Staff photos / R. Michael Semple Girard High School senior Natalie Suich, right, is all smiles as she receives the top award from Tribune Chronicle General Manager Ted Snyder during the 2021 Twenty Under 20 awards dinner.

WARREN — Girard High School senior Natalie Suich has dedicated her high school career to serving and bettering her community, and now that same community is recognizing her as the top recipient of the 2021 Twenty Under 20 award.

Suich, 18, was nominated for the award by her mother, Becky, who describes her as a kind and driven young woman.

Suich has volunteered at Crossroads Hospice for the last three years and plans to pursue a career as a radiology oncologist. When she is not volunteering, Suich is a varsity cheerleader, track and cross country runner and is a member of “every club Girard has to offer,” according to her Italian teacher, Anna Scirocco.

“She’s a leader, she is in every single club that Girard has to offer, and her peers just flock to her,” Scirocco said in a video about Suich presented at the Twenty Under 20 banquet held Tuesday at DiVieste’s Banquet Center. “She just knows what to do, so I think people look to her for that. She would do anything for anyone.”

Suich has been able to balance her busy schedule — which includes being a member of the National Honor Society and student council, yearbook co-editor, working part-time and taking multiple college classes — all while maintaining a nearly perfect grade point average. Out of her long list of achievements and commitments, Suich said that volunteering for hospice has been her favorite activity.

“I’ve probably gotten more from them than they’ve gotten from me; it’s really inspiring,” Suich said.

Suich said that her accomplishments would not have been possible without the support of her friends and family, and the Girard administration paving the way and showing her what “true leadership looks like.”

Suich said the top award came as a surprise considering the 19 other “amazing young men and women” who were nominated.

“It is such an honor, especially amongst all these amazing young men and women that they chose me out of all of them,” Suich said. “I really look forward to leading and serving my community after this.”

The Twenty Under 20 program is sponsored and organized by the Tribune Chronicle and co-sponsored by Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley and Kent State University at Trumbull. The nominees are invited to an awards dinner to recognize their efforts throughout their school careers, and an overall winner is announced from a selected top five.

The program has run for the last nine years as a way to shine a spotlight on 20 high-achieving individuals younger than 20 for their leadership skills through volunteerism, extracurricular activities and academic achievements.

“I’m certain that hearing the accomplishments and accolades of these fine young people, you will share my enthusiasm for the potential of our next generation,” said Ted Snyder, general manager of the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator.

Out of the 20 nominees, five students, Suich included, were selected as the top individuals. The other four honored were:

• Maria Anastasiades, 18, a freshman at Youngstown State University and recent graduate of Howland High School, who was recognized for her community service, particularly her effort in creating a virtual field trip for local third-grade students;

• Katherine Buttar, 17, a senior at Niles McKinley, who was honored for her service to her school and community, as well as her ability to balance her academics and extracurricular activities such as cheerleading and her position on the mock trial team;

• Dante Byrne, 18, a senior at Girard High School, who recently made headlines for his Flag4Heroes project that has made it across the country. The project is a yard sign campaign to express Byrne’s appreciation for veterans and first responders. So far, he has sold more than 450 signs, raising more than $1,000 each for the Officer Justin Leo Memorial Scholarship Foundation and Veterans Outreach;

• Grant Myers, 17, a senior at Howland, who was recognized for his leadership as the football team captain, and his volunteer work in his mom’s kindergarten classroom. Myers, standing at 6 feet 3 inches, is affectionately known as “Big Grant” by the kindergarteners he tutors.

Suich will be receiving $500 to put towards her charity of choice, and the four other students in the top five will receive $125 each to put towards charities of their choosing. All of the nominees received a resolution from the Trumbull County commissioners and a recognition from U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland.

All 20 nominees are offered a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Kent State University at Trumbull Campus, according to interim dean and chief administrative officer Dr. Daniel E. Palmer.

“These young adults being recognized tonight are truly the pillars of our community — they’re already proving themselves to be dedicated to service and dedicated to making our community a better place,” Palmer said.