Crown Scholar Award
At the AAYLC, we believe in celebrating the brilliance, resilience, and leadership of our youth. Beginning April 1, we’re excited to introduce the Crown Scholar Program—a fresh evolution of our Student of the Month initiative! This new name reflects the prestige and excellence of the students we recognize—those who wear their dedication, hard work, and impact like a crown.
Each month, we will spotlight outstanding 6th - 12th grade students who exemplify academic achievement, leadership, and service in their schools and communities. These young leaders are not just excelling today; they are shaping the future.
If you are a student aspiring to be an AAYLC Crown Scholar, kindly complete the student application provided below. For those wishing to nominate a student, please utilize the gray button provided.
Introducing Our Monthly Recipients
April 2025
Kiara Dodson
Kiara is a Sophomore at Fountain-Fort Carson High School with a strong passion for law enforcement. Her dream career involves earning a law and justice degree, attending the police academy, and eventually becoming a police officer. After three years of service, she plans to return for further training and work with a police K9, knowing that both she and the K9 will need rigorous preparation before they can begin their work together.
March 2025
Alex Beasley
Alex Beasley is a senior at Lewis Palmer High School, where he has maintained an impressive 3.8 GPA. He has a deep passion for psychology and dreams of becoming a therapist. Alex's ultimate goal is to start a non-profit that provides mental health support, particularly in underprivileged communities. His desire to pursue this path stems from his family’s involvement in volunteer work and his own personal experiences with community organizations that focus on mental health advocacy.
February 2025
Moziah Johnson-El
Moziah is a dedicated and ambitious freshman at Rampart High School, where he has maintained a GPA of 3.5. With a passion for both sports and leadership, Moziah has set his sights on a future in either sports management or law, depending on which path proves to be more accessible. He is currently exploring his options for higher education and is considering two prestigious schools: Howard University, one of the top HBCUs, and the University of Michigan, which offers both a strong orchestra program and a competitive volleyball team.
January 2025
Kiyan Ardoin
Kiyan is a freshman and maintains a 3.7 GPA. With a strong interest in math and machinery, Kiyan dreams of pursuing a career in a math-related field, potentially becoming an engineer like his cousin who he admires or exploring other career paths that align with his passions. After high school, Kiyan plans to attend college, aiming to secure a job in a field related to math, which is his strongest subject.
December 2024
Leon Tsyganok
Leon is an outstanding student and athlete at Sproul Junior High, maintaining a 3.7 GPA in his first semester of 8th grade. His mother proudly shares, “Leon consistently embodies excellence through his kind and humble demeanor.” Leon dreams of attending a Division 1 college and pursuing a career as a professional basketball player. While he doesn’t have a specific team or state in mind, his commitment to hard work is evident in his academic success, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.
November 2024
Dayne Solano
Dayne is a senior at Harrison High School, where he excels academically with an impressive 4.6 GPA. Alongside his studies in the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Dayne is a dedicated athlete, participating in both basketball and soccer. Beyond school, he eagerly gives back to his community, volunteering whenever possible. He aspires to pursue a college degree in Business and Sports Management, with a dream of working with the Denver Nuggets basketball team. His mother proudly shares, “He has the biggest heart and works hard at everything he does.”
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October 2024
Yasmeen Aaron
“Yasmeen is consistent and works hard to be her best,” states the father of this North Middle School 8th grader! She may still be in middle school, but she is all ready for when she gets to high school. Yasmeen has been playing the clarinet for about 3 years. She will participate in the marching band when the season arrives and wants to play in the high school marching band next year. Yasmeen also really enjoys being part of the drama club in a unique way. While some students are competing to get on stage, Yasmeen is skilled at the technology used to run the backstage. She may even turn it into a career in the future!
September 2024
Winter Smith
Winter is a well-rounded student and has just started her sophomore year at Sand Creek High School. She has earned a 3.7 GPA since starting concurrent enrollment; a program which includes college-level history, ethics, and criminal justice courses. She is talented enough to succeed in anything that she attempts, and her intellectual curiosity is off the charts! She has always loved math, but recently discovered joy in Health Science after having an incredible teacher during her freshmen year. Winter is currently deciding between a career in science or law, and fully acknowledges that she has enough life ahead of her to do both over time.
August 2024
Vivienne Barr
Although Vivienne is starting her sophomore year at Pikes Peak Early College this fall, she is truly out of this world! She aspires to be a particle astrophysicist with a focus on black holes and dark matter. Her interest in space started at a very young age. She recalls watching Cosmos with her dad every weekend as early as 7 years old. She knew then that she wanted to study the universe and learn as much as possible. As Vivienne progressed through middle school, she discovered her passion for math as the "language of the universe." She enjoys learning and looks forward to using math, physics, and philosophy to deepen her understanding of our universe, all the way to her PhD.
July 2024
Jaslyn Flinn
Jaslyn Flinn has just completed her 8th grade year at Chinook Trail Middle School and is eagerly preparing to start high school at Liberty this fall. From a young age, Jaslyn has been passionate about softball. She began playing in the 3rd grade and quickly fell in love with the sport. Having played various positions, including infield, outfield, and pitcher, Jaslyn is excited to continue her softball journey at Liberty and has already started integrating with the high school team through scrimmages.
June 2024
Maysun Simonson
Maysun Simonson's mother noted, "He pushes himself to be better every day." Maysun graduated from Regis Jesuit High School and is now in his freshman year at Colorado Mesa University. He relocated from Wisconsin to Colorado during junior high and worked hard to adjust to a larger city. His father is his number one mentor, and he has taught him not to take anything for granted.
May 2024
Olliyanna McClendon
Olliyanna is a sophomore at Doherty High school. She has not had the easiest journey, but she has continued to overcome adversity with her fearless attitude and determination to accomplish her goals. After a rough start in high school, she has been able to succeed by pushing herself to develop new habits. This includes getting organized with a planner and increasing her discipline through activities such as ROTC and track. She has leaned into the healing power of music and the impact of having her own quiet time. Additionally, she now wakes up at 4:00am to ensure that her day is as productive as possible.