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Alabama Public Television 2008 Young Heroes
 Jasmine Grimes
Hazel Green High School
A senior at Hazel Green High School, Jasmine had a difficult childhood without the emotional or financial support of either parent. Her mother abandoned Jasmine and her brother during her father’s military service overseas, and the children went to live with their
grandparents. At age 10, Jasmine and her brother were again placed in the custody of their mother and her new husband.
Jasmine became the surrogate mother to two younger siblings. After many family
difficulties, Jasmine’s custody was granted to the concerned parents of one of her friends,
in whose home she remains today.
Described by counselors as mature, caring, respectful and always open to suggestions, Jasmine has maintained
excellent grades while participating in her school’s band and remaining active in her community’s Special Olympics and Toys for Tots programs.
 Kathryn Jackson
Spain Park High School
Diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of two, Kathryn Jackson faced obstacles in her young life that are unimaginable to most of us. Yet she has emerged from her struggles a vibrant,
positive young woman who is an inspiration for children and adults alike.
Kathryn, now a senior at Spain Park High School in Hoover, emerged from her first brush with cancer with a partial loss of hearing and partial paralysis of her face. Further
complications from the battle with cancer resulted in the amputation of her left arm.
She authored a book to broaden children’s understanding of cancer. In addition to
speaking to groups about her experiences with cancer, she serves in multiple extracurricular activities at school and is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
 Kirsten Luxon
Robertsdale High School
It is not always easy for a young person to recognize when his or her life begins to take a
dangerous turn, but Robertsdale High School senior Kirsten Luxon had the wisdom to do just that. As a result, she is today an excellent student. She is involved in numerous campus and
volunteer organizations and serves as a positive role model, encouraging her siblings
to make good choices.
When she was young, Kirsten’s parents divorced and, following some serious family issues, she ended up in her father’s custody. When he was deployed to Iraq, she moved in with her mother and stepfather. Kirsten escaped difficulties at home by associating with questionable friends, skipping school, experimenting with drugs and eventually running away from home. When the police
intervened, she set about to change her circumstances and, with the help of a school counselor, turned her life around.
Today, she faces a shining future with courage and conviction. She looks forward to a career in horticulture.
 Megan May
Florence High School
When Megan May was a toddler, her parents divorced, and Megan, her twin sister, and an older sister went to live with their father. The girls’ father tragically died in an automobile
accident when the twins were just six, and the girls returned to their mother. That parent’s
addiction problems made life difficult for the household, especially as the girls’ inheritance dwindled away in their mother’s hands.
The girls’ aunt stepped in and took full custody of them in 2001. Divorced and on disability, she was able to make a difference for the girls despite her meager funds. The aunt watched with pride as failing grades were replaced by stellar academic performance.
Not only is Megan an excellent student, she has the honor of being the first female football team manager in Florence High School’s history. She also contributes her spare time to the community, helping the homeless, landscaping and
cutting grass for the elderly and working with the local Habitat for Humanity program.
 Justin Thomas
E.B. Erwin High School
Justin Thomas is a senior at E.B. Erwin High School in Center Point. A straight-A student and accomplished athlete who captained both football and wrestling teams, he was diagnosed last year with cancer of the spleen and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Justin’s prognosis is good, but chemotherapy is a hardship for this previously active young man. He is making the most of his new life, however, taking up support roles for his teams, acting in school theatre productions as well as serving as president of the Interact Club, which
undertakes clean-up jobs in the community, and of GUMBO (Groups Understanding Multiple Blends of Students). He also serves as a mentor to academically challenged students through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.
 John Roberson, II
Oak Mountain High School
Marissa Feigelson Community Service Award
One Alabama student is honored each year with the Marissa Feigelson Community Service Award, named for one of the first Alabama Young Heroes who succumbed to leukemia in February of 2001. John is a senior at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham. Filled with the spirit of the
holiday, John has dedicated himself over the past two Christmas seasons to collecting and
distributing gifts to more than 100 students. This collection has included 35 bicycles and more than $6,000 worth of toys, clothes and food.
In the summer of 2007, Roberson traveled to Chalmette, La., to help in the rebuilding from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Utilizing his outstanding mathematical abilities, Roberson created the Web-based program “Everyone Can Pass". This site offers help to students in
passing the Alabama High School Graduate Exam. He utilizes his talents to tutor classmates in the areas of
mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Even Roberson’s money-earning efforts are directed toward community service; He started a program in which he goes door-to-door picking up people’s recyclables for a modest fee.
Honorable Mention
The following five students were saluted with the title of “Honorable Mention” in the judging of the 2008 Young Heroes:
Olivia Bearden, Vincent High School
Derek Dean, Cullman High School
Lauren Faraino, Vestavia Hills High School
Brooklynn Grisham, Tanner High School
Morgan Stewart, Vinemont High School
 See
Photos/Biographies of Sixth Annual Heroes
See
Photos/Biographies of Fifth Annual Heroes
See
Photos/Biographies of Fourth Annual Heroes
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Photos/Biographies of Third Annual Heroes
See
Photos/Biographies Second Annual Heroes
See
Photos/Biographies of First Annual Heroes
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