Cherokee High Senior Logs 600 Volunteer Hours

Katie Nipp

Katie's Age: 18

Katie's School:

Katie's Key to Awesomeness: "Katie is a born leader, organizer and a great student at Cherokee High School who still finds time to serve others," said Tracie Heidt, executive director of Stellaris Ministries. "She has logged over 350 volunteer hours and reached out to hundreds of girls who are lonely, hurting, insecure or just trying to find their place in this sometimes daunting and confusing world. As one of the founders of Consider Him Outreach Ministries Inc., she has worked to create a fabulous outreach ministry where she puts the needs of other teens ahead of her own. Consider Him is a non-profit organization that evolved from activities Katie and four other high schoolers started in 2009. This ministry addresses the needs of young women throughout Cherokee County and provides them a safe place for friendship, Bible study and community service. The ministry hosts Girls Night Out, a monthly gathering open to all young women. Girls Night Out is free and food is provided along with an inspirational message. Past activities included community service events such as visits to nursing homes and a recent event during which the girls made cozy fleece blankets for residents of a women’s shelter. Katie (was) instrumental in funding the project, from stripping old wiring to applying for four grants in 2010.

"She works on the planning and implementation of monthly community events (serving 35-50 girls), including marketing, planning and performing all activities (service project, entertainment, skits, message), securing a venue, providing food, security concerns and clean up. Her reason for doing this is so that the outreach can continue and grow and reach more girls as she and her fellow founders move off to college."

This past fall, Katie and the other group leaders began the long process of applying for nonprofit status, aided by Heidt.

Katie's Accomplishments: "All this and she is an excellent student as well who was accepted to the University of Georgia where she will attend in the fall," Heidt said.

Katie is a member of Cherokee's Alpha Club, where she racked up an additional 300 volunteer hours; Beta Club; National Honor Society; and yearbook staff. She also tutors students once a week and works as an after school employee.

NOMINATE YOUR WHIZ KIDS

Each week, Canton-Sixes Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.

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