Sea Cliff Nonprofit Awards $2,500 to 3 Inspiring Seniors

Three North Shore High School seniors are heading to college with more than just diplomas this month. Thanks to Sea Cliff's Love Your Neighbor Project, they're bringing scholarship money earned through genuine kindness.

The nonprofit, founded in 2020 by Jaime Teich, awarded $2,500 total to students who go "above and beyond" to connect people in their community. This year's winners prove that young people are solving real problems in creative ways.

Senior David Jable received $1,000 for a project Teich had never seen before in four years of awarding scholarships. He's been repairing discarded computers and donating them to students who can't afford one.

"He was looking at needs of other students and finding a way to utilize what he can offer and putting that to use," Teich said. "He literally put actions to words."

Keira Rechsteiner also earned $1,000 for her leadership in the school's Gay-Straight Alliance. She helped create an "Ally" initiative where students and teachers can buy pins, lanyards, and stickers to identify themselves as safe people to talk to.

The idea came from a real need. "We realized that often the queer students at school feel like they don't really have anywhere to go, or that there was no judgment-free zone," Rechsteiner explained.

Teachers can even display Pride-themed slides on hallway televisions. Rechsteiner, who's heading to the University of Vermont to study art education, said the initiative feels "incredibly important" right now.

Abigail Neice received a new $500 North Shore High School Good Neighbor Award for mentoring younger musicians. The organization created the award specifically for her after reading her submission.

The Ripple Effect

Love Your Neighbor Project raised over $30,000 at their May Porchfest event, which allowed them to expand their scholarships this year. The nonprofit also awarded a grant to North Shore's Environmental Club to support a community project.

All three students show how young people are identifying problems and building solutions without waiting for permission. Jable saw a digital divide and started fixing it one computer at a time. Rechsteiner noticed students feeling unsafe and created visible support systems.

"The youth are a part of this community in really positive and impactful ways," Teich said.

These scholarships recognize something important: the best community leaders often start leading long before graduation day.