Ethan Shure grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. He is a dedicated student-athlete at the University of Cincinnati, where he is a member of the Bearcat Cheer Team and a Business Economics major. As a 2025 graduate of Spring Valley High School, he served as Student Body Director of Communications, was a member of the Rho Kappa Honor Society, received the Department Mary Corely Award and the Education Foundation’s Ethel McDuffie Overton Lea Memorial Award for his commitment to learning, focused extracurricular involvement and character.

Ethan was instrumental in bringing the Anne Frank Holocaust Exhibit to Spring Valley High School and advancing the Anne Frank Center’s mission of tolerance and understanding. He is also active in youth civic engagement and community outreach alongside his brother. With a passion for leadership, education and service, Ethan continues to inspire others through his commitment to both excellence and empathy.

“As a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, I am driven to continue the work to educate others and reduce biases in my community,” says Ethan.

Liam Shure is from Columbia, South Carolina, where he is deeply committed to academic and community engagement. At Spring Valley High School, he has worked tirelessly alongside his brother to bring the Anne Frank Holocaust Exhibit to campus, helping to advance the Anne Frank Center’s mission of education, empathy and tolerance. Liam recently joined the Anne Frank Youth Network and plays the cello in the South Carolina Youth Philharmonic Symphonic Orchestra.

Liam is in the Discovery Magnet Program, Sophomore Class Vice President and an officer in the Science Olympiad club. Liam was recognized this summer as a 10-year camper at Blue Star Camps and was named the Ultimate Teen, the highest award given by the camp for proving what leadership and courage look like, making others feel seen and being kind and genuine. He is active in local youth initiatives and civic projects, using his voice to foster inclusive dialogue and awareness. Liam balances scholarship, service and leadership as he strives to make a positive impact in his school and community.

“As an eighth grader, I had the opportunity to be trained as a docent and work alongside my brother in bringing the exhibit to my school. It was cool to be able to continue that work in my high school,” says Liam. 

Eleanor Streisfeld is a 6th grade student at Crayton Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina. Eleanor uses her art to explore themes of resilience, identity and history. Inspired by Anne Frank’s legacy, her project reflects the universal desire to live freely and authentically. As one of the few Jewish girls in her community, Eleanor is passionate about promoting equality and sharing knowledge about Judaism. From presenting Jewish holidays to her classmates to visiting the Anne Frank House in the Netherlands, she has always loved history and storytelling. Her work honors the past while expressing the life she believes Anne Frank dreamed of living.

“To me, my artwork represents how Anne was just a girl, like me, who refused to give in to dark times and used art to express herself,” says Streisfeld.

Chloe McKenzie is sophomore at WJ Keenan High School in Columbia, South Carolina. Chloe uses her art to honor history and celebrate heritage. Her award-winning project reflects Anne Frank’s dream of a fair world, symbolizing freedom and resilience through powerful imagery and words. Beyond visual art, Chloe has expressed interests in history and culture through dance, theatre and community service at Gill Creek Baptist Church. She has participated in contests such as My Street, My Story: Celebrating History Through Youth Expression, and actively contributes to heritage month celebrations at school. Through storytelling, creativity and service, Chloe strives to show that the history behind all of us matters.

“I feel honored to be chosen for this award. It represents something I love. Understanding Anne’s story gave me a chance to display our shared goal of pursuing happiness,” says McKenzie.

Hector Estrada grew up in the small rural community of Taylor, Nebraska, and now resides in Lincoln. He currently attends the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he is pursuing a major in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management with a minor in Business Management.

Hector’s involvement with AFC began his sophomore year of high school when he went through a Peer Guide Training and then led tours of the exhibit at his school. Since then, he has had the opportunity to travel twice to South Carolina, deepening his understanding of Anne Frank’s life and the history of the Holocaust. Hector also participated in the international AFYN Conference in Amsterdam, where he proudly represented the United States. Hector also spearheaded two major outreach projects, visiting local middle schools to introduce students to Anne Frank, the Holocaust, and the importance of raising awareness about genocide. Through these programs, he has helped younger students build empathy, historical understanding and a sense of responsibility

Hector is grateful for the chance to use his youth voice to make a difference. He is committed not only to Holocaust education but also to empowering young people to recognize their ability to create positive change in the world.

