Press Release - Manchester Proud announces winners of 4th Annual Student Volunteer Award

Press Release – Manchester Proud announces winners of 4th Annual Student Volunteer Award

Written by Aimee Kereage

Jun | 25 | 2025

Manchester Proud, an organization working to champion student success within the Manchester School District through community engagement and community partnerships, presented its 2025 Student Volunteer Awards at the Manchester School District Welcome center in partnership with Mayor Jay Ruais and Project Happy. The 4th annual awards were presented to seven high school students. The award, which includes a $500 or $125 prize, was created to recognize Manchester School District students who show exceptional commitment to volunteerism.

The award winners for 2025, are:

• Lauren Halle, Junior, Central High School
• Thomas Martineau, Senior, Central High School
• Norto Noor, Senior, Central High School
• Jenny Van, Senior, Memorial High School
• Jonathan Reyes Santos, Senior, MST
• Yousif Al Kahani, Senior, West High School
• Andy Pham, Senior, West High School
• Jonathan Reyes Santos, Senior, MST

The recipients were selected from all those who applied for the award and received endorsement from a community member. On behalf of the Manchester Proud Council, We are proud of all the applicants, especially the award winners, who stood out in ways we didn’t realize was possible!

All students who attend Manchester public high schools are eligible to apply. Every submission requires an application filled out by the student in which they outline their volunteer experiences and respond to several questions, along with a recommendation from an adult who can vouch for their service. Grades were not a consideration in the judging. We look forward to seeing next year’s applications.

Our winners impacted the community in many ways and here is a representation of organizations they have collaborated with:

Team 131 Chaos, Katie’s Closet, Boy Scouts of America, Threads of Hope, Student Advocacy Group, Brookside Church, CMC, Alzheimer’s Research, Key Club, CelebratED, M-Power Advisory Board, Youth Council, Peer Tutoring, LGBTQIA+, National Art Society, Hillside band, and the Manchester Community Library.

We will leave you with this quote and hope you’re inspired to volunteer in a community that has meaning to you.

“Volunteering didn’t just teach me to lead-it taught me to see people: to meet silence with presence, pain with patience, and judgment with understanding. These moments changed me, and they continue to shape who I want to become.” -Student Volunteer Award Winner

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The power of building and tending to community partnerships is a multiplier, expanding our collective knowledge, expertise, experience, capacity, resources, opportunity, and commitment to our common goal of excellence and equity for all learners. The old saying that, “Two heads are better than one”, certainly applies to our work, and we are so very fortunate to have many, many heads contributing to the success of our District.