Las Vegas Sun presents: High School Heroes 2026

It’s our privilege at Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Weekly to once again shine light on the remarkable acts of heroism, generosity, selflessness and community commitment exhibited by our region’s youngest leaders. Many of us have witnessed extraordinary young people go above and beyond to help others and thought, “This should be recognized.” Our High School Heroes awards program does exactly that—and this year’s class may be the most inspiring yet. Among this year’s honorees: a teenager who performed CPR on his neighbor during a cardiac emergency, two students who launched a program feeding our homeless community, a young woman fighting period poverty in Nigeria and a passionate advocate working alongside Mothers Against Drunk Driving to save lives on our roads. These are just glimpses of the remarkable stories you’re about to read. Each one is a reminder that heroism has no age requirement. This week, we celebrate Las Vegas’ young heroes. Enjoy.

Best Volunteer Project

Ishan Abraham, Faith Lutheran

When Ishan Abraham visited a senior center to host a workshop through his nonprofit TechBud, it took the attendees 20 minutes to find the phone icon on their smart phone. For Abraham, a senior at Faith Lutheran High School, that moment crystallized the urgency of his mission.

In 2022, Abraham founded TechBud after a neighbor was scammed out of several thousand dollars when a hacker impersonated his mother’s email, telling the neighbor the family was in trouble on a vacation and needed money.

Recognizing the vulnerability seniors faced to both cybercrime and technological challenges, he took action. He recruited and trained volunteers to deliver educational seminars and hands-on assistance throughout the Las Vegas Valley, leading presentations at his church’s senior adult ministry, retired public employee groups, senior living facilities, individual in-home sessions and aging wellness expos.

“This is such a big issue facing seniors,” Abraham said. “We take pride in working with them.”

He also integrated TechBud into Faith Lutheran’s National Honor Society, organizing a large-scale service event in September 2025.

Beyond cybersecurity, Abraham teaches practical skills—texting, email, photo sharing, social media and basic device navigation—so seniors can stay connected with family and the world around them.

Since its founding, TechBud has assisted more than 3,000 seniors. He’ll even make house calls to get a printer installed.

What distinguishes Abraham is his commitment to sustainability—building TechBud into an organization that will continue serving the community long after he graduates.

“It’s awesome to feel like you are making a difference in the life of a senior,” he said.

Cultural Advocate of the Year

Penelope Tasca, Bishop Gorman

At just 16 years old, Penelope Tasca has already built something most adults never will—a thriving nonprofit making a measurable difference in the lives of Las Vegas students.

Approximately two years ago, the Bishop Gorman High School junior founded Bright Minds Las Vegas, an organization that designs, creates and donates laminated, reusable math and sight-word worksheets to underserved youth throughout the Valley.

What began as a modest donation effort to organizations like The Shade Tree, SafeNest and LV Reach quickly grew into something far more expansive.

Bright Minds now partners with After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada and Clark County School District. The organization has donated more than 15,000 reusable worksheets.

“I want to help those kids who don’t have an educational advantage,” she said.

Tasca recently enrolled Bright Minds in the Focus School Project, CCSD’s adopt-a-school initiative, pairing her organization with Reedom Elementary School, where she plans to participate in tutoring.

This past summer, she was selected for a fellowship through the Dragon Kim Foundation, through which Bright Minds organized four two-hour math workshops—one at each YMCA of Southern Nevada location—serving 194 campers ages 5 to 13. Campers learned fractions by assembling paper pizzas, explored measurement while mixing slime, and studied geometry by crafting animals from shapes.

Tasca says she has been fortunate enough to attend well-funded schools with engaged parents. Her mission is simple: extend that same opportunity to every child who deserves it.

“You never know how one donation can inspire a child,” she said.

Team Project of the Year

Matthew Indukuri and Jacob Gibson, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas

When Matthew Indukuri and Jacob Gibson packed meals and hygiene kits and headed to the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas to distribute them, their first donation day was an education.

They learned that the region has roughly 8,000 people experiencing homelessness—and that laws prevent people from feeding the unhoused, regardless of good intention.

Rather than give up, the Coral Academy of Science classmates and lifelong friends adapted.

They coordinated with a local restaurant to use its kitchen for packing meals, turning a logistical obstacle into an opportunity to grow. What began with a handful of classmates blossomed into dozens of volunteers across multiple schools.

Their organization, Homeless Haven Foundation, distributes approximately 700 bags every two weeks, reaches more than 2,500 people, and delivers more than 800 pounds of food weekly—a remarkable achievement for a student-led initiative.

“We aren’t doing this for awards,” Indukuri stressed. “This is about being there for someone in need.”

Every two weeks, volunteers gather to prepare and distribute food, clothing and hygiene supplies—with a commitment to ensuring that those receiving them are treated with dignity. It’s common for volunteers to linger, spending time in conversation with the people they’re helping.

Gibson and Indukuri do a little bit of everything: securing supplies, organizing volunteers and drop logistics, and expanding the foundation’s reach. Together, they have built something rooted in genuine compassion.

