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 Sal Frias
William S. Hart Union High 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.

Congratulations to these exceptional CSF Sealbearers nominated by their CSF chapter Advisers and selected as Seymour Award Finalists. On March 22nd they met in a group interview setting to compete for the South Seymour Recipient Award.

Eliza Bourne – Chapter 1411 San Juan Hills High School
Adviser Colleen Magana
Principal Cina Abedzade
Capistrano Unified School District

This young woman has a heart of gold and a voice to match.  Eliza has used her voice to speak up for others and worked to make them feel welcome and heard. She has been in CSF since her freshman year and has served as the vice president and president her Junior and Senior years, coordinating service-oriented projects including clothing and hygiene drives for underserved communities. She has provided translation to facilitate communication in her clubs, her school, and at church for years. She is a highly engaged student involved in leadership and active participation in clubs such as the Pink Ribbon Club, the National Honor Society, and JustServe, a club she co-founded where she has coordinated monthly service events that included distributing food to unhoused individuals and individuals with food insecurities, among others.

Talking one-on-one with the people she has served has made her grateful for these experiences, because she cannot help but see herself in the humanity of those she has gotten to know personally. She is inspired to make a difference in the lives of others and may pursue nursing as a career as she heads off to BYU Provo in the fall. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a variety of photography accolades along with her academic recognitions such as the National Ben Carson Award and VFW essay and speech contests.  She pursues other activities beyond academics, performing in choir in addition to theater events throughout the community and on campus.  She is active in her church, a student-athlete in track, and in Scouts of America.  She has even started her own small business selling honey through her efforts as a beekeeper! 

Eliza will certainly be a force of positive change in the world as she moves forward into her post-secondary education.

Matthew Gonzalez – Chapter 1293 Great Oak High School
Adviser Diana Arban
Principal Amber Lane
Temecula Valley Unified School District

This student is simply amazing.  As the youngest in his family, he always wanted to be a “big brother” and becoming involved in UNICEF gave him this chance to form friendships with young people with special needs. He feels that this work most defines him, and this has given him a special connection to the people in the program, as he thoroughly enjoyed his time volunteering to work with UNICEF, making those personal connections with others, and seeing the excitement and joy they have in their participation in the programs. Under his leadership, UNICEF has conducted a recycling program for the past three years.

Matthew is also active in leadership in CSF, serving as treasurer (11th) and president (12th) of the club. He was a Science Olympiad serving as president for both his junior and senior years, where he also was a medalist in competition for 2 consecutive years. His love for science and research was solidified with his opportunity to work as a biomedical researcher with Indiana University during this past summer and has inspired him to major in biochemistry or molecular biology with ambition to go into medicine or research after studying at a top university, such as Santa Clara.

Hopefully, he will be able to continue his interest in karaoke (and having fun) sharing that interest with others as he did when he started the Karaoke Club at his campus, Great Oak High School.

Seowon Han – Chapter 667 Sunny Hills High School
Adviser Hera Kwon
Principal Craig Weinrich
Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Seowan is a student that has grown and thrived in amazing ways throughout her personal and  educational journeys.  Many of her experiences, especially through CSF, where she took over leadership in her last few years to begin a recycling program at Sunny Hills High School, have informed her dream to work at the intersection of health and human services with an emphasis on environmental concerns.  She is interested in pursuing research in renewable energies in the future and attending a UC campus.

Seowon has won numerous awards and recognitions in diverse areas of art, journalism and writing, music/flute, as well as academic or leadership awards that include the Rotary Youth Leadership and a silver medal for the Science Olympiad.  Her volunteer work through Kaiser Permanente serving in the Emergency Department has been a highlight for her during her high school career as she has truly enjoyed helping others in this high energy environment. She is especially proud of her work as editor of the school news magazine and online platform and her work with the LA Times High School Insider Student Advisory Board where she was involved in podcast production where she worked in a variety of roles from producer to host to content manager. 

Seowon is voicing the concerns of her generation as she takes her talents to the next level.

Ethan Hsu -Chapter 667 Sunny Hills High School
Adviser Hera Kwon
Principal Craig Weinrich
Fullerton Joint Union High School District

This is a young man who has overcome educational and personal challenges to find his voice and purpose through service to the community. Ethan is the current vice president of his Sunny Hills High School CSF chapter, as well as the CSF Volunteer Commissioner in his junior year, where Ethan organized student volunteer opportunities with over 20 local senior care facilities. CSF members connected with residents through a letter and card writing campaign. 

Ethan has been an active member serving the community as a Link Crew Leader at his high school, helping freshmen connect to the high school community. He has been active in or provided leadership in many on-campus clubs including Chess Club, Chinese Club, and the Coding Club. He has served the community teaching in the Science for Kids program, worked on-site at the local Good Sam Pantry supporting unhoused or food insecure residents, and even provided service at the American Red Cross working with donors like himself.  He is also a competitor in the Sunny Hills Science Olympiad, competing in more than 11 tournaments this year.  Having won multiple awards, including Elk’s Student of the Month Quarterfinalist,

Ethan is really proud of his work and recognition through his Boeing Internship where his Integrated Product Team took first place in August of 2024. His top choice for college is UC Berkeley where he wants to major in biomedical engineering, eventually going into research in the future. One thing he is most grateful for is the opportunity he has had through CSF to witness first-hand the appreciation people have when they receive some type of help or service. This experience guarantees his continuing work with the community into the future.

Bryce Jacobsen – Chapter 1079 Temecula Valley High School
Adviser Gustavo Rodriguez Rios
Principal Donna Lione
Temecula Valley Unified School District

Bryce Jacobsen is an excellent scholar and all-around great citizen who “shows up” for his community at Temecula Valley High School, as well as the wider community. His current goal is to study some form of political science or related field in hopes to eventually attend law school after graduating from a prestigious university such as Brigham Young University.  With that in mind, he has been a Legal Aid volunteer but is keeping his options open as he has led many other clubs at school including Pre-Med, Sports Medicine, Interact-Rotary, and served in student government in several capacities over the years. 

