Richard Birt
2009-2010 Student
of the Year
New Carlisle, Ohio
Richard Birt of New Carlisle, Ohio, is the 2009-2010 SADD National Student of the Year. He has been very involved with SADD on the local, state, and national levels. He most recently served on the 2008-2009 SADD National Student Leadership Council.
He was the president of the SADD chapter at Northwestern High School and helped make it one of the most active organizations in his school. He coordinated two Prevention Conventions that were hosted by his SADD chapter and invited schools from across the state to participate. He wrote, distributed, and helped score a survey of his peers to determine the needs of students and then organized events to raise awareness about issues the survey identified as important to students. Throughout his time with SADD, he has assisted with numerous chapter activities, including Red Ribbon Week and Homecoming celebrations, Elementary Tolerance Lessons, Safety Seat Belt Checks, Prom Promise, and Good Neighbor Week.
On the state level, Richard organized Lights for Life, a one-day event in December that called on motorists across Ohio to drive with their headlights illuminated to raise awareness about the dangers of reckless driving. Nationally, he served on the field services working group and scholarship selection committee as a member of the 2008-2009 SADD National Student Leadership Council.
An excellent student, he was a member of the National Honor Society. He served as student council president at Northwestern High School and was also an active member of the band and choir.
Richard is a freshman at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where he is studying political science.
Shaely Cheramie
Executive
Committee
Lockport, Louisiana
Shaely Cheramie of Lockport, Louisiana, serves as the chairperson of the Youth Advisory Council for the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and is the primary youth contact for the Lafourche Parish “U Drink U Drive U Walk” underage drinking prevention campaign. She was the 2008-2009 Louisiana SADD Student of the Year and president of the SADD chapter at South Lafourche High School.
Among her many activities, Shaely participated in the student council and Key Club. She also played varsity soccer. An excellent student, she was a member of the National Honor Society. She performed many hours of community service, including volunteering at a nursing home, where she made a difference in the life of a woman who did not have any family.
Shaely is a freshman at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is studying psychology.
Christian Martine
Executive
Committee
Daniels, West Virginia
Christian Martine of Daniels, West Virginia, is the president of the SADD chapter at Shady Spring High School. Statewide, he serves on the West Virginia SADD Student Leadership Council and assists in the preparation for state conferences. He also actively assists with the creation of SADD chapters in his state.
He is an active member of Key Club, student council, and the varsity golf and tennis teams. An exemplary student, he ranks in the top of his class and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is also a member of his church’s youth group and choir. Christian is an avid volunteer for community-service activities benefiting local youth, elderly, and needy residents. He serves on the West Virginia Partnership for Community Well-Being and the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
Christian is a senior at Shady Spring High School.
Stacey Geyer
Halifax, Pennsylvania
Stacey Geyer of Halifax, Pennsylvania, is the vice president of the SADD chapter at Halifax Area High School. She coordinated the Stylish Promises fashion show to promote good decision-making during prom and assisted with the creation of the prevention theme intertwined throughout the show.
Among her many activities at school, Stacey is involved in the student council, band, and chorus. An excellent student, she is a member of the National Honor Society. On the state level, she has presented various workshops at the Pennsylvania SADD Conference. At a State Capitol Youth Rally, she gave a public address regarding legislation on policy affecting underage drinking.
Stacey is a senior at Halifax Area High School.
Chelsey Hale
Mt. Vernon, Illinois
Chelsey Hale of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, created the SADD chapter at Mt. Vernon Township High School and is working to develop chapters at two other high schools in Jefferson County. On the state level, she serves on the Illinois SADD Student Advisory Board. She also represents her school on the Mission Possible Coalition as youth advisor and SADD chapter liaison.
She is actively involved in other student and community efforts to reduce substance use and abuse among youth, including focus groups to address alcohol prevention and town hall meetings to discuss underage drinking.
Chelsey is a senior at Mt. Vernon Township High School.
Carissa Hirchert
New Rockford, North Dakota
Carissa Hirchert of New Rockford, North Dakota, was the 2008-2009 North Dakota SADD Student of the Year, and she has served on the Northern Lights Student Advisory Board for two years. At New Rockford-Sheyenne High School, she has been instrumental in planning many of her SADD chapter’s activities, including the Mr. NRS Pageant and the Junior High Conference.
She has also served as a mentor for elementary school students through the Reality Check program. An excellent student, she was a member of the National Honor Society. In addition to her school activities, she was involved in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.
Carissa is a freshman at Minnesota State University in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she is studying history and elementary education.
