One Lima Senior High School student is changing the lives of people around her one day at a time through volunteerism and mentorship.
Giving back to the community is something that 17-year-old Aubree Flowers says has always been important to her.
"Volunteering means a lot to me because it allows me to be available to others," said Flowers.
Over the past three years, she has volunteered at a number of different events like Diva's Den, Night to Shine, and the Buddy Walk. She is also the CEO of the Lima Senior's DECA program and a mentor through Big Spartans, Little Spartans.
But her favorite activity she has worked on is the Joy Project, an initiative that promotes kindness, inclusiveness, and generosity.
"The Joy Project is very special to me because it’s something that I lived through and it’s something that I was able to be a lead in," said Flowers.
Flowers's commitment to helping others and giving freely of her time are qualities that the DECA advisor Christina Hood says makes her such a great leader.
"She’s just always looking for ways to make the community better, to help people in need, and she’s just a fantastic student," said Hood. "She’s a great role model."
Becoming a youth 2020 Jefferson Award winner is such a great honor to Flowers and she says it just proves to her that she is capable of accomplishing anything.
"Through all of this volunteer work, through all of this school stuff, through all of the jobs, I was able to keep continuing to be great," said Flowers. "So it does mean a lot and it’s like my hard work is paying off."
