Junior Achievement of Arizona announced its 2024 18 under 18 winners, students who have started businesses and nonprofits, broken glass ceilings, volunteered or advocated for a cause. 

All winners have something in common: They are not waiting until they are adults to make a difference in the world, a press release explained. These Arizonan students distinguish themselves with their creativity, passion and drive.

“These students are excelling in the classroom and community,” Katherine Cecala, CEO of Junior Achievement of Arizona, stated in the release. “Each year, we’re amazed by what they have accomplished in such a short period of time. It gives us hope that our future generations are going to be strong leaders who care deeply about the world around them.”

The Tempe students recognized are:

Tamsin Hurlbut | Tempe Preparatory High School

Seventeen-year-old Hurlbut believes in the power of compassion and support and channels those skills into her passion for helping those experiencing homelessness, the release stated. 

As a volunteer with Aris Foundation, Inc., she has served in many capacities, from food and clothing distribution to education surrounding drug safety and medical care. The experience has been so transformative, and Hurlbut plans to pursue college and study sociology with a focus on poverty, homelessness and racial injustice. 

Eashani Ghosh | McClintock High School

Ghosh knows the value of being seen and connecting with others, the release explained.  As a teen living with Thalassemia, she rarely met other young people who were also living with the genetic blood disorder. 

Ghosh, 17, is now a teen advocate, working with the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation to engage young people with Thalassemia across the country and sharing her personal experience to inspire others.