North Side Youths Honored By Chase Youth Commission
In the summer before his junior year, De’Andrey Mosby had one academic credit.
His father and brother were in prison, his mother chemically dependent. He’d watched an aunt and sister die of cancer. He’d escaped Compton, Calif., only to skip school to play basketball in Browne’s Addition.
He now plans to graduate on time this spring and attend college.
The Rogers High senior has “accepted every challenge” in the last two years, according to teacher and basketball coach Rick Mergenthaler. Mosby has caught a daily 5 a.m. bus to make up for lost credits. He hopes to become a teacher and coach.
His inspirational story earned him a Chase Youth Award for Personal Achievement.
The awards - given out last week in 18 categories to teens and youth - are in memory of Spokane Mayor Jim Chase, who was well known for his support of young people. For the first time, an adult award was given as well. Ken Jernberg won the Jim Chase Memorial Award for his work with at-risk kids at Crosswalk school.
More than 400 children and teens from throughout Spokane County were nominated.
Mosby’s achievements generated four nomination letters from Rogers faculty members, who say he has become an inspiration talisman for work ethic and sincerity.
“In my 15 years of teaching, I have not seen a student/athlete grow as much as I’ve seen De’Andrey grow over such a short period of time,” said Barb Silvey, a teacher, coach and ASB advisor.
Here are the other North Spokane winners:
Darren Mattozzi, a Lakeside High senior, received the courage award for his role in preventing two suicide attempts.
In the first, Mattozzi and his brother Damon talked a homeless man out of asphyxiating himself in his car. Darren called police and led the officer to the man, who was parked in the forest near Mattozzi’s home.
He also intervened in a peer’s attempt to poison herself with drugs. He called school counselors and the girl’s parents, and stayed with her while she recovered in the hospital.
The school student body president, Mattozzi is a member of Washington Drug Free Youth.
Twice chosen as Clara in Spokane’s Nutcracker production, Megan Harris is used to displaying her creative talent. She was awarded the Chase Youth Award for creativity.
She’s toured Spokane schools with local theater ballet troupes and has performed in several productions.
And last month, she helped organize a children’s dance camp, choreographing and teaching youth. She even convinced her school administration to award her an athletic letter by documenting the many hours she’s dedicated to dance.
“Megan is one of the most remarkable and talented young dancers with whom I have worked in my 18 years of teaching and directing in Spokane,” said Margaret Goodner, her teacher and nominator for the award.
Latisha Stephens’ day planner is full.
A senior honor roll student at Rogers High, Stephens is a frequent volunteer at the Spokane Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Center, organizes community service projects through the Rogers High Site-based Council, runs the school Christmas food drive, participates in job fairs and Rotary, and is a writer for the Rogers High student paper.
In addition to her community service schedule, Stephens works 20 hours a week.
Of her work, Stephens says, “There is so much more to learning than just in a classroom.”
She won the Chase Youth Award for community service in the teen division.
Shelly Wagner’s can-do attitude won her the Chase Youth citizenship award for the youth division.
Yearning for Christmas caroling, the Woodridge Elementary fourth-grader organized a neighborhood caroling party. A month later, after hearing about the Wishing Star Foundation on the radio, she and a friend door-belled the neighborhood and raised $45.60 for the charity.
She also organized a bi-monthly inventions club, turning her home into a lab for science experiments.
And Wagner toured the Waterford nursing home with a dog from the SpokAnimal Care center, brightening the moods of residents with Alzheimer’s.
Last month, she brought home a pregnant dog from SpokAnimal. She is now organizing activities for the seven puppies.
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