Some people may know 14-year-old Alana Ethridge from her stint on the television show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader but others know her for making a far greater impact.
The local teen is the founder of Alana's Achievers—An Athletes for Education Program, a nonprofit organization where athletes and community leaders come together to mentor San Diego's young people.
The program that includes promoting educational activities like reading is what she's most proud of.
"I've had the chance to help many charity events and support so many causes, but I guess I would have to say that inspiring the love of reading in young kids is my biggest accomplishment," she said. "The numbers of illiterate children in our country and around the world are staggering so being able to work with students in AFE's 'Reading for Life' program has been very rewarding."
Though Ethridge is focused on obtaining her degree some day, she's hopeful to expand the many programs of Alana's Achievers.
Advice for young people:
"Advice to young and budding leaders is that we can move the world and shape it with what it already has, by taking all the good things and make it the amazing world it can be, by following their dreams and helping those less fortunate to achieve theirs, too! Helping youth to help themselves through mentoring and support by givng them a 'hand up'! My motto is: Dream, Believe ... Achieve!!!"
