When Christopher Wagstaffe was called in to his principal’s office at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, his first thought was that he did something wrong. But the 17-year-old senior wasn’t in trouble. Wagstaffe was being informed that he was one of four young people in Santa Barbara County who would be honored Dec. 11 at the 2009 Awesome KIDS event at Hotel Corque in Solvang. The KIDS network annually honors young people who have accomplished something notable or deserving of praise. This year, 5th District Supervisor Joseph Centeno was the keynote speaker.

“We tend to look at the negative things our children do, teenagers do, and sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we have a lot of great kids out there,” he said. “And this gives them a measure of recognition that I think is long deserved.” In Wagstaffe’s case, it was his devotion to volunteerism and helping others that earned him the award.

Wagstaffe of Solvang is a group leader for his church’s youth program and spends most his Saturdays volunteering. Whether helping to rebuild bathrooms at his school, traveling to Mexico to help build homes for the homeless or weekly trips to Santa Barbara to feed the hungry, Wagstaffe epitomizes selfless volunteerism, Principal Suzanne Nicastro said in her nomination form.

“I was looking for a student who really demonstrated excellence in service to others,” Nicastro told the Journal. “I think that’s an area that’s sometimes overlooked when we’re in the competitive world of academics.” “One of the things I enjoy more than anything is making people happy because selfishness is so easy,” Wagstaffe said. “Once you got up and share something else and give and be of service it goes both ways: you benefit them and you also benefit yourself. I just find that really awesome.” Wagstaffe has been to Mexico four times. Last year, he helped fix up an old soccer stadium.

His new goal is to raise money to build a well for a village in Uganda. “Unclean water is one of the big things that kill people,” he said. “We want to go into their village and bless them with this water. They have to walk miles to get this dirty water that’s filled with parasites and diseases. We want to change their lives forever.” “This is how I find enjoyment,” Wagstaffe said of his commitment to helping others. “This is how life is supposed to be.” Looking to the future, the teenager has his sights set on acting. He plans on auditioning for the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College and has also applied to several Christian colleges.

jfoster@syvjournal.com