Reese represented Youth Challenge: Fencing for All, a program she helped bring to life after being inspired through a Laurel volunteer opportunity with Youth Challenge earlier this year. Her work introduces parafencing (adaptive fencing) to kids with physical disabilities, expanding access to the sport.

 

Claire hosted a table for her nonprofit, the Celiac Support Collective (CSC), launched through her Capstone project. Her organization addresses food insecurity for individuals with celiac disease by providing gluten-free foods to local pantries. Claire not only raised funds to support this mission, but her table also earned the festival’s top honor in her category, along with a monetary prize she plans to reinvest into CSC.