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The Florida Holocaust Museum recognized 93 local high school juniors who demonstrated exceptional humanitarian qualities with its Anne Frank Humanitarian Award last month.

The Anne Frank Humanitarian Award (AFHA) was initiated in 2001 to recognize the positive actions of today’s teens. Recipients of the award embody the values of Anne Frank, who never abandoned her ideals, even in the face of extreme hardship.

Award recipients are nominated by their principals, guidance counselors or teachers. One honoree is named per high school in Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.

“We are extremely proud to honor these 93 young humanitarians for the 2018-2019 school year,” said AFHA Committee Chair, Traci Klein. “While their accomplishments are impressive, especially at this age, what makes AFHA honorees stand out among their peers is how they are already making a difference in their schools, in their communities and beyond.”

Take, for example, Adam Fischel from Steinbrenner High School in Hillsborough County. Adam, volunteered 600 hours over the past three years at the Tampa JCCs and Federation. He is also involved in school clubs, taking on fundraising and event planning.

“I believe being a humanitarian is the willingness to do whatever it takes to improve the lives of those around you,” said Adam. “Helping others makes me happy, which is one of the main reasons I help. Most people set out to better themselves everyday, but I see that as too small a mission.”

Another Hillsborough award winner was Anuksha Wickramasinghe from Berkeley Preparatory School. Wickramasinghe is a member of the Diversity Club and the Community Service Council. She used her own original photography to create a book that shares the history and culture of her ancestral home, Sri Lanka. The book’s proceeds aid an orphanage called Grace Girls’ Home in Sri Lanka. Wickramasinghe is currentl

“That was one of the most heartbreaking moments I remember,” said Sweeney, who was then the president of the Disney/ABC Television Group. “It was not an interrogation. It was more of an, Oh, God, how could this happen to this kid? How in the world does someone get access to a child? And the word to underscore was ‘child.’ She was just a kid.”

The public distribution of the images, which happened without Vanessa’s involvement or consent, amounted to child pornography. Disney lawyers swooped in, highlighting that Vanessa was underage when the photos were taken and threatening severe legal action to any outlets that posted the images. “I remember feeling so angry at whoever it was who was out there exploiting her,” Sweeney said.

But the novelty of celebrity hacks and the persistent idea that Disney stars should be infallible role models meant that a frenzy of judgment and shaming of Vanessa ensued. “It was at a moment in time where celebrities were starting to realize that what they thought was private wasn’t necessarily staying that way,” Ross said.

For many pundits and commenters, the blame lay more on Vanessa for taking the photos than on the person who betrayed her and leaked them. “She’s damaged,” one L.A. mom told Reuters. “She’s got this teeny- bop audience, young preteens and younger, who are admiring her and thinking she’s this wonderful, pure innocent person.” And the public messaging from Disney Channel did little to change these victim-blaming perceptions.

“I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me,” Vanessa wrote in a curated statement days after the leak. “I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos.”

Tabloid rumors swirled that Disney was planning to axe Vanessa from the third High School Musical film, for which cast negotiations were ongoing. But Disney stressed that they were still in talks with all of the main cast. “Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a l