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Keegan Kautzky

Biography

In high school, Keegan Kautzky founded Youth Action, Inc., a nonprofit organization that offered young people opportunities to identify special needs in their community and the funding to improve them. As a teenager, it was a challenge to acquire financial backing from public and private sponsors, but after presenting his plan of action to organizations including the Des Moines Register, Keegan was able to establish a wide network of support. A year later, Youth Action would be the largest student-run organization in the state with over 4,000 young people donating upwards of 18,000 hours to community improvement projects. The success of the program was recognized by Iowa Gov. Vilsack when he signed a proclamation declaring October "Iowa Youth in Action Month," in honor of Keegan's work.

Keegan has continued his volunteer work as a student at Iowa State University. He has interned at the World Food Prize Foundation, where he worked with international leaders dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty. "They have become role models to me, strengthening my dedication to a life of human service," he says. "I am being challenged to focus all of my energy, spreading it throughout academics, research and work."

Keegan expects to obtain his degree in political science in spring 2004 and plans to attend graduate school. He would like to pursue a career at the U.S. State Department or in public office.

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