By MAGGIE THORNSBERRY, Gazebo Staff Writer

Junior Tarab Ajjan was named “Youth of the Year Award” by the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission.

She was presented the award for her commitment and dedication to improving the environment.

Ajjan has volunteered and worked for various organizations. She began volunteering at Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful last summer.

She worked with their CEO by doing tech work and helped organize and plan the year for their organization. She did management and office work for them as well.

She also organized a camp to teach science to underprivileged children for two weekends to get them interested in the “STEM fields” and to continue with science in their future studies.

“I’m really excited to have won it because I certainly did not expect it at all,” she said. “It was a nice surprise.”

In March, Ajjan was named winner of the Rotary Club’s local school speech competition at Mercer University in competition against six other high school students from Macon.