Mormon teens start day together Mormon teens start day together (May 14, 2004)

Youths honoring teachers for making a difference

Most teens are struggling awake at 6:30 a.m., but a group of about 100 from the Tri-Valley meets at that hour to support each other in their beliefs.

The teens are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they begin their 6:30 seminary with an inspirational thought and a prayer. Then they have scripture-based lessons, which come from church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

"It's not easy to get up so early, but my day goes better when I go to seminary," said Taylor Ranieri of Dublin. "We really stick together and support each other."

Logan Daniels, a senior at Amador Valley High, agrees. "I've known a lot of these kids since grade school, and even though we've got a lot of different interests, at least we share the same basic values."

This year the teens wanted to thank teachers who have had a positive influence on them. They nominated teachers who had made a difference in their lives, citing specific examples, to receive a Crystal Apple Award. The awards will be presented at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 19, at the church's cultural hall at Paseo Santa Cruz and Valley Avenue. The public is invited, and dessert will be served.

Daniels was excited about honoring the teachers. "In a world that is often 'R'-rated, we are trying to maintain high moral standards in our lives," he said. "The Crystal Apple Award idea was inspired by the extension of these values into the schools and communities through such programs as Pleasanton's Community of Character."

The recipients of this year's awards are Matt Campbell and Neil Bello from Amador Valley High; Dustin Collins and Bob Loew from Foothill; and Ron Rubio and Kim Pensky from Dublin.

"This is a chance for us to say 'thank you' to some of the great teachers we've had who make school better for us," said Kari Stolzenburg, a senior at Foothill. -Dolores Fox Ciardelli

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