From supporting foster youth through music to expanding STEM access and fighting food waste, four young leaders from Southern California are making a difference.
Four high school students from Southern California are among the 2026 recipients of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a national award recognizing young leaders who make a positive difference in their communities and the world.
The honorees are Everett Leigh, 15, of Newport Coast; Katelyn Liu, 16, of Arcadia; Sophie Kim, 18, of Huntington Beach and Apollo Wong, 17, of South Pasadena. Their work supports foster youth, expands access to science education, encourages environmental action and reduces food waste.
Established in 2001 by author T.A. Barron, the prize recognizes 25 young people ages 8 to 18 each year, including 15 top winners and 10 runners-up. Each top winner receives $10,000 to support their service work or higher education.
Everett Leigh: Supporting Foster Youth Through Music
Leigh founded EverEverest, a nonprofit that supports foster children through educational programs, mentorship and essential supplies. A young concert pianist, he has organized more than 50 benefit concerts, raising $70,000 for foster youth. He has also helped raise $2 million for Foster Love through performances at the organization’s annual fundraising gala.
EverEverest offers free online courses in subjects including music theory, writing and college counseling. Its Music Technology Academy brings foster youth together with Berklee College of Music professors and music professionals for a week of instruction and portfolio development. So far, 56 foster youth have benefited directly from the program, with participants receiving university admission offers from schools including Stanford and Johns Hopkins.
“I’ve come to realize that foster children do not need rescuing. They need an open door, an opportunity and a supportive community,” Leigh says.
Katelyn Liu: Making STEM Education Accessible
Liu founded WOW! That’s STEM to provide free science, technology, engineering and math activities to students who lack access to quality science programming.
What began as workshops at her local library has grown into an international nonprofit with 20 active chapters across several U.S. states and in Uganda, Ethiopia and Indonesia. The organization has delivered 312 workshops, assembled more than 8,000 science kits and reached more than 11,500 students. Liu has also built partnerships with 48 community organizations, with a team of more than 50 teen volunteers leading activities such as building robots and catapults.
Liu says her goal is to help children see themselves as scientists and recognize the value of their ideas.
“When I started WOW! That’s STEM, I was focused on getting everything right — perfect materials, perfect timing,” she says. “But I’ve learned this work is inherently messy, and what kids remember isn’t perfection but energy and joy.”
Sophie Kim: Connecting Climate Action and Civil Dialogue
Kim founded The Clean & Green Initiative at age 12 during the COVID-19 pandemic to connect young people experiencing eco-anxiety and help them take action on environmental issues. The nonprofit has grown to more than 700 members across 30 countries, with support from organizations including the Jane Goodall Institute and DoSomething.org.
Kim is also developing a children’s book series about eco-anxiety, with all profits going to Bow Seat Ocean Awareness and the books available online for free. Separately, she raised $8,000 for Ukraine by designing and selling necklaces bearing the message “I stand with Ukraine.”
Her latest initiative, Bipartisan Bridges, brings Democratic and Republican high school students together for structured discussions about issues including climate change, gun control, abortion and immigration. In an eight-week program developed with Braver Angels, every participating student reported greater confidence navigating political disagreements. A filmed series of the discussions reached more than 10,000 people online.
“This experience taught me the power and importance of genuine human connection,” Kim says. “The path through polarization isn’t found in better arguments but is built through better relationships.”
Apollo Wong: Turning Surplus Fruit Into Food for Those in Need
Wong founded Glean On Me, a Pasadena-based nonprofit that harvests excess fruit from local trees and donates it to charities serving people experiencing hunger.
After volunteering at a homeless shelter, Wong noticed a shortage of fresh food. He also saw neighborhood fruit trees producing more than their owners could use, with much of the fruit going to waste. He began organizing harvests to connect that surplus with people in need.
Wong has since organized 17 harvests, mobilizing 150 volunteers to recover more than 7,000 pounds of fruit. He also speaks at schools throughout California about food insecurity, food waste and ways students can help their communities.
“I’ve learned that making a difference requires perseverance: show up, roll up your sleeves, expect to work hard, and don’t give up,” Wong says. “In time, good things will come to fruition.”
Learn more about the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.
