State of Our Nations Youth Report 2008 - Student Biographies

Sarah Barrett, 17, is a junior at Norris High School in Lincoln, Neb. An honors student, Sarah placed first overall in persuasive speech at both the district and state conference. She is a member of her high school Varsity Show Choir and has been cast in several prominent roles in school plays, including Bebette in Beauty and the Beast. Sarah serves as vice president of the Norris High Student Council and is editor of her high school yearbook. She plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and major in English Education. After college, Sarah would like to be a high school teacher.

Anjelika Blackman, 14, is from Fredericksburg, Va, where she will enter Riverbend High School in the fall. She participated in the first-ever Spotsylvania Middle School Great Debaters Invitational, where she and her team placed first. Determined to succeed, Anjelika hopes to become a doctor and fluent in Spanish. She is looking forward to participating in track and debate as a high school student.

Devron Lovick, 16, is a junior at Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School in Philadelphia, Pa. An active member of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Council (PASC), Devron is vice president of the Hatboro-Horsham Student Council after serving last year as the treasurer. He is an honors student who enjoys participating in his high school fall drama and spring musical productions while competing in district choir. Devron is also a Cappies Critic, which has allowed him the opportunity to attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish reviews in local newspapers, such as The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post. After high school, Devron would like to attend NYU for musical theater or Columbia University, where he intends to major in English and Psychology, and eventually go into law.

Thomas Maranges, 18, recently graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In high school, Tommy ran cross-country, where he served as co-captain of the varsity team and even ran in the 2008 Miami Marathon. An amateur comedian, Tommy is a National Merit Scholar Finalist, a Harvard National Student Congress Finalist, a 2007 Global Issues Summit participant at Notre Dame, and was a contestant on Jeopardy! Summer Games Teen Tournament in 2007. A National Honor student, Tommy graduated with a 4.7 GPA and will be attending Notre Dame University, where he plans to major in Theology/Philosophy with concentrations in Ethics, Logic, and Mariology.

David Miller, 17, is a senior at Livermore High School in Livermore, Calif. An honors student, David is a member of his high school debate club and is Co-President of the Interact Club, an organization that coordinates community services activities in and around Livermore High School. At his church, he serves as the youth representative to the Elder Board and donates many hours to serving his church community and attending mission trips. David is interested in current affairs and enjoys writing articles for his journalism class on Israel and Palestine, where he recently returned from a mission trip. David hopes to one day become a U.S. Senator.

Jacqueline Jewell, 15, is a sophomore at The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. Jackie is a member of her high school JV soccer team and runs track. As a Girl Scout, Jackie obtained the rank of junior and received her Gold and Silver Award before deciding she wanted to devote more time to her studies. Although she is no longer involved with Girl Scouts, Jackie remains active in her community through her church youth group, where she participates in mission trips with her church family. Jackie is passionate about art and design and hopes to major in fashion design and play soccer in college.