At age ten, Faith is as tall as a typical 5-year-old. She was born with the health conditions of dwarfism (shorter height) and hypophosphatasia (deformities of the limbs and chest). Despite those handicaps, Faith is a dancer and has been taking dance lessons for four years. She has danced in three recitals.

Faith doesn't give up when she can't move her body like the other kids do. She works harder to maintain balance as she dances and tires easier than her classmates.

Madonna Rothwell, Faith's dance instructor, says, "Every time Faith walks in the door her face brightens up. She is doing something she loves, and she is just happy to be here. It makes everyone else happy, too!"

The difference between trying and not trying is a positive attitutde. Sometimes when Faith feels unhappy about being smaller or weaker than the other students, she tells her mom, Gayle Bowen, "I'm not going to be big. But I know I can be happy. And I am a pretty good dancer!"

"Faith doesn't give up. It just never occurs to her to give up," her mom says.

Doing what she loves is important to Faith. She accepts her handicaps and wants everyone to know her encouraging words of advice."

Master status requires earning 2,200 points. Thirty-two points is the maximum gain or loss per game, with more points gained by beating better players.

Hikaru first learned to play the game by watching his older brother, Asuka, compete against their stepfather, Sunil Weeramantry, America's leading scholastic chess teacher and trainer for over 20 years. Hikaru would wake up before dawn and read about chess strategies, then practiced playing against a computer for an hour each day. He wrote down the moves of each game as if it were a serious tournament. He played in two tournaments a week, refused to accept a bad position, and fought to the end of each game. Since Hikaru could visualize moves in his head, he was able to play chess no matter where he was or what he was doing.

At age 12, he won the U.S. Junior Championship, the youngest to do so since Bobby Fischer. The same year, Hikaru also became the youngest American to win the International Master title.

Hikaru managed to keep a balance in his life. He enjoyed music and took trumpet lessons. He was a Yankee and Ranger fan and memorized the Ranger's official 1995 handbook. While a student at Ridgeway Elementary School, he didn't think he'd make a career of chess. "I'd rather play for the Yankees," he explained. "You get more money."

Jacob, a self-described "computer fanatic," was shocked when he learned of a garage at his sister's school filled with old computers that were going to be thrown out. He realized he could revamp the computers and give them to people who could not afford their own. "I thought that by doing this, I would help a lot of kids get a head start," Jacob explained.

First, he secured the school district's approval to take the old computers, and then went to work on the machines - analyzing, trouble-shooting, and rebuilding. He had to call numerous software companies to transfer licenses, and installed new software and hardware where appropriate.

In order to identify those in his community most in need of computers, Jacob worked with the Department of Social Services. When the computers were ready, Jacob installed them in their new homes and taught 140 family members how to use them. As word of his project spread, Jacob received more computer donations. He has recruited other students at his school to help. He also has received requests from organizations that want to start similar prorams. He hopes to eventually see the project expand to other communities across the country.

As a sixth-grader at Talcott Mountain Academy in Avon, Jacob was honored by Prudential as one of the National Top Ten Youth Volunteers of 2003.

As an 11-year-old student at Saint Joseph Memorial School, Matthew was one of three state honorees, nationwide, to receive the Prudential Spirit of Community Inspiration Award of 2000.