Saesha Kheni, Cash Spille, and Luke Gibson are three bright seniors at Lake Travis High School who are making an international impact through their high school careers. As the three leaders of BrightStart, a fundraising campaign devoted to donating to the nonprofit organization Cherish Uganda, they work each day in their entrepreneurship practicum class to improve underprivileged students’ chances of receiving an education in Bulega, Uganda.
These seniors were inspired to move forward with BrightStart after hearing the experiences of their CTE director, Lori Wristers, who noticed the unfortunate abundance of Ugandan children who were unable to afford an education when she visited Uganda. “We had to step in to help. Once we had a goal and dream in mind we got to work on creating this charity,” said Kheni. Their efforts to initiate BrightStart included working with local organizations, such as the Lakeway Rotary, and Lake Travis residents to garner donors for their project.
Kheni and her co-leaders hope to achieve at least $15,000 in donations prior to the end of the 23-24 school year, which can be made possible by spreading awareness to Lake Travis students and their families in order to gain their support. “Many students are unaware of the educational inequities around the world,” explained Kheni. “We want to spread this sense of joy and selflessness to help others.”
Educational help for Ugandan children is needed at all times of the year, and donations can be made to BrightStart on the Cherish Uganda donations page. “The most rewarding aspect [about initiating BrightStart] is the feeling of selflessness. Knowing that you are helping someone other than yourself, and making a real change in the world,” explained Kheni. Those who are looking for more information about the efforts of BrightStart and its student leaders can visit the Lake Travis BrightStart website directly.
