When I first started speaking to Mary-Lynn Epps' Grade 8, Textiles and Crafts class at Cedar Community Secondary School, the kids didn't seem very interested in our Neighbourhood Heroes school-based WebQuest program.

But I was wrong.

A few days after my presentation, an e-mail arrived from three of the students. They sent a story about a man named Gordon Howe - We'll print that story another time.

And then, one after another, three more stories followed. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Supported by the class, Shelby Falconham (missing from the photo) and Kacie Sutton nominated and wrote about Lauren Tipping.

Here is their story.

Lauren Tipping is a 13 year-old student at CCSS who has Cerebral Palsy. She is a remarkable neghbouhood hero that deserves a nomination.

When you first meet Lauren she smiles excitedly to greet you.

Lauren always seems happy because she laughs at everything we do. It seems hard to believe that Lauren would have such a positive attitude because she has so many obstacles.

One obstacle is her inability to talk. Lauren is learning to communicate using a Minspeak computer system.

Another obstacle is her inability to walk. Lauren uses a motorized wheelchair to get around.

She is in the hospital this week getting an operation to help her stand better.

Lauren shows an amazing ability to overcome obstacles. Her determination to be mobile in her wheelchair, to complete her classroom work and always to have fun is what inspires us.

Once she played baseball with us. She ran the bases in her wheelchair.

Lauren is a good role model for all students. She has proven that if you work hard and don't give up, you can succeed.

By the way, Lauren arrived home from Vancouver last Monday following her surgery. On Tuesday, she learned that her fellow students had nominated her as a Neighbourhood Hero.

When she heard the news, her natural smile became even bigger and more excited than usual. Her parents were smiling too.

Kassidy Morrissey, Tyler Millham and Courtney Smith chose to write about Nicky Hall.

Nicky Hall is a great person to be with because of her friendly disposition and infectious smile.

As a peer tutor in our information technology class, she helps all the students and encourages us to do great work.

In this way she is a strong, positive role model for all of us.

When we interviewed her, she told us she played lots of sports and enjoyed helping people.

She also told us her Mom is her role model because she is always happy and has taught her to make good choices at home and at school.

Her Mom is always there for her and stands by her choices.

Susan Rogers wrote our final story in today's column. It's about her friend, Ronna Kit.

Ronna Kit is a Grade 8 student at Cedar Community Secondary School. She is a great friend and an excellent candidate for being a Neighbourhood Hero.

She is known for helping her friends by being a great listener. She is always willing to listen to your problems and support you in anyway.

Ronna is understanding because she knows what it is like to deal with obstacles and difficulties. She lost her step-dad in Grade 7 through a logging accident.

Her friends supported her during this time and helped her deal with her loss. Now she wants to do the same for others whenever she can.

We all think Ronna is a wonderful neighborhood hero in our community.

The second part of our Neighbourhood Heroes school program encourages students to become Neighbourhood Heroes themselves. I am looking forward to hearing more from this class.

I hope they are proud of what they have accomplished. They should be.