Awards | Rylee Brooke

ABOUT

Hi! My name is Rylee Brooke Kamahele, I am 13 years old.

My passion is to turn youth into leaders and to create change in the world by inspiring other kids. I work towards building this platform through two of my soon-to-be non-profit organizations. By both teaming up with other non-profit organizations and providing opportunities under the programs that we run for kids, we give youth the chance to take what they love and turn what they are passionate about into action through training, education, community service, internships, mentorship, experience in running the programs in which they are involved, and eventually our leadership program where they can start their own initiatives, projects, businesses, or organizations.

Community service is one of the biggest and most important things in my life. My heart is truly in the work that I do.

2020 Hawaii State Honoree

Rylee Brooke Kamahele

Rylee Brooke Kamahele, 12, of Mililani, Hawaii, a seventh-grader at Mililani Middle School, launched initiatives that organize Christmas celebrations for children in need, facilitate a variety of volunteer opportunities for young people, and educate youth around the world about the effects of humans on the planet. Rylee grew up volunteering with her parents in a program for

at-risk youth, but by age 8 wanted to start making an impact on her own. “We had to fight for me to get involved,” she said, “because programs didn’t want to babysit kids during community service.” But with a lot of persistence and hard work, she gradually persuaded charitable organizations to let her volunteer with them and recruit other young people to join her.