2015 Student of the Year

[gdlr_frame type=”rounded” align=”left” caption=””] [gdlr_image_link type=”image” image_url=”http://tcpinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Brittney-Lybarger-2.jpg” link_url=”http://tcpinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Brittney-Lybarger-2.jpg” alt=”Brittney Lybarger ” width=”250px”] [/gdlr_frame]

Richland High School
Cambria County
Brandon Bailey, Principal
Missy Stringent, Guidance Counselor 

1st Summit Bank,
Business Partner

“Competing for Community Service was a symbol of my capabilities to help others in my area.”

The Challenge Program, Inc. 2015 Student of the Year is Brittney Lybarger from Richland High School.

Brittney was named Student of the Year during the Crystal Owl Gala on April 30, 2015 at the Carnegie Music Hall. Lybarger was presented with a trophy from The Challenge Program, Inc., a certificate and a $200 Amazon gift card from The Challenge Program, Inc.

Runners-up, Anna D’Acierno from Chartiers Valley HS and Timothy Grebeck from Canon-McMillan HS each received a certificate and a $100 Amazon gift card from The Challenge Program, Inc.

At the end of the Student of the Year presentation, our students received a surprise gift from Crystal Owl sponsor, MARC USA. Tony Bucci, Chairman and CEO of MARC USA, stepped forward and generously offered each of the three students a $1,000 award. Thank you, Mr. Bucci. MARC USA is a full-service, integrated marketing agency in Pittsburgh, PA.

Brittney’s profile:

Brittney Lybarger states she started working towards a TCP Community Service award from the moment she  saw the kick-off assembly in 10th grade. She initially began building as many hours as she could.  “I soon realized that to truly do community service, it could not be done with self interest in mind…community service was about serving others. Working towards a community service award reinforced new values and encouraged me to work beyond what was required in order to earn the award. These values stretch further than just winning [they] allow me to apply these skills as I choose a career and deal with various situations as I grow older.”

Lybarger has continued to build on this revelation and began using her talents to create unique community service opportunities. A budding and talented multi-media artist, Lybarger began donating her services to local non-profits who needed fundraising or advertising materials. This in turn, inspired an entrepreneurial spirit. “Working as a photographer towards my community service goals has encouraged me to open my own business at sixteen years old, Brittney Lybarger’s Photography and Video.”

Challenged by a health condition affecting her mobility and memory, Lybarger has seen first-hand the kindness, dedication and inspiration of friends, teachers and her parents during periods of times when she needed extra help. “My teachers would spend their free periods catching me up on my classwork,” she states, “and I can also remember my parents carrying me in the front door the day my legs decided not to work. This is why I chose to give back and work towards a community service award from The Challenge Program.”

Lybarger did win a Community Service award as a 2013-2014 sophomore. “The real prize”, she explains, “is understanding the impact of my actions and discovering my true motives.”