“Something as simple as a meal gives hope to a person,” Gibson said. “I’ve learned we are really blessed to have the things we have in our life.”

Best Global Impact

Melody Li, West Career and Technical Academy

The BLOOM Health Movement didn’t start as a movement—it started as a conversation.

Rooted in Las Vegas and reaching far beyond it, BLOOM grew from what Melody Li built in Bauchi State, Nigeria: a menstrual health education initiative shaped by weekly calls with healthcare workers, community surveys, and workshops designed around the lives of the women and children she served.

Over the course of a year, she helped around 50 women make DIY sustainable pads and created spaces where menstrual hygiene could finally be talked about openly, and without shame.

“In Nigeria, it’s socially taboo to talk about menstrual health,” said Li, a 17-year-old senior. “I’m grateful to have (the movement) come to life.”

The work extended to Las Vegas.

She interviewed healthcare professionals and leadership with Project Marilyn—a group providing menstrual products to those lacking access—to gain more knowledge on period poverty. Then she got to work by distributing period kits on high school campuses and community centers. She also organized supply drives to meet tangible needs.

The movement grew a social media presence, amplifying a conversation that often goes unheard. She turned a personal initiative into a movement that speaks to the experiences of women around the world.

“As a teenager you can be involved in health care and social issues,” she said. “It’s important to be heard. You are never too young to act and make a difference in the community.”

Environmental Helper

Fisher Parry, Palo Verde

Fisher Parry was working a booth at the Earth Day Celebration at the Springs Preserve when a couple stopped by mentioning they still had grass in their backyard.

Parry, a teenage volunteer with the Youth Conservation Council, walked them through the benefits of drought-tolerant landscaping, explaining how the ongoing drought was shrinking water available from the Colorado River and why every household’s contribution mattered.

The following year, Parry was back at the same booth when the couple returned to tell him that because of his encouragement, they had their turf removed.

“I love living here. It is the greatest city on earth,” said Parry, a Palo Verde senior. “I want to have a family here. We have to protect the water we have.”

Parry joined the Youth Conservation Council as a freshman. Hosted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, it gives high school students community service hours while learning about water issues critical to the region.

The West has been gripped by a two-decade drought that has reduced flows through the Colorado River and its tributaries, draining the reservoirs communities depend on.

Now chairman of the roughly 30-member council, he leads peers examining the water challenges facing their community and developing strategies for environmental stewardship.

“I’ve been here four years, made some great friends and have been exposed to a lot of good ideas,” Parry said. “We all want the same thing in making a difference in the community.”

Heroic Act

Jamie Parga, Las Vegas High

Jamie Parga was doing yardwork for his neighbor when she stepped outside to greet him. Sheila Carter, 60, didn’t look right, Parga recalled—and within moments, she collapsed, her face turning purple.

Carter was going into cardiac arrest. Thanks to Parga, it wouldn’t be fatal. The 16-year-old immediately began performing life-saving chest compressions, keeping her alive until first responders arrived. Carter was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where she recovered.

Carter is blunt when reflecting on that day—January 23. “I’m disabled. I live alone. He saved my life. If he didn’t act, I was dead.”

Had Parga hesitated, Carter said, “it would have been brain damage.”

When the 911 operator began walking Parga through life-saving measures, the instructions sounded familiar. Parga had earned his CPR and AED certification through a class at Las Vegas High School—and he’d been carrying that card in his wallet ever since.

“My adrenaline was rushing,” he says. “I was thinking, this is what I trained for.”

In the established east Las Vegas neighborhood near Charleston and Nellis boulevards, residents have known each other so long that many consider themselves family. Carter is no exception—she remembers the day Parga came home from the hospital as a newborn, and watched his siblings grow up alongside him.

“You couldn’t ask for a better kid to be your neighbor, and not just because he saved my life,” Carter said. “He loves his family, loves helping his parents. He’s such a smart young man.”

The experience may have given Parga more than just a story to tell—it’s inspired him to consider a career as a first responder, he says.

Best Community Partner 

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

The final bell rings at Sierra Vista High School, and a parade of students begins the short walk to the Windmill Library.

Many think of libraries as quiet havens stocked with books and little else. But for these students—and the countless others who visit the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District’s 25 branches—there is so much more.

Today’s modern library offers podcast recording equipment, a tech lab, employment resources, job preparation tools and volunteer opportunities, among other amenities like 3D printers.

Those Sierra Vista students making a beeline to the branch are far from alone. The library district reports that 51,380 customers between the ages of 12 and 18 hold library accounts, with 10,433 currently having at least one item checked out.

For Kelvin Watson, the library district’s executive director, the appeal runs much deeper than the offerings themselves. Teens are finding something harder to quantify at their local branch: a sense of culture and community.

Watson’s office is located inside the Windmill branch, where he often watches in amazement as teenagers thrive in the hours after class. Whether it’s the well-placed bean bag chairs, a dedicated gaming area, or specialized homework assistance, students have made their local library a place of genuine enrichment, he said.

“When I hear people make comments about our teens not coming to a library I can counter that—no, I see them coming to the library every day,” Watson said. “I go down and see them connecting with each other and using the resources.”

