Christian Hayden

Age:  15

School:  Aliso Niguel High School, grade 10

Accomplishments: 

I am nominating Christian because he came to my rescue at the busy intersection of Pacific Park Drive and Aliso Viejo Parkway.  

I was still in my pajamas when a neighbor knocked on my door to tell me that my dog had escaped from our backyard.   I got dressed and ran out the door in such a hurry that I grabbed a dog treat but forgot Girlie’s leash.

By the time I caught up to Girlie, she was a block away from our house. When she saw me, she kept running until we were out of the neighborhood.  Girlie, a hound dog, chased a rabbit into the bushes on Pacific Park Drive.  I stood on the corner, trying to figure out how to catch Girlie and get her home so I could take my daughter to school.  That’s when Christian appeared and asked if I needed help.

                “I don’t know how I’m going to catch her.  I don’t have a leash,” I told him.

                “We have a leash in the car,” he offered, and ran to a car parked around the corner on Aliso Viejo Parkway.

Christian got a leash out of his mom’s car and ran up the hillside after Girlie, who was zigzagging through the bushes really fast.  Christian ran back and forth after her until she finally ran toward me.  I caught her, and Christian put his leash on her.

I made arrangements with Christian’s mom, Nicole, to return the leash later in the day.  When I expressed amazement at her son’s eagerness to help, Nicole said Christian enjoys practicing random acts of kindness.  She said he calls it “the arc,” and he says that “it all comes back around.”

Key to Awesomeness:   Nicole said that Christian enjoys helping people.  Throughout his childhood, Nicole has pointed out people who need assistance and suggested that Christian approach them to offer his help.  Now he seeks out opportunities to help others whenever he can.  At the grocery store, he helps elderly people load groceries into their cars, and he takes the trash out for a neighbor with a disability. 

In his spare time:  Christian attends a high school Bible study group, plays video games, talks to his friends on Facebook and listens to country music. 

Future Aspirations:  Christian would like to join the military.

—Nominated by Suzanne Chun