Christina Rodrigo, 15, Boca Raton High
(Robert Duyos, Sun Sentinel / January 4, 2009)
Though only in second grade at the time, Christina remembers 9-11 vividly. She lived in Long Island then and recalls her school's evacuation and 9-11 stories permeating conversations for months.
"It was really scary," she says. "I'll remember that for the rest of my life."
Coming of age during this decade doesn't make it easy to stay optimistic, she says. But it has made her a more critical thinker. She hears so many opposing views, "I definitely question a lot of things. When I hear people talk on the radio about the president or politicians, I question. Are these people right or wrong?"
An avid photographer, Christina thinks big changes can come from small efforts. She volunteers for Boca Helping Hands, a non-profit that provides food and assistance programs, by taking photographs of events. At Boca Raton High, where shes a sophomore, she's in a school club mentoring special-needs students.
Quote: "I'm going to keep volunteering in the future. If everyone donated a little bit of time, they could make things a lot better. The power of one person to change something is incredible."
