with her Financial Literacy Initiative. Working the cash register at her parents’ restaurant and seeing the role finances have played in her parents’ lives, she made financial stability a goal not just for herself, but for young people in general. After conducting interviews and research, she created a presentation and reached out to local schools with the goal of “[e]mpowering students to see money as a tool that creates security and opportunity,” building stability in the process. In keeping with her interest in financial literacy, Erica plans to major in business or economics so that she may continue working with people.

When not bridging worlds with classmates, teammates, or customers, Erica likes to escape into the world of her favorite movie, Lilo & Stitch.” The ohana or extended family Lilo and Stitch form is emblematic of Erica’s super power of forging connections.

Matthew Thomas De Guzman – Chapter 1389 Golden Valley High School
Adviser Shanna Mann
Principal JC Baxter
Simi Valley Unified School District

Matthew’s CSF Adviser, Shanna Mann, succinctly describes him as a person of deep integrity who is “deeply respected by both his peers and teachers for his empathy, humility, and willingness to help others.” Drawing on the compassion his parents instilled in him, Matthew joined his school’s chapters of the American Red Cross Club, rising to the position of treasurer, and Health Occupations Students of America. With these clubs, he helped organize blood drives, collecting first-aid supplies, teaching, and teaching CPR. Beyond school, he has helped with city clean-ups, and taught children how to make koi fish out of toilet paper rolls and paper mache. In all of his work, whether academic, athletic, or community service, he is guided by “love, compassion, and resiliency,” always seeking to foster mutual understanding of different and at times complex perspectives.

In college, Matthew plans to follow in his parents’ footsteps and enter dentistry, specifically orthodontics. As an orthodontist, he can have a positive impact on people’s physical and mental health by aligning their teeth and improving their smiles. When not serving his community and fellow students, Matthew loves to watch the Los Angeles Clippers both on television and in-person at the games.

Jeremy Hyun John – Chapter 890 Village Christian High School
Adviser Marc Sercomb
Principal Doug Berry

Jeremy’s nonprofit Caring Cubing Community developed out of a simple question, “Was it possible to teach seniors to solve it?” The “it,” in question, was the Rubik’s Cube. Motivated to help seniors deal with the social isolation and lack of mental and social stimulation that can develop after retirement, he sought “to build community and care for seniors through my passion for the cube.” Today, seniors and teens share similes and laughter at multiple senior centers.

When not preparing his nonprofit to continue after he leaves for college, he runs varsity cross country, plays the viola for Village Christian Symphonic Orchestra and Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra, and maintains a rigorous academic workload. Marc Sercomb, his CSF Adviser shared that “Jeremy excels at problem-solving,” as exemplified in his AP Computer and Biology courses. Accordingly, in college he plans to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering, in which he will combine his love of science, problem-solving, and helping others. Thus far, he has been accepted at the University of California at Berkeley, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, among other prestigious institutions. When not working on solving problems, Jeremy loves hiking locally and in national parks such as Zion National Park in Utah, where he finds breath-taking natural beauty.

Samantha Kinnison Smith – Chapter 203 El Segundo High
School Adviser Judy Munger
Principal Steve Gebhart
El Segundo Unified School District

Sammi’s love of community service began at the ripe old age of six, when she helped at her elementary school’s carnival. As she explains, the experience “opened the door for me to experience the value of service.” While in elementary school her contributions often remained behind the scenes, a place she enjoys; in high school, she moved onto the field in band. There she knew immediately that she wanted “to be a part of the student leadership when [she] was an upperclassman.” Serving as Woodwind Captain and Flute Section Leader, she would be given the opportunity not only to teach new section mates how to play, march, and perform, more importantly, she would be able to expand her role and “to train the next generation of leaders within the band.”

Sophomore year, Sammi’s love of service and concern for her fellow students motivated her to apply for the newly created student position on her school’s Parent Teacher Association’s Executive Board. There she joined committees and joined leadership boards to ensure that students had a voice. By her junior year, she was chairing committees, making reports to faculty, and overall helping to put the “S” in what became the Parent, Teacher, Student Association, the PTSA. Reflecting on her work with the PTSA, she notes, “When a student speaks up and can clearly articulate an argument with logic and reason, this is when I feel we have our greatest power and voice.”

