Citrus Libraries Commends our Class of 2026 Volunteers

May is always a bittersweet time for the staff at the Citrus County Library System (CCLS) because we are very proud of our volunteers who are graduating from high school, but we will miss working with them.  We work with many teens throughout their high school career that are now leaving for college, technical school, the military or jobs and we are all very excited about what their futures hold.  Each teen volunteer that gives us their hours also works very hard at their academics, after-school clubs, sports and even having jobs.

While volunteering at the library, these teenagers have started to learn the importance of work-life balance, along with building work ethic, developing leadership skills, working independently and in a team environment, improving their communication skills, increasing their confidence, along with other skills that will help them succeed in the future.

The staff of CCLS has worked with these teenagers for the last 1-4 years and watched them develop into well-rounded individuals with a better sense of where they want their future to go and how they want to get there.  These teenagers have been an integral part of all five branches of the library and they have certainly left a positive mark on their respective branches and staff.

The Citrus County Library System wants to honor and celebrate the following graduating seniors of the Class of 2026:

From the Central Ridge branch in Beverly Hills:  William Bishop, Jean Michael Castillo, Cayson Davis, Caitlyn Le Tourneau, Genesis Moncrieft, Prudence Nelson, Liceidy Sierra and Andrew Zook

From the Coastal Region branch in Crystal River: Nathan Arjona, Jenna Bush, Peyton Dison, John Grace, Zariah Hill, Leana Hormell, Ava Newton, Bianca Reed and Brooke Williams

From the Floral City branch: David Jaros

From the Homosassa branch: Shelby Caito-Hutchinson and Cameron D’Andrea

From the Lakes Region branch: Daniel Crapps, Kaden Helvie, Victoria Maury-Jimenez, Marc Oliveros, Elena Song and Harry Umandap

Liceidy Sierra from the Central Ridge branch was honored with the CCLS Teen Volunteer of the Year Award in April at the Volunteer Appreciation and Awards Ceremony.

In addition to the growth and development seen while volunteering, four of these volunteers were honored as Golden Citrus Scholars winners or nominees by the Citrus County Education Foundation for their exemplary academic achievements: Shelby Caito-Hutchison, Daniel Crapps, John Grace and Ava Newton.  An extra congratulations to these students!

We at CCLS wish all these volunteers a wonderful graduation experience and a happy future. The CCLS staff know that all these amazing teens will discover, learn and engage in all things throughout their future.  We wish each one of them continued love of books and much success! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

For anyone who wishes to become a volunteer at one of the five Citrus Library branches, they need to be at least 14 years of age and currently in high school. Those who are interested can visit any one of the branches for more information and an application or they can go online to learn more. Citrus Libraries would love to be a part of your high school career and beyond! For more information on the volunteers who were recognized this year, follow the libraries on Facebook, @CitrusLibraries. Check out our Outside the Stacks Blog for monthly volunteer spotlights. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer at the library, call your local branch and speak with the Customer Service Specialist.