Published on Feb. 23, 2026
Every year during the closing ceremony for the Missouri Scholars Academy, one student is chosen to receive the Kevin Heisinger Community Service Memorial award for their dedication to service. This year, the Missouri Scholars Academy Closing Ceremony held a surprising twist for the scholars!
From their dedication to the academy to hours spent contributing to serving the community, the Academy honored TWO scholars to receive the 2025 Kevin Heisinger Memorial Community Service Award: Osvin Alaphat and Lily Giron-Fernandez.
Osvin Alaphat
Osvin was involved in many activities during his time at the Academy. Outside of his major and minor classes, which were “Think Like a Programmer” Major and “Say What? Flash Fiction, Vignettes, Prose Poems, & Hybrid Forms,” Osvin competed and placed third in the MSA poetry slam and participated in community service events such as stream and park cleanups. And, of course, he met many new friends at the Academy.
“I loved meeting a wide array of new people in an environment that promotes learning without large stressors. This new perception of education altered my view of school and learning in general by teaching me that learning can be something personal and interesting,” said Osvin.
Creating welcoming spaces built upon friendship and including others are priorities for Osvin and his community service work. Prior to arriving at MSA, Osvin had leadership experience organizing meaningful activities for children, including children with disabilities.
“Community service is helping out around the community through one’s presence. It doesn’t have to be something that is signed up for or organized, but community service should be for causes one feels so present in that they feel the impact of what they do. After participating in service, I always feel a call to do more.”
Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, the Community Service Coordinator at MSA, said, “He wrote about how MSA has shown him that service isn’t an activity you sign up for but a way of being. His essay and my conversations with RAs and faculty supported that this is the way he is in activities, at Twain, in Cor, and in his major. Whenever I brought up his name, I heard very specific stories of friendship and inclusion.”
Currently in his junior year of high school in St. Charles, Osvin continues to do his service for the community through volunteering at organizations where he spends time with kids with disabilities. Along with this, he led a fundraiser in the St. Louis Malayalee Associations Youth Committee were other high schoolers and raised $237 through a bake sale and collected several pounds of clothes. He donated it all to nonprofits that help foster care around St. Louis.
“Community service is not something that one signs up for- service should be something that one does throughout the entirety of their life. Look for issues in society, find them, and fight to have them fixed . . . Service is not only an action but an impact. Make the world you want to live in.”
In the future, Osvin, wants to go to college and pursue a field in science whether computer science, biochemistry, or material sciences and create whatever change he can in the world.
“Someone once told me,” Osvin said, “that everything that I see around me, whether it’s my cell phone, refrigerator, or house was designed by someone else like me who saw a problem and came up with ideas to fix it. I want to pursue a science field where I can find a problem that I feel passionate about.”
Lily Giron-Fernandez
During her time at the Academy, Lily made it her mission to make the most of her time and stay involved. Lily took Chemistry as her major and Philosophy as her minor and her most memorable Community Service activities were writing cards for Spanish-speaking children at St. Jude’s and working at the Columbia Food Bank cleaning and bagging carrots for food distribution.
“I was connecting with so many people who shared my curiosity and love for learning. It was meaningful to have deep, engaging conversations with peers who understood me, while also staying active and involved through the constant opportunities to participate, explore and build new friendships. I especially loved the service activities, because they let me spend my time doing something purposeful and genuinely helpful.”
Lily’s legacy with community service extends even further to helping food pantries and leading resource drives and events through her local school and faith community. She also serves as a bilingual tutor for newcomers.
“Community service is a full-circle act—what you give eventually comes back to you in some form. Helping others has taught me to be more patient, more humble, and open-hearted. I’ve learned to see strength in vulnerability and the importance of listening before acting.”
During the closing ceremony, Fishman-Weaver shared, “Once again, in all my conversations with RAs and faculty who have gotten to know her, I heard stories of kindness, inclusivity, and leadership.”
Going into her junior year at Bayless High School in St. Louis, Lily continues serving with these values in mind; she serves her community at school by helping with blood drives and other volunteer activities hosted by her clubs. Along with this, part of her winter break was spent volunteering at the local hospital where she plans to continue serving this summer.
“I’m passionate about healthcare and want hands-on experience in the medical field. Even with a busy schedule, I make it a priority to stay active in service because it’s meaningful to me and aligns with the career I hope to pursue”
Lily has always had huge dreams for herself in the medical field, ones that she can further develop through her service.
“My goal is to pursue a career in medicine, focusing on either pediatrics or neuroscience, because I love working with children and am fascinated by the brain. My passion for medicine complements my service-driven mindset, as working with people in a medical setting allows me to give back and help others.”
MSA is so grateful to honor both of these dedicated, driven and talented scholars, and we wish them all the best as they continue their education and their commitment to service.