The success stories are hard to ignore, Watson said.

Consider one teen who was a regular at the Whitney Library in east Las Vegas. After attending a teen empowerment summit hosted by the district, they were encouraged to pursue higher education—and did. That student is now thriving at UNLV, while still checking in with the support system at the branch, Watson said.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, the library district has already offered 1,497 programs for teens, drawing a combined attendance of 16,255 visitors. All programs and resources are free.

“This is their space,” Watson said of the dedicated teen zones at each branch. “We want them to feel comfortable here.”

Best Social Impact

Francesca Srinarayana, Clark

Long before Francesca Srinarayana was born, a drunk driver nearly killed her mother. That story never left her.

Now a sophomore at Clark High School, Srinarayana has channeled that family history into four years of volunteer work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, where she helps develop programs to combat impaired driving and curb underage drinking.

The cause is urgent in her own backyard: last year, 54 people died in impaired driving incidents within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s jurisdiction alone.

“That could be anybody. That could be me,” Srinarayana said. “That could be one of my friends.”

Srinarayana has been volunteering since she was in seventh grade. That was about the time she heard the full story of how her mom, as a college student not much older than Srinarayana is now, survived being struck by a drunk driver while crossing the street.

Flor Bernal, MADD’s regional executive director for Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, brought the teenager along to a meeting with U.S. Rep. Susie Lee to advocate for the HALT Drunk Driving Act—legislation that would require all new vehicles to be equipped with built-in technology designed to prevent impaired driving.

“We love to see her thriving in the community and setting an example for more youth to be a part of the solution,” Bernal said.

Volunteer of the Year

Sophia Booth, Silverado

Sophia Booth, 16, doesn’t slow down when it comes to service.

She founded the nonprofit Girls Together to empower K–12 girls through mentorship, leadership development, literacy access and advocacy. The organization started with five classmates at Silverado three years ago and has grown to 250 members, with chapters in Washington D.C., Minnesota and New York. She has mentored students at each chapter to replicate the work.

Girls Together has donated over $15,000 worth of books, clothing, hygiene items and toys to organizations across Las Vegas.

“Each project was thoughtfully planned, student-led, and executed with care for the dignity of those receiving support,” wrote Natasa Eric, her advisor at Silverado, in nominating her for the award.

Booth also spearheaded the “End Period Poverty in CCSD” campaign—conducting student-driven research, gathering survey data and producing fact sheets—to advocate for legislation requiring Nevada secondary schools to provide free menstrual products in bathrooms. Her petition drew more than 800 student and community signatures, and she presented her findings directly to Clark County School District leadership. She now sits on Superintendent Jhone Ebert’s student advisory council.

Her work caught the attention of Gov. Joe Lombardo, who appointed her as Nevada’s Youth Commissioner. In the role, she helps shape youth volunteer strategy and leads the Nevada Youth Day of Service, the first youth-led, statewide day of service. She raised $3,000 for the initiative.

The event brought together over 200 attendees, resulted in more than 4,000 books donated to Spread the Word Nevada, and culminated in over 1,100 collective service hours. It was officially recognized with a proclamation from the City of Las Vegas establishing the Nevada Youth Day of Service as an official day, which was a meaningful milestone for youth-led service in our state.

“It’s humbling to know that I can make a difference at my age,” Booth said.

Philanthropic High School of the Year

Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy

Students at Veterans Tribute CTA are immersed in a culture where community service isn’t just encouraged—it’s a way of life.

As ninth graders, students are introduced to a tracking platform to log volunteer hours, regularly assisting with groups like Metro Police and the Discovery Children’s Museum.

The numbers are striking: Veterans Tribute CTA, despite an enrollment of around 800, has logged more than 220,000 volunteer hours since opening in 2009.

The Clark County School District magnet school prepares students for public service careers, drawing on faculty with experience in law enforcement, emergency medical response, fire services, forensic science, 911 dispatch, criminal justice and cyber forensics.

EMT program students graduate with EMT-Basic certification, ready for immediate employment. Law enforcement students meet regularly with local agencies, and many join explorer programs as a stepping stone toward policing careers.

“I really want to help people,” says Abner Aldana, who is already EMT-certified. “You see people on their worst day and I really want to switch that. Everybody needs a hero. You aren’t doing it for yourself. You are doing it for the betterment of the world.”

The school instills a simple belief: every one of these careers begins with serving the community, with the goal of graduating civic-minded leaders.

Each September, roughly 50 incoming freshmen participate in United Way of Southern Nevada’s Day of Caring. Seniors must have logged at least 75 volunteer hours by the end of junior year to qualify for open periods, with a school goal of 100 hours by graduation—a benchmark some students surpass dramatically, accumulating up to 500 hours.

JROTC member Molly Grimes helped organize a food drive that brought in 3,000 cans for Project 150 and Three Square Food Bank. “It’s really fulfilling to look around and see someone in need, and know we are helping address the need,” she said.

Every April, the school celebrates volunteers at a dedicated awards evening, where students receive recognition including congressional-level certificates.