After much deliberation and soul-searching, we have chosen Katherine Schwager as this year's winner of the Maryknoll Youth World Mission Award. She began her "mission work" by being supportive and helpful to her five siblings. She became a member of Friends of the Future when she was in 7th grade and from then on "became a crusader for the youth in developing countries." Katherine designed a water quality study in partnership with a group of students in Esquipulas, Nicaragua. She and other members of Friends of the Future worked hard to provide the students in Esquipulas with the monetary support to build their own water treatment plant. Unfortunately, her efforts were unsuccessful, but this did not stop her.

She went on to the United Nations Commission on Sustainability as a youth delegate at her own expense to learn how to help. She became a member of the Advisory Board for Rescue Mission Planet Earth and learned of an opportunity to write a proposal to the World Bank for an InfoCafe for youth in a third world country. She and other Friends of the Future wrote a proposal, which was among many from all parts of the world. Meetings, paperwork, delays, disappointments followed, but Katherine continued even when the adults said, "this is never going to happen." The funds were finally signed for in January. Students in Equador will get $50,000.00 a year for three years to set up a self supporting enterprise that will enable them to become technologically literate while connecting with youth, globally, in a discussion of how to solve the problems of their future. This highlights only one of her activities. She has made presentations at local, regional and national gatherings about the power of youth to make a difference.

The 2000 winner will be a youth group or and individual, like Katherine, who has made an outstanding effort improving the lives of others.