Marcus Kidd
Manhattan, Kansas
Marcus Kidd of Manhattan, Kansas, serves on the Kansas SADD Student Leadership Council. He most recently served as president of the SADD chapter at Manhattan High School. In partnership with Teens Leading Teens, he helped organize a “Community Sharing Session” to inform local officials about his SADD chapter’s activities and events.
Among his many activities, Marcus is involved with Youth Impacting the Community, Youth As Resources, and the Community Ambassadors Program. He also assists the Pilgrim Baptist Church as a youth usher and a youth choir member.
Marcus is a freshman at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where he is studying secondary education and mathematics.
Taylor Lucas
Clewiston, Florida
Taylor Lucas of Clewiston, Florida, was selected by her peers to serve on the Florida SADD Student Advisory Board. As president of the SADD chapter at Clewiston High School, she was instrumental in promoting many of the SADD activities, including Red Ribbon Week, the Prom Fashion Show, and Click It to Win It.
Among her many activities, Taylor was involved in student council and drama club. An excellent student, she was also a member of the National Honor Society. She has devoted many community-service hours to volunteering with the American Red Cross and Toys for Tots.
Taylor is a freshman at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is studying psychology.
Kendra Mang
Greensburg, Indiana
Kendra Mang of Greensburg, Indiana, serves on the Indiana SADD Student Leadership Council, and she was the 2008 Indiana SADD Student of the Year. For the past two years, she participated in the national “Protecting You/Protecting Me” program, teaching elementary school students about how alcohol affects the developing brain, dealing with peer pressure, and vehicle safety.
At Greensburg Community High School, Kendra coordinated Traffic Safety Week, the Great American Smokeout, and Grim Reaper Day. Also active in other school clubs and events, she was captain of her school’s dance team. An excellent student, she is a member of the National Honor Society. She is also actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Kendra is a senior at Greensburg Community High School.
Karly Moen
Shelly, Minnesota
Karly Moen of Shelly, Minnesota, has served as a member of the Northern Lights SADD Advisory Board and the Norman County West High School SADD Advisory Board. She was vital in saving her school’s SADD chapter when its future was in doubt following the departure of the advisor.
She served as senior class president and was actively involved in Student Senate and Future Farmers of America. As a Reality Check mentor, she taught elementary school students about positive decision-making, peer pressure, and other issues they may face growing up.
Karly is a freshman at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where she is studying political science.
Jeffrey Savarino
Melrose, Massachusetts
Jeffrey Savarino of Melrose, Massachusetts, serves on the Massachusetts Student Advisory Board. He has been instrumental in the planning of many of the Melrose High School SADD chapter’s activities, such as Take It Back Night and Mix-It-Up Day. He was selected for the Melrose Alliance Against Violence Student Action Board, and he is active with his community’s Drug Abuse Prevention Coalition.
Among his many activities, Jeffrey is involved in student government and ninth-grade peer mentoring and orientation. He has also spent countless hours volunteering at the Melrose Summer Enrichment Program and the Melrose Soccer Clinic.
Jeffrey is a senior at Melrose High School.
Stephen Winkler
Student of the Year Emeritus
Seneca, Kansas
Stephen Winkler of Seneca, Kansas, was the 2008-2009 SADD National Student of the Year. He was also a member of the 2007-2008 SADD National Student Leadership Council. He is currently serving a two-year term on the Board of Directors of NOYS (National Organizations for Youth Safety). He has been an active member of the Kansas SADD Student Leadership Council and was on the executive committee of the Nemaha Valley High School SADD chapter.
During his time with SADD, Stephen has participated in a variety of activities and been instrumental in organizing Kansas and national SADD conferences and the Kansas Youth Leadership Summit, as well as annual safety belt checks, motivational speakers, and other events at his school. He served on the field services and communications working groups at SADD National and has represented SADD at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region VII Youth Summit, the Kansas Transportation Safety Conference, NOYS meetings, and the Florida, West Virginia, and Northern Lights state SADD conferences.
In 2008, Stephen received the Nemaha Valley High School Leadership Award and a proclamation from then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas for his involvement with SADD at the local, state, and national levels.
An excellent student, he was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top five of his class as a Kansas scholar. He was also active in other school activities as business manager of the yearbook, a leader in student government, and a participant in school plays. He was also a member of the forensics, cross-country and basketball teams. He has been an active volunteer in his community and served as a student mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
Stephen is a sophomore at Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts, where he serves as executive treasurer for the Student Government Association and volunteers for campus organizations and as an admissions ambassador. He is studying political science, sociology, and communications.
