Tahanto student receives commendation from the White House.

Byline: Michael Kane

BOYLSTON - Mitt Romney may have captured the election in Boylston on Nov. 6, but it was Barack Obama, or rather, the president's words, that captured attention at Tahanto last week. Kristen Sauer was the subject of that presidential attention.

Sauer, a senior, was awarded the Presidents Volunteer Service Award.

"It's not often I call an impromptu assembly, but when you are able to present a student a letter from the President of the United States, I think you can make time," Principal Diane Tucceri said.

Sauer won the award for public service hours mostly through her efforts with the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program, but not solely for that. In fact, Sauer far exceeded the 100 hours she pledged as a requirement for joining the international program.

There were groups HOBY preferred, organizations like the Special Olympics, Crayons to Cradles, which provides clothing and other goods to children, and Alzheimer's awareness programs at which Sauer spent plenty of hours.

She also continued a local project that was important to her, and ended up earning herself one of the first Girl Scout Gold Awards in Boylston in many decades. She knitted 200 hats scarves and mittens - 50 more than the 150 she had pledged - for elementary school children in this area. Schools that benefited included Major Edwards in West Boylston, Boylston Elementary School and elementary schools in Leicester and Clinton.

Sauer submitted 252 volunteer hours, Jean Sauer said. Officially, HOBY accepted 236.9.

However you look at it, for a busy high school senior, it's a lot of nights and weekends, parents Jean and Todd noted.

"I think she was gone every weekend doing something," Jean Sauer said. "Seriously, any time there is an opportunity, she jumps on board."

"She really enjoys it," Todd said.

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership was founded in 1958 by television and film actor Hugh O'Brian, who rededicated his life after a meeting in Africa with German missionary and theologian Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

O'Brian started his humanitarian leadership program in Los Angeles, but soon went national, then international. The organization now boasts 4,000 volunteers, running annual programs for 9,000 students and having nearly 400,000 alumni.

Tahanto teachers and administrators nominate students every year, Tucceri said, noting HOBY is looking for students with "character and leadership qualities."

Sauer is the first in Tucceri's 20 years at the school to receive...