United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) asked high school seniors across the region what they saw as the biggest need in the community – and what ideas they had to address that need – in its first annual Youth United Contest.
Thirty students from the Iron Range, Koochiching County, and Lake of the County responded, and seven have been named finalists.
“Through this contest, we wanted to both introduce our United Way and the concept of community involvement to our region’s future leaders as well as give students in our community a platform to have their voices and concerns heard,” said UWNEMN Executive Director. “We were thrilled by the level of participation and so impressed by every single response; selecting finalists was not an easy decision.”
Finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
- Wrenna Galloway, Rock Ridge High School, is a member of the Rock Ridge Mountain Biking Club and sees recreational sports as a powerful way to address mental and physical hardships. She proposed UWNEMN partner with local recreation teams to increase their availability and youth participation. She plans to enter the forestry program at either University of Wisconsin Stevens Point or the University of Montana Missoula.
- Bodi George, Rock Ridge High School, identified a need to help local parents better understand their students’ homework. He proposed working with schools to create organized packets with curriculum, teaching methods, and resources like tips on navigating schools’ online tools and apps, as well as virtual tutors to address transportation and cost barriers. He plans to attend North Dakota State University to major in civil engineering.
- Dylan Horvath, Hibbing High School, volunteered at UWNEMN’s Meet Up and Chow Down free summer lunch program last year and was inspired by the impact his conversations had on young children visiting the site. He proposed a program that would match teen mentors with elementary students. He plans to attend University of Minnesota Twin Cities and double major in chemistry and Spanish.
- Ellie Norvitch, Rock Ridge High School, sees funding local arts programs as a key component to attracting and retaining an Iron Range population. She proposed funding to support and grow arts programs and outlined the potential impacts on health and wellbeing this can have. She plans to attend the College of Saint Scholastica, to major in political science on the pre-law track with minors in civil studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.
- Victoria Olson, North Woods School, sees both a need for social activities for youth in her community and a beautiful but underutilized community center. She proposed free events tailored to different age groups to build social connections and improve mental wellbeing. She plans to attend University of Minnesota Crookston to major in Elementary Education
- Yilikal Schiro, Lake of the Woods School, volunteers with his local community center and Legion fundraiser and has found volunteering as a positive social outlet. He proposed UWNEMN partner with schools to promote volunteerism and address the social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. He plans to attend University of North Dakota to major in mechanical engineering.
- Jersey Yernatich, Mountain Iron Buhl Public School, is a CNA and has noticed the impact social isolation has on senior citizens in our community. She proposed funding or item drives to provide social and cognitive activities for those in long-term care facilities. She plans to attend Minnesota North College in Hibbing to obtain her associate of science degree in nursing.
Finalists were selected by UWNEMN’s Community Impact Committee. Committee members first reviewed anonymous submissions then selected semi-finalists to interview.
“You can rest easy knowing the future of our region is in good hands,” said UWNEMN Board President and Community Impact Committee Member LaTisha Gietzen. “These students are thoughtful, engaged community members, and we are so honored for the opportunity to support them in their future endeavors with a cash prize.”
$10,000 in scholarship funds have been distributed among the finalists. The contest was sponsored in part by NewRange Copper Nickel as well as UWNEMN’s Community Impact Fund thanks to the support of local donors.
The 2024-2025 Youth United contest opens to all high school seniors across UWNEMN’s service area including the Iron Range, Koochiching County, and Lake of the Woods County on November 1.
Read the winning 2023-2024 Youth United entries and learn more about the 2024-2025 contest here.