Among all of the girls in Arizona, there are only three recipients of the Young Women of Distinction award. One of these is fellow Perry Puma, Hannah Stevenson.

You may be wondering, what is this Young Women of Distinction award?According to the Girl Scouts “Information For Applicants” page, this honor is awarded to “ten Girl Scout Gold Award recipients whose final projects demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge that related to a national and/or global issue.”

For Stevenson, this came down to a more personal level than a national or global issue. Stevenson, a starter on the women’s’ varsity volleyball team, was able to complete a project to benefit her volleyball team and promote recognition for girls’ high school sports.

“I volunteered to start the website and maintain it throughout the season while I was in high school.” Stevenson states. She explains, “I have kind of been interested in computers [lately]. I want to be an engineer, so I thought it was a good idea to learn some computer programming.”

But this is only one part of Stevenson’s busy life. Along with a strenuous volleyball schedule and maintaining the new website, she is also enrolled in the STEM program and takes five honors classes.
Stevenson believes that her involvement in STEM has made significant differences for her academically. She states,“[STEM] has really gotten me more interested in technology and how it works.”

One person that especially appreciates Stevenson’s project is volleyball coach, Fred Mann, who commented, “I’m not very good with the website and all the rest of it. So everytime we need to throw something on there, I just get a hold of her and she fixes that for us quickly.” He continues, “She’s just one of those kids that will do stuff for you if you need it to.”

To honor of all award recipients like Stevenson, a luncheon will be held on November 15. Lisa Urias, this year’s event chair and CEO of Urias Communications, believes that these “girls represent our greatest under-utilized talent pool with the greatest potential to positively impact our future. The luncheon is an opportunity to support girls as they develop the courage, confidence, and skills needed to step forward and lead the next generation.”

Stevenson exemplifies the model student, athlete and friend. She works hard in her studies, volleyball practices, and games, is loved by her team, and works to improve herself. Stevenson is one of those outstanding individuals that demonstrates leadership, service, and dedication in all she does.