April 29, 2011 – Roxana Aguilar, a senior at the Polk State College Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School in Winter Haven, has been awarded a Teen Trendsetter “Excellence in Leadership Award” for her involvement in a program that places high school student volunteers as reading mentors in a local elementary school.

Aguilar, who performed her service at Elbert Elementary School in Winter Haven, will graduate at the end of this school year with both a high school diploma and an associate of arts degree. She plans to attend the University of South Florida to major in bio-medical science and pursue a career in optometry.

According to principal Bridget Fetter, Aguilar came to Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School her junior year and has been an exceptional asset to the Teen Trendsetter program. Her commitment to the program and her bilingual skills made her particularly valuable, said Fetter.

Teen Trendsetters pairs high school students with second and third graders for one-to-one weekly mentoring sessions. The goal is to help high-risk mentees who are at least six months behind their peers in reading skills and to nurture the volunteer spirit among youth leaders.

The Teen Trendsetters program was first launched in Florida in 2002. According to Volunteer USA, research has shown that programs utilizing volunteer mentors play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence while greatly enhancing students’ prospects for leading healthy, productive lives.