Each year, nominations are sought for high school seniors and young adults under the age of 35 who reside in Clark County to recognize them for their leadership, achievements, and contributions to our community

On Thursday (Feb. 27), Naomi Axelrod and Eduardo Torres were named the 2025 General George C. Marshall Award recipients. The Marshall Awards, a program of The Historic Trust in partnership with The City of Vancouver, has been honoring young leaders in Clark County since 1989.

Each year, nominations are sought for high school seniors and young adults under the age of 35 who reside in Clark County to recognize them for their leadership, achievements, and contributions to our community. General George C. Marshall’s example of leadership has guided and inspired leaders in Clark County since his residency as commander of Vancouver Barracks from 1936 to 1938. The Marshall Leadership Awards celebrate and support local rising leaders who, like General Marshall, demonstrate integrity, candor, courage and preparedness while serving a greater good.

The 2025 Marshall Youth Leadership Awards Finalists are:

• Shalaka Deshpande, Camas High School
• Raquel Nelson, Henrietta Lacks Health & Bioscience High School
• Kyla Palmer, Henrietta Lacks Health & Bioscience High School
• Beckham Stephenson, Discovery High School
• Ashlye Triebs, Columbia River High School

The 2025 Marshall Public Leadership Awards Finalists are:

• Billy Henry, Northwest Association for Blind Athletes
• Paige Persico, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington
• Kyle Peterson, Couve Collective
• Aliah Waterman, Innovative Services NW
• Damien Wheeler, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington

The 2025 Marshall Youth Leadership Award recipient is Naomi Axelrod of Columbia River High School. Naomi’s commitment to serving the greater good is demonstrated through her volunteer work with the American Red Cross. She has advertised and organized blood drives, raised money for hurricane and wildfire relief, and encouraged her peers to get involved, which earned her the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award in 2023. Her teacher, Jeni McAnally, said, “…it is evident from Naomi’s actions and relationships with peers and faculty that she cares deeply about our world. She is a strong advocate for people in need, and a galvanizing force in our community to build teams to address local and world problems.”

Naomi will attend Cornell University in the fall to double-major in China Asia-Pacific Studies and Applied Mathematics, and will simultaneously utilize her Chinese language and math skills in her job working with the Department of Defense to help protect the United States against foreign threats.

The 2025 Marshall Public Leadership Award recipient is Eduardo Torres. Eduardo is a champion for community service. He is the Vice President of the Southwest Washington League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), co-owner of Betancourt Torres & Associates, and co-founder of Vamos Vancouver. He is committed to creating spaces where everyone, regardless of culture or identity, can connect, learn from each other, and grow. He is a youth mentor who strives to create meaningful opportunities for all, ensuring everyone feels valued and empowered.  Eduardo believes there is strength in diversity and together we can build a thriving community for everyone.

In his application for the award, Eduardo wrote: “I’ve learned that sharing knowledge and supporting others creates a ripple effect, empowering more people to lead and make a difference.”

Marshall Award recipients receive scholarships for higher education or professional development, and participate in events with The Historic Trust and the City of Vancouver throughout the year. The Trust is grateful to program sponsors Davidson & Associates Insurance, Johnson Bixby, Dr. Roger & Katie Jarvis, the Klinge/Meyer Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, Molecular Testing Labs, the Umpqua Bank Foundation, and Waste Connections of Washington, Inc. Nominations for the 2026 awards will open in fall, 2025. For more information, visit www.thehistorictrust.org/marshall-awards.