Rotarian Vincent Chiravalle presents a Distinguished Student of Service certificate to Los Alamos High School junior Hailey Duran, on behalf of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos as her parents James and Agoyo Duran, and her grandmother Pearl Talachy share the moment, May 13, at the United Church of Los Alamos. Photo by Victoria Garcia.

ROTARY NEWS RELEASE

BY VINCENT CHIRAVALLE
Rotary Club of Los Alamos

The motto of Rotary is Service above Self. To support this motto in each academic year, the Rotary Club of Los Alamos honors “Distinguished Students of Service” in their junior year of high school. Students are first nominated by their teachers who are asked to select those who:

 Have given positive contributions to their high school and/or in the community;
 Have a good attitude toward learning;
 Are good citizens, are respectful of their peers and teachers; and
 Have good grades, attendance and classroom participation.

The Club then selects students based on demonstrated spirit of service and exemplification of the Rotary 4 Way Test:

 Is it the truth?
 Is it fair to all concerned?
 Will it build good will and better friendships?
 Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

On May 13 the Rotary Club of Los Alamos presented Hailey Duran, a Los Alamos High School Junior with a Distinguished Student of Service award. Hailey is indeed one who has made service part of her life and she is a very well-rounded student. Hailey is a member of the Native American Club, being newly appointed to serve as the club’s president, and a member of the Tesuque Pueblo Youth Coalition, an organization that focuses on youth development, mental health, healthy relationships, and overall well-being of young people. She is also a first year Track and Field athlete at LAHS who competes in the high jump and the 800 m and 1600 m race events. In addition to these activities Hailey has volunteered for numerous service activities including the Tesuque Pueblo Summer Youth Program for children ages 5 to 11, Annual Plaza Cleanup in Nambe and Tesuque Pueblos, involving weeding, cleaning the church and kivas, and mud plastering the kiva and community house, as well as volunteering in community holiday events as Santa’s helper to wrap and give gifts to children, and contributing to the creation of a community haunted house on Halloween.

In her essay Hailey shared with the Club one of the challenges facing today’s youth; namely anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation among the youth. In her essay Hailey talked about her involvement with the Tesuque Pueblo Youth Coalition and attending Bully Awareness, Suicide Prevention, and Substance Abuse Prevention workshops which have equipped her with the tools and skillset for self-improvement, and prepared her to serve as a mentor and role model for younger community members. Hailey described her community involvement and desire to help young people as follows,

“I have helped host community events for Tesuque Pueblo, such as Halloween and Christmas events. By finding ways to connect with the younger generation I have created a safe, loving, and uplifting environment for them to feel valued. I want nothing more than to see the youth flourish. My intentions mean well. I am a late night phone call, a trip to the ice cream store, a walking partner, and a set of ears to be called on when needed. I work hard in ensuring that each kid feels safe, seen and supported. Love and laughter above all will continue to strengthen myself and my community. Together we are strong.”

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos feels that this is a very worthy effort and commends Hailey for her service to the youth in New Mexico.

When receiving the award Hailey was joined by her parents James and Agoyo Duran, and her grandmother Pearl Talachy. Rotarian Vincent Chiravalle conducted the award ceremony.