Victoria Andreasen of Wayland and Jacey Hinton of Weston received the first Rising Youth Leadership Award of 2018-19, presented by the Rotary Club of Weston and Wayland, on Oct. 18. Both sophomores were also recognized with citations from the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

The Rotary Rising Youth Leadership Award recognizes sophomores from Weston and Wayland for community service and leadership that demonstrates the students’ appreciation of the Rotary ideal of “Service above self.” Any student can be nominated online at WestonWaylandRotary.com.

Hinton is a Scholastic All-American swimmer who trains in and out of the pool before and after school for 20 hours or more per week. She is passionate about swimming – swimming and water safety are foundational to her commitment to community service as well.

When Hinton was 9 years old, she saved her brother’s life from a near drowning accident.

“I found him unconscious and unresponsive in a pool and that moment changed my life. I was already a competitive swimmer, but after the accident, I knew that teaching swimming as a life skill was important to me. I learned the statistics of drowning and near-drowning. If I can help only one person in the water, it may not seem like a lot, but when it’s your family, it means the whole world.”

On her Wednesday evening break from practice, Hinton volunteers at Boys & Girls Club in Waltham to help teach swim lessons and speak with children and their parents about water safety. To address another need she observed during those lessons, Hinton collected swimsuits for the students. She also swam the Boston Harbor benefitting Who Says I Can’t Foundation.

Beyond the pool area, Hinton has volunteered with Special Olympics, Cradles to Crayons, Boston Children’s Hospital and Spring Fling in Weston.

For Special Olympics, Hinton enjoyed being a DJ and emcee. When asked by organizer Tani Marinovich to volunteer, she eagerly accepted and delighted the athletes, volunteers and families with her music selections, energy and encouragement.

Marinovich nominated Hinton, saying, “Jacey has a natural ability to lead with her enthusiasm, kindness and dedication.”

Andreasen is “a leader and role model for others” said Jim Girard, Wayland High School guidance counselor, who nominated her for the award. “As a class officer and member of the Class of 2021 elected board, she has proven to be an outspoken and collaborative leader, organizer and fundraiser for her class. Victoria is an exceptional public speaker, having received the Orator of the Year award this past spring, in addition to the Principal’s Award for service.” Outside of school, Andreasen has enjoyed calling Bingo at Traditions of Wayland and interviewed this past summer to become one of the few sophomores ever selected to serve as a volunteer at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston.

A fifth-grade biography project at Happy Hollow School inspired Andreasen’s interest in public service and leadership. She studied Madeleine Albright and went on to exchange letters with the former secretary of state. Albright shared how she had “studied hard and loved everything she did” and encouraged Andreasen to “keep working and dreaming big.”

Andreasen followed this advice, honing her skills in public speaking and leadership as a middle schooler by working as a host of a weekly YouTube series for American Girl, aimed at inspiring young girls. She most recently served as a host of “America’s Test Kitchen Kids,” demonstrating recipes and STEAM-focused, hands-on activities to get children cooking, experimenting and exploring in the kitchen.

Having found and honed her love of public speaking and interacting with people, Andreasen seeks out public service opportunities that allow her to do just that. Earlier this month at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute she volunteered at the Kids Convention, encouraging visiting children and their families to learn more about the importance of leadership in government and of making one’s voice heard.

Andreasen and Hinton were asked how they would advise high school students about getting involved in community service.

Andreasen suggested, “Try everything! It is important to figure out what you like doing, and then using those skills to serve. This way, you can make a difference and have fun at the same time.”

Hinton agreed, encouraging people to “start by saying ‘yes.’ Find time in the day to make service a priority. Even if you’re busy, you can make a difference even with only a little free time.”

Jan Luchetti, president of the Rotary Club of Weston and Wayland, is “always impressed with the work these young students involve themselves in for the benefit of others. Jacey Hinton and Victoria Andreasen influence us with their leadership skills and community service initiatives.”

Looking forward, Luchetti shared that “my excitement is building as we enter the second year of the Rotary Rising Youth Leadership Awards for sophomores. We have now recognized 14 students in the last year and they are remarkable. I look forward to many other nominations people will submit to recognize and celebrate the many deserving, generous sophomores of Weston and Wayland.”

The Rotary Rising Youth Leadership Award recognizes one sophomore who lives or studies in Weston or Wayland each month from October through May of the academic year. Any sophomore can be nominated by any member of the school community, including teachers, coaches, administrators, advisors, students or community leaders using this simple Rotary Rising Youth Leadership Award form. Award winners will be selected based on their leadership potential or experience in keeping with the Rotary motto of “Service above self.”

Nomination can be submitted online at WestonWaylandRotary.com. To attend any of the 2018-19 celebration dinners on Nov. 15, Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 21 and April 25, contact the Rotary Club through its website or by email at westonwaylandrotary@gmail.com.