“When people hear Anne’s name, they think of history, the past. But Anne’s story is about the future, and our ability to create a future we want to live in,” says Estrada. 

Heather Brougham-Cook hails from England but spent most of her formative years in South Africa before moving to the United States. Her lifelong love of reading and writing has shaped both her personal growth and professional path. Now an English teacher at Cross Schools in Bluffton, South Carolina, her transition from journalism to education felt like a natural extension of her passion for words and their power to shape understanding.

Having witnessed injustice and discrimination from a young age, Heather is committed to creating learning environments where students explore the universal meaning of collective memory. Her dedication to Holocaust education began with her visits to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2017 and The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI) in 2018. These experiences profoundly influenced her to examine how personal memories of injustice connect to shared histories — a theme central to her teaching.

Inspired to introduce Anne Frank to her students, Heather hosted a Peer Guide Training and Holocaust exhibit, where fifteen students were trained as peer guides. Today, more than forty-five Cross Schools students have been trained, helping to share Anne Frank’s story and message of hope throughout the Lowcountry. What began with fifteen trained peer guides has grown to more than forty-five students sharing Anne Frank’s story throughout the Lowcountry.

Heather is both a SCCH Teacher Fellow and a Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Alfred Lerner Fellow. Her academic experiences have taken her to Holocaust-related sites in Germany with Centropa and in Poland, deepening her understanding of history through firsthand encounters.

“Anne’s words written in the cramped corners of the annex continue to illuminate us today,” says Brougham-Cook. "I'm interested in how my experiences of injustice don't exist in isolation, but resonate within broader collective memories- we carry these histories together," says Brougham-Cook.

Frank Baker, media literacy educator, author, and advocate, has built his career on a commitment to truth, education and social awareness through storytelling and has dedicated his life to helping others better understand media, history and humanity.

His graphic novel, We Survived the Holocaust: The Bluma and Felix Goldberg Story, exemplifies his dedication to preserving history and promoting empathy through the arts. The graphic novel, brings to life the harrowing yet inspiring true story of two Holocaust survivors, ensuring that new generations understand the power of resilience and remembrance.

A graduate of the University of Georgia (ABJ, Journalism), Baker began his career in television news, working in South Carolina, Maryland and Florida. In 1987, he joined the Orlando, Florida Public School System in Instructional TV and Distance Education, where he pioneered partnerships to bring media literacy education into classrooms.

Returning to South Carolina, Baker co-taught a college-level course for educators, developed a nationally recognized media literacy resource website, and chaired the 1999 National Media Literacy Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A past president of the National Association for Media Literacy Education and former vice president of the National Telemedia Council, Baker remains a leading advocate for strengthening critical thinking skills in the digital age.

His work has earned national and international recognition, including the National PTA and National Cable Television Association’s 2007 “Leaders in Learning” award and UNESCO’s 2019 Global Alliance Partnership for Media and Information Literacy Award.

“When I am invited to classrooms, I start with my own questions of the students. Their responses show me that we cannot rest on our laurels, the Anne Frank Center and I still have work to do,” says Baker. 

Ronald Leopold has served as Executive Director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam since 2011, guiding one of the world’s most visited and impactful museums dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and human rights education.

A historian by training, Leopold studied history at the University of Groningen and began his career in public service, where he worked extensively on policies for war victims and social justice. Before joining the Anne Frank House, he led the Dutch Pensions and Benefits Council.

At the Anne Frank House, Leopold has overseen major museum renewal projects and expanded international educational initiatives, ensuring that Anne Frank’s voice continues to inspire new generations around the world. Under his leadership, the museum has deepened its global reach through traveling exhibitions, digital storytelling and partnerships promoting tolerance and human rights.

Leopold’s vision reflects a simple yet urgent conviction: that the story of Anne Frank is not only history, but a living call to empathy, courage and action.

“The students who hear Anne’s message help us shape a better world than the one Otto Frank lost his family to. We turn to history to ensure its lessons will not be forgotten,” says Leopold.