'Making The World A Better Place': Manhattan Beach Star Student

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Chris Bright who nominated Justin of Manhattan Beach. Bright is the Head of School at Vistamar School in El Segundo, where Justin is a junior.

Star local student’s name

Justin Huebner (11th grade)

Star local student’s home state

California

How do you know the star local student?

Justin is a junior at Vistamar School in El Segundo, CA where I am Head of School

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?

Currently a junior at Vistamar School, Justin has flourished as a visible leader among the students, staff, and faculty. The Vistamar faculty selected him to serve in several student leadership roles, including:

• Student Honor Council,
• Vistamar Ambassador Leadership Team
• Student Hiring Committee.

He is also the Founder and Club Lead for the Vistamar Social Impact Club. In addition, Justin was the only junior co-captain on both the Varsity Flag Football and Varsity Basketball teams.

In the classroom, Justin has realized solid academic success with a 4.0 unweighted / 4.5 weighted GPA while taking a very rigorous schedule, including 7 APs and 5 Honors courses. More importantly, Justin helps other students by serving as both a Math and Writing tutor (the only student selected by the faculty to tutor both Math and Writing).

Vistamar's Director of Life Planning, Gregg Murray, commented, "Every time Justin's name comes up in faculty discussions, they gush like they've met a celebrity."

Outside Vistamar, Justin has pursued learning entrepreneurship and finance by completing the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania's Essentials of Finance program and Columbia University's Academic Immersion program in Finance and Investment Management. Justin has turned this interest in entrepreneurship and finance into a passion for social impact work.

Currently, Justin is working as an intern supporting the missions of the WOCstar Fund and Ally Capital Collab. WOCstar is an early-stage venture capital fund founded by women of color that invest in women of color entrepreneurs and diverse teams. Ally Capital Collab is a public charity whose mission is to solve the problem of under-investment in BIPOC companies. As part of his work for these organizations, Justin is conducting primary research under a Ph.D. candidate in Management and Ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Justin's research is focused on the effect of a venture capital fund manager's race and gender on capital raising and whether venture capitalists of color have improved access to capital post-George Floyd. In addition, Justin is currently writing a research-based book, Capital, Entrepreneurialism & Diversity – a Win-Win Proposition (expected publication Aug 2023), outlining the financial and social case for capital investment in entrepreneurs of color and diverse teams.

During a gap year abroad after 8th grade, Justin witnessed first-hand the challenge of food insecurity in developing countries. Inspired to make a difference, Justin co-founded and serves as President of International Support for the Impacted (ISI – www.is-impacted.org). ISI is a nonprofit fighting food insecurity by providing food aid grants to individuals struggling to feed their families due to loss of work from the pandemic, natural disasters, or political disruption.

From its inception in 2020 to date, ISI grants have provided 39,983 meals to families and schools in nine countries, including Turkey, Syria, Guatemala, Myanmar, Peru, Indonesia, Egypt, Antigua, and India.

"One aspect of ISI that really motivates me is seeing the joy we bring to the people we are helping," Justin observed. "Receiving a picture from a family with their food holding up a 'thank you ISI' sign always brightens my day."

As part of earning his Eagle Scout Rank and Silver Palm Award with Hermosa Beach's Boy Scout Troop 860, Justin completed his Eagle Scout service project repurposing Vistamar's out-of-service flower garden beds to create a sustainable ecosystem for growing herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The food is used in the school's cafeteria and helps contribute to the school's mission of food equity for all students.

Utilizing his leadership skills, intellectual curiosity, and passion for social impact work, Justin plans to help make a difference in addressing society's challenges of under-investment in entrepreneurs of color and food insecurity. Justin notes, "by embracing my passions and acting on them, I hope to realize my goal of making the world a better place with a brighter future."

South Bay Magazine recently selected Justin as one of nine students in their Faces of the Future feature, recognizing South Bay teens making a meaningful impact within and beyond their communities.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?

Justin is an established, active leader in the Vistamar community who demonstrates genuine kindness and a desire to help others. In addition, his research is a true reflection of Vistamar's founding principle of embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Justin Huebner (11th grade)!

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