Each year, Voices for Utah Children celebrates the leaders and advocates who go above and beyond. The Student Advocate Award and Scholarship is awarded to a Utah high school junior or senior who is making an impact in their community.
This award comes with a $2500.00 unrestricted scholarship. Nominees must live in the State of Utah and be a junior or senior in high school during the current academic year.
Nomination Guidelines
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Nominations must be submitted by a student’s teacher, mentor, community leader, or another associate who can speak to the student’s achievements, advocacy efforts, and community involvement. Please note that submissions from immediate family members or close relatives are not eligible.
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Selection is based on a student’s contributions, leadership, and community impact, not academic performance or GPA. We highly recommend including all relevant information highlighting your student’s advocacy, community involvement, and achievements. Our selection committee’s decisions are based solely on the details provided in the nomination form.
- The selected awardee must be available to attend annual Breakfast of Community Champions event, family and friends are invited to join.
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Nominations for our 2027 scholarship will open in March or April. Follow us on social media, sign up for our emails, or check back here for updates!
Meet Our Student Advocate Awardees
This year, Voices for Utah Children was proud to award two scholarship awards, made possible by the generous support of the Andrus Family Foundation. Natalie Winn and Ahmed Jamal Ahmed were honored at our annual Breakfast of Children’s Champions on October 16, 2026.
Natalie Winn, Grand County High School
“The most important thing that every adult can do is just listen. You don’t have to provide all the answers. You don’t have to know everything. Sometimes what we want is just someone that can sit down and listen to us. I think that’s something that a lot of adults sometimes forget is that sometimes we just want someone to listen to us.”
Natalie leads with heart in her school and her community. She serves as Student Body Vice President, National Honor Society President, and Science Olympiad Captain, balancing those leadership roles with a strong commitment to her education. Through her mentoring work at the Moab Valley Multicultural Center, she supports others and gives back to her community. Outside of school and leadership, Natalie plays the violin, and her favorite movie is Project Hail Mary, a fitting choice for someone who loves science and problem-solving. She plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry at the University of Utah.
Ahmed Jamal Ahmed, Logan High School
“Adults can fuel the young and fuel the next generation. If anyone in here is all in for intergenerational justice we can all agree that the way we reach our children can help our politics, our scientific innovations, and society in general. Every one of us as a whole.”
Ahmed carries forward a value his father, a former teacher, instilled in him: education creates opportunity and strengthens communities. As an early member of Logan Refugee Services and part of its first Youth Council, he helps with outreach, event planning, and the community garden to make Logan a welcoming place for refugees and asylum seekers. He also competes in wrestling and speech and debate, has shadowed a disease investigator at the Bear River Health Department, and has worked as a bioengineering research assistant at Utah State University on research related to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Ahmed plans to study molecular biology.
Past Recipients
- 2025: Nancy Hernandez, American Preparatory Academy
- 2024: Paula R. Cervantes Zamarripa (Taylorsville HS) and Danae Gallegos (Ogden HS)
- 2023: Stella Hegngi, Murray High School
- 2021: Karen Sanchez-Garcia, Highland High School
- 2020: Emma Greally, Sam Campbell, & Kate Parker, Park City High School
- 2019: Eneli Silva, North Sanpete High School
Support Our Student Advocates
If you are interested in supporting our Student Advocate Scholarship award, please consider making a donation. Under “Special Instructions,” be sure to note that your gift is for the Student Advocate Scholarship Award. Your support is deeply appreciated and helps us uplift the next generation of community leaders.
