PEOPLE TO PEOPLE - STUDENTS

Student Ambassador Appointed to Community Panel

The Courier-Journal's 2006-07 High School Round Table panel posed on the roof of the newspaper's building downtown. They are, front row from left, Bryce Milburn, Miguel Cruz, James Melloan and K'eion Brown; back row from left, Surriya Ahmad, Jessica Henderson, Megan Corneilson, Danielle Hawks, Renae Nally, Hilary Borgmeier and Amanda Kasey. Chase Sanders isn't in the photo. (By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal)

Meet the new Round Table members
C-J Round Table's newest teens have varied interests

By Raven J. Railey
Special to The Courier-Journal

Some people might think teens are more interested in movies and malls than events happening in their communities, nation and world.

But the 12 new members of The Courier-Journal's High School Round Table -- selected from roughly 270 applicants -- would challenge that view.

The panel includes aspiring entrepreneurs, athletes and leaders from a variety of backgrounds. Their interests range from wars in the Middle East to local discrimination, while their concerns range from health and politics to art and pop culture.

The students were chosen from public, private, parochial and home schools in Jefferson County, other areas of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

The round table is an annual tradition that dates to 1983. Each year the panelists discuss issues that are important to teens in their community.

The 2006-07 panelists are:

Surriya Ahmad, 17, a junior at Louisville Collegiate School. Hoping to become a doctor someday, Surriya volunteers at hospitals and is a fan of biology and anatomy. She's also a member of the science club and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). "I love to play tennis, field hockey and the piano," she says. "I thoroughly enjoying running and sprinting."

Hilary Borgmeier, 14, a freshman at Sacred Heart Academy. A resident of Oldham County, Hilary is an avid sports fan and will play any game available. But "I am extremely passionate about basketball," she says. She has a special interest in adoption, since her parents adopted her little brother Barrett, now 3, when Hilary was 11. With relatives serving in the military, she says she's also interested in the war.

K'eion Brown, 17, a senior at Fairdale High School. In addition to basketball and track, K'eion enjoys taking an active role in student government. He wants to be a "standout student" and raise awareness in the community about crime. "The state government should show us teens that they care about us," he says. "We would have more standout students in the schools, instead of dropouts."

Megan Corneilson, 16, a senior at Fort Knox High School in Fort Knox, Ky. The daughter of a recently retired Army officer who served in Iraq, Megan is involved in a dance team and enjoys reading, writing and baking. Her father has influenced her interest in current events, government and politics, she says. "I like to surround myself with intelligent and candid people in order to broaden my view of the world."

Miguel Cruz, 17, a senior at Waggener Traditional High School. A native of Tucson, Ariz., Miguel recently relocated to Louisville and hopes to be the first in his family to graduate from a university. He's interested in history, math and science. In his free time, he enjoys wrestling, football and soccer. "I would love to talk with people my age about concerns in our world," he says, "not just our neighborhood."

Danielle Hawks, 17, a senior at Bullitt Central High School. The president of her school's Students Against Drunk Driving club, Danielle plans to attend Northern Kentucky University. A vegetarian, her special interests include politics, history and music. Last year, she visited Britain as a student ambassador for People to People International. Danielle says, "I have always prided myself on the fact that I do not follow a crowd."

Jessica Henderson, 17, a senior at J.G. Brown High School. This summer, Jessica studied homelessness at the University of Louisville. Now, she wants to raise funds for indigent burial and to study law at the university. She volunteers as an elementary school tutor and also enjoys music, dance and reading. Jessica says her motivation comes from her mother: "Her inspiration makes me want to strive for greatness."

Amanda Kasey, 15, a freshman at Charlestown (Ind.) High School. Amanda is a fan of 1980s movies. Her interests include music, computers and electronics. She's a member of Destination ImagiNation, a creative problem-solving program. She hopes one day to own her own magazine company, she says. "I want to create a magazine that teenagers and young adults can read to learn about current events in our world."

James Melloan, 16, a junior at DeSales High School. Towering over his peers at 6-foot-7, James enjoys playing basketball, for his school and with friends. He also plays tennis, is active in student council and is interested in math, science and medicine. He hopes to become a trauma surgeon and says "staying healthy" is one of his top priorities.

Bryce Milburn, 17, a senior at Boyle County High School in Danville, Ky. The founder and president of his high school's comic book club, Bryce and his brother have their own graphic design company called The Milburn Brothers. He also enjoys video games, collectibles and playing drums. He plans to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. "I would love to learn film and directing in college," he says, "and hopefully make a movie."

Renae Nally, 15, a sophomore at DuPont Manual High School. The daughter of a social worker, Renae swims competitively, works as a model and keeps busy with various clubs and community service projects. Her aunt, uncle and cousins live in Israel, and Renae says, "I am concerned about the peace process and how the fighting is affecting everyone."

Chase Sanders, 16, a junior at Louisville Male High School. Chase likes politics, chorus, medicine and sports. He says, "The most important thing you should know about me is that I always stand up for what I believe in." He wants to be president someday, but until then he's looking at pharmacy as a career.