The Riverside Youth Council on Thursday announced this year’s 25 Most Remarkable Teens.
The Youth Council is a program coordinated by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, and the annual Most Remarkable Teens event recognizes Riverside youths enrolled in grades eight to 12 for excellence in academics, athletics, arts and culture, community involvement, leadership, courage to overcome adversity, acts of valor or any other remarkable accomplishments, officials said.
The nomination applications were reviewed, deliberated upon, then selected by Youth Council members.
This year’s 25 teens will be honored in a ceremony at the City Council meeting May 12 at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Riverside City Hall, 3900 Main St. Selected nominees, nominators and school principals were invited to attend.
The program currently operates with the mentorship of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department staff at the Johnny Martin Sotelo Youth Opportunity Center, according to the city. The Riverside Youth Council was established in 2004 by the mayor, City Council and Police Department “to provide a platform for youth expression and leadership development,” the city statement said. “The program empowers Riverside’s youth to actively engage in public policy and contribute to decisions that directly affect their lives.”
Honorees for 2026 are: Abeer Diab, Bartolo Bacilio Pedro, Caesar Olivares, Franco Vega and Kayla Matthews from La Sierra High School; Herik Ortega, Abraham Lincoln High School; Cristoval Garcia, La Sierra High School; Logan Tan, Jazleen Kaur and Kyra Zhang from Martin Luther King High School; Eva Ramos Rivera and Ashley Rodriguez Maldonado from Ramona High School; Nathaniel Suarez, John W. North High School; Arturo Vi Alba, Rachel Haynes, Simon Thrush, Savannah Bustamante, Erynn Mary and Louise Butts from Riverside Polytechnic High School; Kristilynn Tugado, Riverside Virtual School; Emma Gonzalez, Scarlette Valdez, and Aimee Villegas from Norte Vista High School; Aryssa Singh, Ana Simon Hanna, Arlington High School; Branden Edwards, Mission View High School; and Erwin Recinos, Hillcrest High School.
