Take a look at this year’s Gables Silver Knight nominees and what inspired their respective significant community service projects.

General Scholarship nominee: Alexa Alcalay

Alcalay founded “Books for Bimini”, a project designed to encourage and supply reading opportunities to children living on the island of Bimini. She also was instrumental in the installation of Gables’ new bicycle rack.

Mathematics nominee: Maria Arroyave

Arroyave renovated the family rooms at the Miami Rescue Mission Center for Women and Children, a shelter for homeless and abused women and their children.

Speech nominee: Jose Balcazar

Balcazar organized a rally in his community surrounding the topic of Youth Homelessness Awareness. He also was instrumental in the installation of Gables’ new bicycle rack.

Social Sciences nominee: Caroline Bauwens

Bauwens collected and calibrated reading, myopic and hyperopic eye glasses and traveled to the island of Haiti to deliver and distribute them. She plans for her sister to take over and continue the project after she graduates.

Vocational Technical nominee: Avery Budin

Budin organized a toiletry drive for the RENMEN Foundation, an all-girls orphanage in Haiti, and is influential in several education and wildlife organizations.

Music Dance nominee: Allyssa Dobkins

Dobkins planned to introduce a Dance Marathon for the Children’s Miracle Network, “an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children’s health issues,” at CGHS. The project did not take place, but money Dobkins raised was still donated to the organization. Dobkins plans to leave the project’s potential to two other CGHS students next year.

Digital & Interactive Media nominee: Alexander Duran

Duran stimulated collaboration between local and international restaurants to form a cookbook entitled “International Recipes of Hope.” Proceeds of the cookbook were donated to Love146, an organization concerned with putting an end to human trafficking.

Athletics nominee: Britnee Ellison

Ellison organized a canned food distribution service for homeless and low income families incapable of providing themselves with basic nutritional necessities, as well as initiated four mini sport camps within UrbanPromise Miami, an organization located in Little Havana meant to inspire and reach out to youth in the area.

World Languages nominee: Elliot Kutmus

Kutmus helped citizens in Greece in the Miami area by creating projects geared toward providing school supplies to children in need, supporting an assisted living facility and promoting community service in Coral Gables.

Journalism nominee: Hanna Payne

Payne created a Marine Coral Lab in the science department at CGHS to serve as a learning tool and research opportunity for students.

Business nominee: George Ramirez

Ramirez represented Gables at the Youth Empowerment Summit and addressed the issues of childhood homelessness and human trafficking.

English nominee: Carla Stieghorst

Stieghorst assisted in carrying out “Books for Bimini.” She also was instrumental in the installation of Gables’ new bicycle rack.

Science nominee: Nicolas Viglucci

Viglucci is collaborating with Mack Cycle and Bike305 to create a program to encourage biking to school and bicycle safety. Viglucci has carried out multiple environmental conservation projects at CGHS and also was instrumental in the installation of Gables’ new bicycle rack.

Silver Knight award winners will be announced Wednesday, May 20.