Antonia DeMichiel was born with cerebral palsy, which affects the muscle function in her legs. Even though she was social and outgoing, kids often found it hard to relate to her because she was “different”, but four years ago she found a place to belong in her buildOn program at St. Mary's High School in Berkeley, CA.

Not only did she belong, but she poured her heart & soul into her work and lifted her program to a new level. Antonia held all the various Officer roles, including President in her last year, went on trek to Mali to build a school and volunteered over 500 hours at a number of community service organizations around the Bay Area.

She spoke at buildOn's Bay Area Gala this year and the audience was all deeply moved by her closing comments: “Through this work I have connected to something far greater than myself. My inner spark has been lit and it will never stop burning. I'm not waiting around for others to change the world, I am changing the world. The time is now!”

Antonia organized a walkathon and led the way with her signature bright smile.