VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - She is busy, busy, busy! Kenzie Wall, a junior at Cox High is the treasurer for the school's Student Counsel Association and is one of the key organizers for a number of community service programs during the holidays.
Sabrina Shumate, a teacher and SCA co-sponsor is a big fan of Kenzie's taking action spirit, "She's just the whole package and she's just...she's just a breath of fresh air to be honest. I'm very lucky to be her teacher."
Kenzie is helping organize a coat collection effort at Cox High for needy kids at a local elementary school. She's also instrumental in another campaign, the students are gearing up for hash-tag lunch bag, an upcoming project to produce 15-hundred lunch bags for a local homeless shelter.
The 16-year-old is also the lead organizer in an effort that had her go over to that same elementary school and initially suggest a shoe campaign drive for needy kids there. The school said that's great, but the kids there could really use some type of winter clothing.
Kenzie got the idea: Hoodies for the Holidays. She wants Cox High School students to round up 200 hoodies with college names on them and donate them to this elementary school. Why hoodies with college names? "The preferred college was like, to get them excited about their future and have them start thinking about what they wanted to do."
For all those reasons News 3 presented her with a People Taking Action award and a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner Southern Bank, "Oh thank you!" And she quickly added, "But I just want to say I couldn't do anything without everyone in this room and my sponsors."
Her mother Caryn Wall is extremely proud of Kenzie's community service, "I just felt so elated when she wanted to give back and when she does the things she does for Operation Smile, for the homeless....Hoodies for the Holidays."
Kenzie says it's simple why she gives back, "Because it's important to give back when you have so much."
