SAN ANTONIO – Fifteen children were each honored with the “Dream Leader” award on Saturday as part of their volunteering efforts towards improving their communities.
The 10-year tradition at the DoSeum has been part of the DreamWeek summit, a series of events and community activities every January in San Antonio.
“I was really surprised when my mom just came in saying, ‘Shanaya, you’re a Dream Leader!’ You’re like, what?“ 10-year-old winner Shanaya Patel said.
Each award fits in the arts, city, youth, justice, sportsmanship, and education categories.
“San Antonio’s going to continue to be a strong community because the next generation’s got us in good hands,” former Dream Leader Mya Blondel Johnson said. “This is what children need. They need this platform to learn, grow, and thrive.”
Johnson, who served as the emcee for the awards ceremony, continued to say, “I was just so happy that these kids are finally getting recognized for their amazing work.”
Michael Lenton, another Dream Leader, has read more than one million words in a year and collected the most cans of food for a food drive at his school.
“I do this for my parents, and I know my granny, who’s in heaven right now, who would want me to do this for her,” Michael said.