Author: Anslee Wolfe
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Best and Brightest 2015: Difficult loss helps teen find compassion for others
This is the 18th of 20 profiles of The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. The death of Roshni Kalkur’s longtime piano teacher changed how she sees people. Kalkur started lessons with her when she was 6, and her teacher was so helpful and energetic, infecting her with her a positive vibe. She first…
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Best and Brightest 2015: Hope, hard work helped teen find her way
This is the 16th of 20 profiles of The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. Volunteering at Memorial Hospital, Van Nguyen met a teenager with cancer who changed her outlook. She was on trash duty in the oncology unit when a patient asked why she looked sad. It led to them chatting for about…
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Best and Brightest 2015: Overcoming shyness was key to teen’s success
This is the 13th of 20 profiles of The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. Molly Merkert isn’t the timid teenager she was when starting at Palmer High School. “Academics were not a problem for me, for I found that I loved the silent, internal world of math and chemistry with its crisp, clear…
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Best and Brightest 2015: Teen aims to invent things to solve problems in developing countries
This is the 10th of 20 profiles of The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. It comes down to happiness for Riley Schroeder. “Fifty years from now,” he said, “I want to be able to say two things: I have lived a happy life, and I have helped others live happy lives.” One way…
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Best and Brightest 2015: Simple hug changes teen’s outlook on community service
This is the fifth of 20 profiles about The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. Devon Klingman helped a girl and her family load a bicycle into their car at a Christmas giveaway, then headed back inside to finish her volunteer shift. “I was surprised by a giant hug the girl had run up…
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Best and Brightest 2015: Music was first escape, then passion for teen
This is the first of 20 profiles about The Gazette’s Best and Brightest Class of 2015. When his elementary school classmates poked fun at his eye condition, Patrick Jones escaped through music. “Already being really shy, the teasing and name calling drove me away a little more,” he said. He underwent two surgeries as a…
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Empty Stocking Fund: Silver Key rounds up money for woman’s dental work
This is one of a series of stories about the nonprofit agencies that receive money from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund campaign that runs through the holidays. Susanna Vigil’s toothaches have become so painful that she has trouble eating. “My teeth are really getting horrible. It’s hurting to eat. One molar broke off,…
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Empty Stocking Fund: Tri-Lakes Cares provides moral support with groceries
This is one of a series of stories about the nonprofit agencies that receive money from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund campaign that runs through the holidays. When Nancy Emry’s daughter was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, Emry left her job to care for her and her newborn granddaughter. “I’m a single mom and…
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Empty Stocking Fund: Silver Key eases woman’s financial stress over forced move
This is one of a series of stories about the nonprofit agencies that receive money from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund campaign that runs through the holidays. Less than a year after moving into her new home, JoAnn Norris was forced to move again when the apartment building sold. She was first told…
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Empty Stocking Fund: Woman on fixed income gets hand up from Tri-Lakes Cares
This is one of a series of stories about the nonprofit agencies that receive money from The Gazette/El Pomar Foundation Empty Stocking Fund campaign that runs through the holidays. Anne Krill had a job she adored when medical issues caused her to retire. She underwent surgery for hip replacement, and about six weeks later a…