Senior Oceane Mvita-Ilebo and juniors Colton Leonard and Pranika Kuella were recognized with Why I See You (YICU) Service Awards on Nov. 9 for their leadership and volunteer work in the community.

The YICU awards, presented by For a Better Tomorrow (FBT), honor young leaders in McLean County and highlight youth contributions that often go unnoticed as part of their mission to “nurture future generations of servant leaders,” according to the organization’s website.

Mvita-Ilebo said the award recognizes young leaders in the community and highlights youth contributions that often go unappreciated or underrecognized. Photo Courtesy of: Black Student Union

Oceane Mvita-Ilebo was honored as a 2025 YICU award winner for her community service and leadership through the NAACP Youth Council, Community’s Black Student Union, the Children’s Discovery Museum and her church.

Mvita-Ilebo was nominated by YICU co-chair Dr. Carla Campbell, whom she said was her mentor and “a woman I really respect.”

The YICU award, Mvita-Ilebo said, highlights that “young people are making an impact within our community.”

With her $250 award from sponsors Toni and Duane Farrington, Mvita-Ilebo chose to support the local Immigration Project, created “with the goal of ensuring legal access to the immigration populations of downstate Illinois.”

Although “the things we do may seem small,” Mvita-Ilebo said, the teens community outreach has “a big impact that lasts long.”

Colton Leonard poses following the YICU award banquet in November. Photo Courtesy of: Rachael Leonard

Colton Leonard was named one of the 2025 YICU award winners for founding and leading Community’s Student Investment Philanthropic Organization (SIPO).

Leonard was nominated by Mrs. Marcell Plonse for his work with the club, which teaches students about personal finance and philanthropy.

SIPO’s primary goal, according to the organization’s website, is to raise funds for charitable organizations while giving students hands-on experience with investing and giving back to the community, according to the organization’s website.

The club operates on an all-volunteer basis, investing all donated funds and distributing positive investment gains to designated charities each year, with a long-term focus on supporting organizations that serve people with special needs, especially children.

In 2024, SIPO donated $5,000 to the Central Illinois Easter Seals chapter.

This past summer, Leonard said SIPO “was able to raise around $40,000, bringing our total balance up to around $230,000.”

The YICU award recognizes students who make a difference in their communities by “helping out your community and not just focusing on you, but building something bigger than yourself,” Leonard said.

As part of the award, $250 was donated to a charity of Leonard’s choice, a gift he directed back to SIPO.

Photo Courtesy of: For a Better Tomorrow.

Pranika Kuella said her sister, Prajna, nominated her for a YICU Service Award after she logged 199 volunteer hours over a six-month span.

Kuella said most of those hours were completed over the summer as she volunteered wherever she could, including online research through Zooniverse and weekly shifts at Carle BroMann Medical Center.

In her application, she also highlighted leadership roles and community outreach.

Beyond volunteering, Kuella said she helped raise more than $1,600 through the Youth Global Citizen program to support a nonprofit.

When Kurella received the award Nov. 9, she said her “heart was racing ” because she worried she would not win.

“When I did, I was so happy,” she said.

Kurella said she was surprised when she was announced as a recipient and gave a short acceptance speech.

“I remember stuttering,” she said. But “it felt really nice knowing that my community service pays off and that now people see me as that kind of person.”

As part of the award, Kuella said each winner directs a $250 donation to a nonprofit. She chose Child Protection Network because she had read about the organization and had begun getting involved in efforts supporting it.