Looking to her future, Sammi wants to study Computer Science in preparation for entering the video-game industry and to continue to pursue her love of travel. Having traveled Europe, South America and Antarctica, and grown up in the United States, she is already more than halfway to her goal of stepping foot on all seven continents!

Thuy Vu Lam Anh Nguyen – Chapter 729 Ernest Righetti High School
Adviser Jennifer Dolan
Principal Ted Lyon
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

Thuy discovered her calling to be a NICU nurse when she volunteered at Marian Regional Medical Center during her sophomore and junior years. She experienced immense joy engaging with patients and their families and assisting medical staff. However, she found her calling as she witnessed the nurses caring for premature newborns, preparing “baby packs,” and supporting parents with final reminders as their babies were discharged; in those moments, she came to understand “how nurses form close connections with patients and their families.” Seeing those relationships inspired her to enroll in such rigorous courses as AP chemistry, biology, and physics to prepare to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Volunteering at the hospital constituted only one part of Thuy’s community work. As the treasurer for the Key Club, she manages the budget and assists with fundraising; for Ability Service Training Responsibility and Achievement Club (ASTRA), she has worked on literacy campaigns and the annual Festival of Trees fundraiser; and with the National Honor Society with her peers, she helped raised almost $5,000 for local unhoused community programs. Through service to her school and the broader community, Thuy has demonstrated her belief in helping others and serving her community, principles her parents instilled in her at a young age. To decompress from school and her volunteer work, Thuy likes to jam to music, solve Rubik’s cubes, and bake, especially strawberry-custard croissants.

Eden Amaka Oje – Chapter 480 Saint Mary’s Academy
Adviser Molly Fruland
Principal Brandi Odom Lucas
Archdiocese of Los Angeles – OLA Region

In nominating Eden, Molly Fruland, her CSF Adviser, described Eden as “a beacon of inspiration within our school community.” She not only praised Eden’s “commitment to service, leadership, and academic excellence,” she also noted that Eden “empowers her peers not only to succeed academically but also to embrace the value of service to others.” Eden’s work flows from her senses that “leadership is rooted in service.” In addition to expanding her CSF chapter’s peer tutoring program, Eden hosted speaker panels for her fellow students on academic issues, skill-building, and career discernment. Outside the classroom, Eden is a multi-sport athlete, competing in flag football, basketball, varsity cross country, and rowing. Understanding the physical challenges of athletics and wanting to serve her fellow athletes, she took the initiative to become her school’s only student trainer for all of her fellow athletes. Consequently, Eden is committed to attending Cornell University, where she will study human health in pursuit of becoming an orthopedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine. Whether as a student, member of her CSF executive board, an older sister, or an athlete, Eden believes, “[A]ll I learn can provide a foundation for others to build upon, creating a rippling legacy of achievement.” When not working to create ripples, Eden indulges her love of ceramics, hoping to have her own wheel and kiln.

Lea Vegh – Chapter 701 Bishop Montgomery High School
Adviser John Hong
Principal Michele Starkey
Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Lea’s CSF Adviser, John Hong, succinctly describes her when he states, “She is one of those rare students that is gifted with intelligence, concern for others, and is willing to share her talents with others.”Lea’s “desire to create positive change” in her community and people’s lives serves as more than aspirational rhetoric. She lives out these values with humility in many different ways from running community service events to tutoring to volunteering with environmental organizations to founding a dance summer camp. As a member and co-president of Bishop Montgomery High School’s Concordia Service Club, she has supported food, toiletry, and gift basket drives for Sister Margaret’s Covenant House in Hollywood, an orphanage in Tijuana, and the residents and caregivers of Del Amo Gardens Care Center.

Lea began her service of others in the sixth grade as a tutor and has continued it in high school, where she is a sought out tutor for “her ability to clearly communicate and explain the subject matter,” whether it is biology, math, or English. Lea has applied her love of teaching to her work as an intern at Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, as a Learning and Engagement Specialist at South Coast Botanic Garden’s Butterfly Pavilion, and as a volunteer at the South Bay Parkland Conservancy. In addition to her love of the environment, Lea has a love for dance, which she began studying just five years ago. Acting on her passion, she co-founded “Dance Camp Capitola” for beginner dancers aged five and older. In college, Lea plans to grow her knowledge of the environment and major in environmental science.