YMCA Hands Out First Teen Character Awards

Ryan Dowd has never started a company as successful as Facebook. He has never climbed Mt. Everest. He has never won a Grammy award.

“I’m not particularly successful by some people’s definition of success,” the executive director of Aurora’s Hesed House told a group of students and their families Thursday night at . “I’m just an adult who still hasn’t figured out he can’t save the world.”

But Dowd, the keynote speaker of the first Teen Character Awards ceremony, told the 37 students who were nominated they don’t have to grow up.

“Not if growing up means giving up on trying to save the world,” he said.

The Teen Character Awards were designed to honor those teens between the ages of 12 and 18 who model the YMCA's four core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Members of the community were invited to nominate local teens for the honor.

“You’re here tonight because you still think you can make a difference,” said Dowd, an alum. “So what would I tell such a group of young, naive, idealistic fools? Don’t ever apologize for trying to save the world. If you have the opportunity to care for someone during their darkest hour, you take it. If you have the opportunity to help someone reach their brightest moment, you take it.”

Every teen nominated received a plaque for being named a Teen of Character. Five of the 37 students were also recognized during the ceremony as being Teens of Distinction for their longevity of volunteer service, and received $500 savings bonds sponsored by and .

Those Teens of Distinction included Patrick Graff, Jackie Grimm, Kalina O’Brien, Bria Eubanks and Ben Wooley.

Laura Grabavoy, who sits on the Oswego YMCA board of directors, which helped pick the Teens of Distinction, said it was hard to narrow the awards to only five students.

“They all had done such great things,” she said.

O’Brien, a sophomore at OHS, has gone on two mission trips to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and recently assisted flood victims in Kentucky. She said she was surprised to be named one of the Teens of Distinction.

“This is amazing,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

Fellow winner Jackie Grimm, a junior at Oswego High School and a frequent volunteer for events, was also surprised.

“There were a lot of teens that deserved it,” she said.

an Oswego High School alum and president of the Character Counts! Coalition of Oswego and Montgomery, also spoke during Thursday night’s ceremony.

Adorjan said while some might paint today’s youth as being stuck inside on Facebook or playing Halo, he told the group of students nominated for the Teen Character Awards they “prove the nay-sayers wrong.”

“Saving the world is sometimes as simple as doing things because you know it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “Tonight we celebrate you and all that you have done and will continue to do.”

• Amanda Muscato
• Patrick Graff
• Skyler Pawa
• Bria Eubanks
• Jake Zentmyer
• Arielle McHugh
• Andrae Holliday
• Jackie Grimm
• Chad Marsh
• Kyla Price
• Ben Wooley
• Kalina O'Brien
• Daisy Oceguera
• Erin Engram
• Christopher Hernandez
• Christian Hernandez
• Angel Espinoza
• McKenzie Richards
• Spencer Teiken
• Alecia Sahatdijian
• Jodie MaKara
• Tyler Selvig
• Emma McCullough
• Megan Rasmussen
• Megan Anderson
• Nathanial Darby
• Skylr Quaid
• Dazhey Washington
• Kamilla Madsen
• Jacob Dietz
• Morgan Sumowski
• Mollie Hoffman
• Emily Moran
• Tori Hinz
• Kelly Brauweiler
• Samantha Sadler
• Marissa Gutowski

Editor's note: Two corrections have been made to this story. First, the savings bond award is for $500. Secondly, Bria Eubanks was one of five Teens of Distinction winners. We regret the errors.