The Teenagers Turning Trash into Tuition and Voices into Votes
MILINALI, HI.
Young people, more often than not, are underestimated in their capabilities; but what people don’t know is that young people provide new perspectives on how the world can be a better place. Making positive changes in your community isn’t always done by your local politicians, it’s also local teenagers such as 17-year-old Jamie Ortiz and 16-year-old Genshu Price. Ortiz and Price prove that passion, dedication, and innovative thinking can lead to significant community impact, regardless of age. Here’s how 2 teenagers from Hawai’i are breaking barriers.
Jamie Ortiz is a senior at Konawaena High School, on Hawai’i Island. Ortiz is the Corresponding Secretary for the Hawai’i State Student Council, the 2025 Class President of Konawaena High School, and the Big Island Regional Director for the Hawai’i chapter of the High School Democrats of America. “When I joined the Hawai’i State Student Council, I was looking for other groups that I could join, to increase my advocacy skills.” Ortiz said. Ortiz has a strong passion for politics, as well as encouraging others in his community to advocate for what they believe in. “Out of the 1.4 million people in the state, we as teenagers represent almost 400,000 of that amount. That is such a big voice that needs to be heard, that also needs to enact change,” Ortiz added. Outside of advocacy, Ortiz is a part of the Konawaena Track & Field team. “I find that pushing myself to the physical limits in running also inspires me to push my mind and voice even further.” Ortiz says. Ortiz’s commitment to athletics, advocacy, and student voice proves him to be a well-rounded leader; no matter what he is doing. “I see a prosperous future in the minds of our students, in the acknowledgement of the current political stances that the world is in right now.” Ortiz commented, and activists all across Hawai’i couldn’t agree more.
Genshu Price is a senior at Myron B. Thompson Academy, on O’ahu island. Price is the founder of Bottles4College, a multi award 501(c3) non-profit organization that collects recyclable cans and bottles to help protect the environment, in order to create college scholarships for local students in Hawai’i. Price created Bottles4College when he was 10-years-old, and 6 years later, Bottles4College is still going strong. “A lot of times, we're told that we have to create the next big idea or the next big movement, but we're never really told when or how to do it. So Bottles4College was my sort of way of bringing that power into my own hands and getting back to the community, showing that our future is within the hands of the people.” Price says. No matter the setbacks that Price has as a leader, he continues to strive on a day to day basis to create positive changes in his community. “Your ceiling ends when you stop believing within yourself,” Price says. “The only time those challenges aren't aren't something that you can get over and something that you can grow from is when you stop within yourself” he adds. Price notes that Bottles4College has had a wide impact on his day to day life, and he wouldn’t trade that for the world.
No matter what we do, our society changes on a day to day basis, and it’s up to us to decide if we want positive changes, or negative changes in our world. However, we know that with young innovators such as Genshu Price and Jamie Ortiz, we can count on the future of the world being bright.
