Maria Mejia

Youth Volunteer of the Year

After volunteering for the Texas Wildlife Association through various Texas Brigades camps and Texas Youth Hunting Program hunt throughout Texas, Maria "Masi" Mejia received a surprise at the 24th Annual Big Game Awards Luncheon held at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, as she was announced the 2009 Texas Wildlife Association Youth Volunteer of the Year.

Majia started as a participant for Texas Youth Hunting Program at the age of 9 at the King Ranch, and finished with her last hunt at La Mesa Ranch this past year. Throughout the years, she would help by trying to get youth involved in the program, filling out forms, doing the Skills Trail for youth hunters, making presentations on firearms safety, wildlife conservation, harvesting a doe and showing how to make a guisado using the venison. Last but not least, she also wrote articles on the hunts and submitted them to get published to Texas Wildlife Association magazine, as well as HunTeen. Mejia started the Texas Brigades Program at the age of 13, where she participated as a cadet, assistant eader and special agent. She was also selected to be a member of Wildlife Intensive Leadership Development. She held mini camps to pass the knowledge she earned at the camps to younger children, hoping to get them interested in the outdoors, wildlife and conservation of natural resources. She also helped to look for sponsors to help other youth attend the camps, and participated in many community service programs that supported the wildlife.

In attendance at the banquet were Mejia's pround parents, Joe and Letty Mejia, as well as her siblings, Joe Edward and Chamonix Mejia. Also present were George Gonzales, Webb County Extension Agent, and his family, the Texas Brigades volunteers and Director Helen Holdsworth, Youth HUnting Program Huntmasters and Director Jerry Warden, and various NRCS staff from throughout Texas.

Mejia graduated from United High School Magnet of Technology and Engineering in May. She is currently working at the Texas Wildlife Association office in San Antonio, and will soon begin school at Texas Tech Unicersity to pursue a degree in conservation of natural resources.