Hundreds celebrate Kitchener youth at awards ceremony
Posted May 14, 2026 04:17:53 AM.
Last Updated May 14, 2026 04:27:46 AM.
A celebration of young people in Kitchener.
The Kitchener Youth Action Council (KYAC) Youth Awards were handed out Wednesday night, with 14 youth, aged 14-24 presented awards.
Some of the awe-inspiring work these young people were celebrated for included everything from a magazine focused on celebrating young women, specialized puzzles to support cognitive health and social connection for seniors, an international podcast connecting youth and projects aimed at managing invasive species.
“Kitchener youth are doing remarkable things and making a real impact on our community,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
“I’m confident these young leaders will continue to drive innovation, foster community development, and create meaningful change in our city, not just today, but for many decades ahead.”
Nearly 200 people attended the local awards ceremony, including 58 nominees.
The winners are listed below:
- Arts & Culture: Isabella Todd
- Entrepreneurship: Olivia Vento
- Environment: Laurel Pierroz-Wong
- Intergenerational: Darren Harry Baine
- Leadership: Isabella Mazza
- Personal Triumph: Sarah Arogun
- Service & Caregiving: Olivia Kuszaj
- Social Justice & Action: Alison Zangrilli & Zoya Khan
- Sports & Recreation: Mehreen Khakh
- Unity in Diversity: Rebecca Girolametto
- Youth in Technology: Imaan Raza
- Group Award: Grassroots KW Group – Abinaya Balaji, Saskia Coosa, Salma Elgohary, Jason Deng, Liam Neusteter, Isha Shenoy, Daisy Zhang, Deeka Douglas, Katie Yu, Sol Qiu
- Youth Ally: David Dirks
- Community Contribution: Yemariam Mulugeta
Details on each of the winners can be found here.
Your Community
