Finnegan is a researcher and environmental conservationist who cares about the declining bird population. He got the idea to study bird migration patterns in Southern Arizona from his grandfather who participates in citizen-sourced bird data collections in Germany. 

In 2022, he developed A-BiRD, an innovative engineering device to collect accurate and unbiased data crucial for understanding bird behaviors, migration patterns, and habitat preferences. It incorporates Cornell University’s BirdNET-Analyzer for species identification and Finnegan’s own algorithms for direction finding and cueing.

In a field study conducted in Tucson from September 2023 to January 2024, two A-BiRD devices successfully identified 98 bird species, recording over 21,000 corroborated birdsong events. The study’s findings illustrate changing migration patterns, peak activity periods, and shifts in daily birdy species dominance.

“I am concerned with the declining bird population because we’re dependent on them for pollination, seed dispersal, agriculture, and food production,” said Finnegan. “We need quality data to make smart decisions for the protection of birds, so they can in turn protect us.”

Finnegan has won several awards for his research work, including two 1st and one 3rd Place Grand Awards at SARSEF and AZSEF, sponsored recognitions from the Arizona Public Service Foundation and Texas Instruments, UofA scholarships, and the Broadcom Foundation “Coding With Commitment” Award. He’s also a finalist for the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, sponsored by the Department of Defense, ISEF, and the National STEM Challenge, co-presented by the US Department of Education and EXPLR. 

He’s a black belt in Korean Martial Arts and involved in Mock Trial, Student Council, Theatre and several other clubs at school.  He also finds time to volunteer in the community with his therapy dog, Saya. At age 14, he became Tucson’s first certified Junior Therapy Dog Handler with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. He makes frequent visits to local senior facilities to bring joy to the residents.

“These visits are a source of happiness for seniors struggling with isolation, depression and memory loss,” said Finnegan. “It warms my heart to see the smiles on their faces when we walk in.”

Drake Maestas knows what it means to work hard and strive for excellence. He always enjoyed working on cars, but launched a detailing business with his dad in 2014 as a way to honor his late grandfather and carry on the Maestas name. The duo started RPM Detailing out of their own garage but quickly ran out of space. In 2018, they opened their own facility in Casa Grande, attracting dedicated clients from across Arizona and neighboring states. Plans for expansion into the Tucson, Phoenix and Scottsdale areas are now in the works.

“Our certifications and degrees set us apart,” said Drake. “Most carry one certification in polishing or ceramic coatings. I carry five certifications.”

High school has been a chapter of change for Drake as he adapts to exploring so many opportunities. He served as Vice President of AZ DECA, a Career and Technical Student Organization chartered by the Arizona Department of Education. He will attend ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business and Barrett Honors College after graduation, and plans to pour that knowledge into expanding RPM detailing.

He credits CTE for opening his eyes to entrepreneurship and future career opportunities.

“I’m a big fan of CTE and encourage everyone to try and explore it,” he said.

When he is not in school or working at his shop 25-30 hours a week, Drake mentors young entrepreneurs and marketing students. He volunteers as a youth leader at his church, is involved with SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), the National Honor Society, and has served a two-year term on the Casa Grande Youth Commission.

He has this advice for other young people looking to make an impact: “Don’t let fear hold you back.” 

Eashani knows firsthand the power of a shared experience. Growing up with Thalassemia, she noticed a lack of organized support for young people living with the genetic blood disorder. The experience was isolating and discouraging. Determined to build a community for others, Eashani began working with Cooley’s Anemia Foundation (CAF) as a teen advocate, launching various outreach efforts to engage teens diagnosed with Thalassemia. Through online groups, a podcast, and sharing her story with organizations like Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the CDC, her persistence continues to let young people know they’re not alone.

“Being able to listen to someone talk about their experience in high school, or going through exactly what I’m going through, it just felt so freeing,” she said.

Her work has been so rewarding, Eashani hopes to double major in biochemistry and health policy after high school. She dreams of becoming a hematologist who conducts research to improve treatment and healthcare.

In addition to her advocacy work, Eashani is heavily involved in the McClintock High School Speech and Debate team as the Debate Representative, is President of the Peggy Payne Academy Senate, serves as a Youth Commissioner for the Tempe Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC), and mentors young dancers in a classical dance form from India (Bharatnatyam).

“We have a voice and even the smallest voice can have a profound impact,” she said.  “At the end of the day, the most powerful thing we can do is try.”

Asiana is the co-founder and president of the Arizona Filipina American Student Union. She created the organization to advocate for disadvantaged Filipino high school students in the Philippines.  Last summer, she organized fundraisers and collected over $2,000 in backpacks and school supplies to send to students in Bacolod, Philippines. She partnered with local businesses and restaurants across Arizona to bolster her fundraising efforts.  Additionally, she spearheads monthly events to teach and celebrate Filipino culture in Arizona.

She also holds leadership positions on the Student Council, where she has served for the past four years. She was elected to the Executive Board this year and loves planning school events and interacting with students.  She is also managing editor and Journalism Club Vice President, where she leads a team of 14 staff writers, 6 section editors and 20 freelance writers.

“Perseverance is one of the most important skills as a leader,” said Asiana. “You also have to have self confidence and believe you can do it. I have learned a lot of skills by being involved in various clubs at Xavier.”