An avid student athlete, Bryce has honed his teamwork skills in basketball, football, track and golf. He has attained the Eagle Scout designation with Scouts of America and leaned into other service opportunities including Special Olympics, Helping Hands and many others. He is an accomplished musician and one of his favorite service commitments was playing his cello for retirement home audiences, bringing a smile to residents’ faces and some music to their daily lives. These performances were some of his favorite service memories because he loved seeing the light and joy that these performances brought to the residents and how much pleasure and gratitude they had as audience members. 

Bryce is a true scholar and a gentleman, and he is guaranteed to walk a path of service and scholarship into his future.

Jayden Lee – Chapter 1293 Great Oak High School
Adviser Diana Arban
Principal Amber Lane
Temecula Valley Unified School District

This is a student “gardener” who is sowing the seeds of success as he works toward his goals. Jayden has been a patient and focused scholar who uses the metaphor of gardening to provide illumination for how he sees life – the act of cultivating plants provides an important lesson that nurturing seeds is a small, incremental task that can eventually lead to a flowering future. 

Jayden has amassed a variety of experiences that have led directly to his goal of going to medical school to become a pediatrician after graduating from Duke with a biology degree. Supporting this goal, he was a Science Olympiad and participated in Guatemala Health Outreach in 2023 where he spent time in rural villages supporting free cataract surgeries for residents and education on hygiene and other health outcomes.  He also attended UCSD summer enrichment in math and science (COSMOS) in 2023 and was awarded an internship with Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills this past summer.

Gardening Club at Great Oaks High School will be one of his favorite memories and is where he has learned the importance of cultivation and patience working with his tennis team and environmental science teacher to rejuvenate and beautify an area of campus that had been neglected.  He cherishes these and all of the memories and lessons learned during his high school career and will utilize these lessons to enhance his life moving forward

Alessandra Pimentel – Chapter 1167 Paloma Valley High School
Adviser Michelle Allen
Principal Julie Mendoza-Blied
Perris Union High School District

This is a student who is reaching for the stars – literally.  Alessandra hopes to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a fighter pilot or an astronaut, whether through attending her dream school of the Air Force Academy or Cal Poly or a UC campus that offers mechanical or aerospace engineering degrees. To this end, she has earned accolades such as a scholarship for the Aim High Flight Academy, completed the US NAval Academy Summer Seminar, and gained an appointment from Ken Calvert, her California congressman for District 41. 

Alessandra sees her biggest strength as her ambition and grit – these qualities have nothing to do with competing with others, but in pushing herself to her own limits.  She has amassed strong leadership skills and community involvement through her many clubs, including Engineering Club where she was team captain, the Paloma Press as assistant editor, and as a volunteer with the March Field Air Museum. She is especially proud of the Youth Leaders of Menifee where she was able to interact with so many amazing people and feel the gratitude personally from the many participants. She has also won awards for her creative writing and poetry, in addition to many Paloma Valley High School academic and citizenship awards, demonstrating the diversity of her academic, community outreach, and leadership skills.

This young lady will be forging a new path forward – to infinity and beyond.

Michelle Quinonez – Chapter 1173 Santiago High School
Adviser Kathy Zeeb
Principal Kenny Torres
Corona-Norco Unified School District

Michelle has used her experience to inform her message – and has used this to share ideas about innovation and having a positive outlook through her two Santiago TedX talks.  Having this positive mindset is one reason that she aspires to a career in medicine as she navigates a biology major at UC Irvine on the road to becoming a pediatrician. She doesn’t wish simply to be a medical professional, but to be the type of doctor who shares empathy for her patients and their humanity by acknowledging the limits of science and the power and warmth of human compassion.

She has shown this type of leadership and compassion at Santiago High School and beyond,  as a Kaiser Summer Youth Volunteer, Corona’s Mayor Youth Council and clubs such as Partners in Health, Speech/Debate, and French Club, all of which she held leadership positions.   As CSF secretary in her junior year and president in her senior year, Michelle was instrumental in club rush, fundraising, campus beautification efforts and many activities that supported college admissions for all students.

Michelle is proud of her work with the speech and debate club, which was a step outside of her comfort zone, but led to her successful TedX talks and an increasing strength in public and interpersonal speaking and communication. She will definitely be a strong advocate for others moving into the future.

Santiago Emilio Valle – Chapter 999 Ocean View High School
Adviser Robert Gonzalez
Principal Rob Rasmussen
Huntington Beach Union High School District

Santiago believes that leadership and compassion go hand in hand, and he has embodied caring leadership with his chosen experiences. He hopes that his leadership has inspired others, as he sees true leadership as a form of empowerment rather than of “power.” He has honed his leadership through his work with Model United Nations, where he won Best Delegate in 2022, and continues to combine his version of service through Scouts of America, where his connection to conservation has had a chance to thrive through the Urban Forest and Shipley Nature Center where he has volunteered his time. He is on track to earn his Eagle Scout this year and is working on building a coffee cart that will fund student needs at his high school from coffee sales to district and school site employees. 

Santiago interned with Boeing this past summer that had an 8-person team working to design a Solar Weather and Irradiance Measurement System. In addition, he has served as president of the Robotics team for two years and has been an active member since his freshman year. In his limited spare time, he was able to earn a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and started the Balsamic Vinegar Aficionados club on campus at Ocean View High School. 

Matthew plans to attend Montana State or Johns Hopkins and major in some form of genetic or bioengineering.  His tenacity is sure to propel him toward his goals, wherever those may lead.