Winning the Outstanding Teen Award is a big honour. Many deserving young people are nominated by their community or school, but unfortunately, not everyone can win the award. Jessie Moniz looks at two nominees who really stood out for Teen Services, during the selection process.China RichardsonOutstanding Teen Award nominee China Richardson, 18, is a top student at The Berkeley Institute, plays the violin, and takes extra courses at the Bermuda College.She also happens to be the mother of a four-year-old. Her daughter, Kimora, was born when she was 14 years old. Rather than regret becoming a parent so early, Miss Richardson said her daughter has become her whole motivation in life.“She is the reason I want to succeed,” she said. “I really wouldn’t see how my life hadn’t turned out if I didn’t have her. Now I have something pushing me to be successful. When I became pregnant I personally didn’t think my life was going to be over, but a lot of people in the community believed I wouldn’t do anything with my life. If I want to do something I am going to work towards it and achieve it.“Before I got pregnant I was a very academic student. Even though I had a baby I still had dreams and I was going to follow them despite being a parent.”She was at the top of her class in the last grading quarter.One of the reasons she has been able to balance school life and motherhood is that she comes from a big family who have helped her with love and support. She also had help from Teen Services.“When my daughter was born I attended Teen Services and was able to take her with me,” said Miss Richardson. ‘When she was three months old school broke for the summer and I was able to take care of her for several months. When I started at Berkeley she started at nursery so everything fell into place.”Miss Richardson is now sporting a special Berkeley Institute tie that means she has already been accepted into university. If she can get the funds together she hopes to attend St John’s University in New York in September to study actuarial science.“I have tried my best to get a part-time job in the industry, but haven’t been successful,” she said. “I have made some connections.”Her advice to other young girls facing an unplanned pregnancy was not to give up on themselves.“Form a support system,” she said, “either with your parents or with friends, or teachers. Just have someone there to tell you can do it. Just plan. You can’t sit and wait for someone to help you. You have to believe in yourself.”Miss Richardson actually wrote her senior year research paper on the topic of teen parents and their future. Her conclusion that girls in Bermuda are better off than those in the United States.“I found that mostly in the States they don’t get the amount of support that Bermudians have,” she said. “Because we are such a small community we are able to push teen mothers to want to be successful. I feel like in the US they are mostly dependent on the Government.”The nomination for the Teen Services Award seemed to be recognition for all the hard work for all her hard work despite her obstacles. She was thrilled.“I was really happy when I was nominated for the Teen Services Award,” she said. “My family were very proud of me. I didn’t think it was much of a surprise. I have always been a good student.”* See Tuesday’s Lifestyle section for a copy of her research paper on teen pregnancy. Troy AndersonThere are few people who envy the television weather man who braves a storm to report live and on the spot, while deluged by rain, and struggling to stop himself and the camera from being blown away. Outstanding Teen Award nominee Troy Anderson, 17, is one of the few. He longs for a career spent being blown sideways.Mr Anderson, a student at the Bermuda Institute, wants to eventually become a meteorologist for the Weather Channel.“When I was younger I used to watch television coverage of Hurricane Fabian and a lot of storms we had,” he said. “It interested me. I want to specialise in tropical storms. I am fascinated by how these storms cause damage. Jim Cantore, a meteorologist with the Weather Channel, used to come to Bermuda to cover hurricanes. I went to Elbow Beach and met him twice. We talked and stuff. The career sounds very interesting and promising. I definitely want to do what he does. I want to be out there on television in the middle of the howling winds. (Laughter). It is a cool job. Jim Cantore gets to fly everywhere and report on all the different storms. Travelling is a big part of it for me.”Mr Anderson has a long list of accomplishments. To start with, he has spent the last three years volunteering at Windreach Recreational Village every Saturday, helping special needs children enjoy the therapeutic riding programme.“I act as a mentor and helper,” he said. “I used to horseback ride when I was younger. I also went away to a horse camp four or five years ago. It is a good experience working with the children and you learn a lot. It is great to watch the children interact with the animals and have fun. That’s pretty cool.”He is quite well known for his sporting ability and has been involved in a number of sports including football and golf. He is currently working to complete the silver level in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Mr Anderson is quite the all rounder and plays in a number of bands at school. Leadership-wise he was head boy last year at his school and is deputy head boy this year. He has top marks and is on the National Honours Society.Still, he was amazed when he learned that he had been nominated for the Teen Services Award. His teachers were a little bit sneaky about nominating him.“My teacher was asking me questions like, ‘so I heard you volunteer at Windreach, what do you do there’. I didn’t know what they were leading into until afterwards. I am really happy that I was nominated.”