TOWSON, MD—Five Baltimore County Public Schools students have been named among the 2024 Junior Achievement (JA) 18 Under 18 honorees.

The honored students are:

• Tanner Cero, Grade 8, Parkville Middle School: Daily morning show host, Parkville TV; founder of TMC Weather website, with more than 10,000 followers; owner, grass-mowing business; Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts; and volunteer with the Scouts, Back River Restoration Group, and Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Department.
• Ugonma Chike-Kalu, Grade 11, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science: 2024-2025 Student Member, Board of Education Baltimore County; co-founder, Fellowship Feeds; vice president, Western Tech’s African Student Association; captain of two dance teams; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network legislator; and member, United Negro College Fund’s Student Scholars Program.
• Sha’ Miyae Hinton-Knight, Grade 8, Arbutus Middle School: Founder, Faithfully Gifted Hearts, Inc., a community outreach organization addressing hunger, gun violence, and other community issues; liturgical dancer; and pageant winner.
• Aarti Srinivas, Grade 12, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science: Co-founder, Preserving Students Health Foundation; mentor to students in Western Tech’s autism program; vice president, National English Honor Society; member, National Technical Honor Society; guest speaker coordinator, HOSA – Future Health Professionals; and ranked 10th internationally in the Medical Spelling and Occupational Health and Safety Administration Healthcare competition.
• Maya Tarantino, Grade 12, Dulaney High School: Founder of Not on Our Watch, a mental health wellness club at Dulaney; social impact manager, #ICANHELP, online safety and digital wellness program; member BCPS Mental Health Advisory Council; and participant in Outstanding Young Women Leaders program.

The 18 Under 18 award program is designed to highlight youth, ages 5 to 18, from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties and Baltimore City, who are future leaders, change makers, and innovators.

The awards ceremony for the honored students will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 6 p.m., at the JA Youth Workforce and Innovation Center, 1725 Twin Springs Rd., Baltimore 21227. The event emcee will be Melody Miller, a Grade 12 student at Towson High School and an apprentice with BCPS-TV.

The 18 Under 18 program is sponsored by AT&T, Cigna Healthcare, RSM, Intel, and The Kahlert Foundation.