Honoring Our Teens
The Teen Character Awards honor outstanding teens from Oneida, Vilas, Forest, and Langlade counties who are strengthening their community by their demonstration of positive character values.
We offer a community wide invitation to “tell us the story” of teens in our area who clearly embrace positive character values. Many of the teen’s mentors such as teachers, pastors, coaches, parents, and corporate executives write us detailing the accomplishments of those that impacted their lives. Selecting 21 teens from the numerous outstanding prospects is a difficult task.
We receive magnificent stories of selflessness and personal sacrifice. These acts define a positive message that is sent to our community about the teens in our area! Being a teen today is often a mixed blessing. Teens face challenges and issues that their previous generations seldom experience. It is good to recognize positive teen efforts and encourage young people to make good decisions. The task can be challenging and sometimes difficult, but the effort will pay off in the future of our youth and our whole community.
We are proud of the Character Award honorees. Each of these individuals, their nominators, their families, the presenting companies, and sponsors are doing more than just celebrating one evening. Each of us caught a glimpse of the magic that can be done through caring, being honest, having respect, and taking responsibility.
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About the Awards
This special evening is the culmination of hard work and commitment to a program we feel is vitally important to the community. The award winners are a living example of strong moral character, leadership, and service dedicated to strengthening their families, schools, and communities. Each one of these teens is a living testament to the character traits of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. In a time when teens are associated with so many negative stereotypes, it’s time to tell many positive stories that outweigh the small percentage of the teens who make the papers because of crimes committed, drug use, etc.
We catch character in action and applaud all of our winners for their successes and encourage them to continue to lead their life with the positive character values they’ve displayed in the past year. Through their actions, we can all learn that each of us can make a difference.
CARING is evidenced by helping and loving others.
HONESTY is evidenced by truthfulness and integrity.
RESPECT is evidenced by valuing the worth of others and self.
RESPONSIBILITY is evidenced by accountability to self and others.
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2012 Winners of the Teen Character Awards
Heather Riesbeck
James Williams Middle School
Nominator: JWMS School Discovery Teaching Team
Max Holperin
Nativity of Our Lord Junior High
Nominator: Julie Holperin
Kevin Shepherd
Three Lakes High School Senior
Nominator: Don Phelps
Chad Smith
Rhinelander High School
Nominator: Tina Smith
Cayla Tennikait
Northland Pines High School
Nominator: Kathyanne Pera
Grace Mickelson
Tomahawk High School
Nominator: Jill Mickelson
Cathrine Meeder
Three Lakes High School
Nominator: Elizabeth Baltus
Angela Gimmick
Phelps High School
Nominator: Rachel Johnson
Jordan Welnetz
Northland Pines High School
Nominator: Peggy Waldron
Karli Radeka
Rhinelander High School
Nominator: Ginger Terzinski
Lauren Barnes
Rhinelander High School
Nominator: Mike Wojtusik
Kaitlin Sweeny
Rhinelander High School
Nominator: Mike Wojtusik
Ian Ratliff
Three Lakes
Nominator: Nancy Slizewski
Lucas Price
James Williams Middle School
Nominator: Susan Holster
Alyssa Price
Rhinelander High School
Nominator: Jeff Welk
Dylan Roeser
James Williams Middle School
Nominator: Karie Blemke
Jacob Schlitt
Northland Pines High School
Nominator: Carol Extence
Amira Erdmann
Crandon School District
Nominator: Lori Thomas
Chelsea Allendorf
Northland Pines High School
Nominator: Debbie Vought
Lexi Nelson
Northland Pines High School
Nominator: Lou and Mary Deditz
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Teen Character Awards Banquet
YMCA of the Northwoods
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