In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at St. Benedict parish and St. Vincent de Paul.  She has been helping both organizations for over a decade and enjoys helping with canned food drives and food distribution events. She holds the record for the longest tenure as a consistent volunteer. On weekends, she is a volunteer tennis coach for children with special needs. 

Asiana has been recognized for her outstanding work in journalism and mock trials.  She wants to pursue an undergraduate degree in journalism and then go on to law school.  

An entrepreneur at heart, Pravneet takes an active role in his community and school.  He’s in the gifted Academy at Mountain Ridge High School, maintaining a weighted GPA of 4.85. 

During the pandemic, he began to wonder if social media was impacting his own mental health, and that of other teens. He noticed many of his friends were hooked on TikTok as a way to connect and escape the reality of the world.  This discovery inspired him to do a research project called “Social Media: Fire or Trash,” to study the effects of social media. He looked at data from 110 participants and found a possible link between increased depression and social media use. He’s currently working with the University of Kansas to formalize his research and publish a manuscript.

This work led him to another study on color blindness using a novel technology and LED metamers at the Arizona State University SCENE Research program. The project earned a prestigious award from the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. In addition to his research, Pravneet is very involved in various organizations and clubs. He serves as the president of the World Language Club, Secretary of the HOSA Club, and treasurer of the Medical Explorer Club. He also serves as the Youth Ambassador for “Points of Light” and “Giving Tuesday” Spark Chapter leader, engaging youth globally to find their passion in giving back to the community.

He and his brother founded a nonprofit called Project Smile AZ in 2020. They make handmade cards for hospitalized patients and Title I schools and organize donation drives to benefit children with developmental disabilities, veterans, or special projects like the Maui wildfires. He has led summer internships over the last 2 years to inspire youth to be changemakers, follow their talent, and bring smiles to the world. Through Project Smile AZ, he has shared over 90,000 smiles in the last 4 years through handmade cards, hygiene kits, upcycling gently used books, trail clean-ups, clothing drives, snack kits, art kits, inspirational webinars, and in-person events.

David created a nonprofit organization called Project HeART to promote emotional well-being through art. The idea started as a way to let seniors know people in the community cared about them. David collaborated with Hospice of the Valley to design 750 cards and send them to their patients and volunteers. From there it grew into free public art therapy classes at senior living centers in Fountain Hills, donation drives and more. 

“I know many seniors suffer from loneliness and stress, so I wanted to do something to help,” said Guo. “The art therapy classes have been great. It’s not only a way to connect with seniors, but a way to connect with the whole community.”

One of the seniors told David the art classes have helped him connect with his family and grandchildren. They all enjoy taking the classes with him and being able to draw and color with his granddaughter has helped their relationship. 

David now has a chapter at his school, BASIS Scottsdale, and about 12 members help him create custom cards every month. The cards are now sent to children’s hospitals too. He also hosts donation drives with the City of Scottsdale libraries to collect art supplies to donate to Title I schools.

In addition to his nonprofit work, David excels in academics and is involved in many school and community clubs and activities. He holds a VP of Research and Development position at a global student run organization called World Health Institute. He’s also involved in National Art Honor Society, where he served as VP until Feb. 2024. During his time in this role, he launched the Rocks Project, where the students would gather rocks and paint them to leave around the school with uplifting messages. David is also Secretary of the UNICEF club at this school and participates in fundraising events, educating the community about injustices in other countries and helps with donation drives.

He’s also been conducting research and working on a new technology to diagnose fungi in blood.  David is an accomplished teen who hopes to be a doctor one day! He also has plans to expand Project HeART to other cities in the near future.  

He’s an entrepreneur and inventor with a mission to positively change the world. Abhiraj eventually hopes to begin work on neural implants to monitor brain activity patterns related to autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent conditions. His motivation stems from his younger brother who has autism. He’s currently working research and development on medical devices monitoring diabetes with Labelle Labs at Grand Canyon University. The project won first place at the Paradise Valley Science and Engineering Fair, and he will soon be competing at the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. 

Abhiraj is an avid sneakerhead, and in January 2023, he launched a sneaker business called APMsells. Since starting his business, he’s learned and mastered new skills like social media marketing, e-commerce and meetups. His business has generated upwards of $27,000 in revenue and $6,000 in profits in the last 13 months, and beyond finding his favorite Jordans, he’s learned the importance of giving back to the community. He often collects shoes and clothing and distributes them to homeless people in Arizona.  

“I love seeing the smiles we bring to people’s faces,” said Abhiraj. “It’s made me realize I need to keep my passions and entrepreneurial endeavors aligned and support my community whenever possible.”

In his spare time, he enjoys Karate and basketball. He’s a Karate State champion and earned his 2nd Degree Black Belt. He is also a teacher and loves instructing people of all ages on the physical and mental aspects of Karate. Abhiraj is also captain of the Varsity Basketball team.

Community service is important to Abhiraj too, so he volunteers monthly with his dad at St. Vincent de Paul, packing sandwiches for the less fortunate, something they have done since middle school. He also founded his school’s local Science National Honor Society Chapter.

“I think my brother’s experience with autism has made me more compassionate, empathic, kind, and curious,” said Abhiraj. “I help my family with him as much as possible. It’s also motivated me to study biomedical engineering and help people everyday moving forward.”