An initiative of Stay Work Play, in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio, the Rising Stars Awards celebrate and recognize New Hampshire’s remarkable young people and the employers that go the extra mile to recruit and retain them.

2023 Rising Stars Awards winners

  • Michael Newell

    Michael is a Home Care Nurse at the Granite VNA, starting their career in nursing in January 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Michael quickly became a preceptor after only one year of nursing at the New Hampshire Technical Institute, and then at St. Anselm College and Rivier University for junior and senior students.

    Michael earned their degree in Nursing with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of New Hampshire, is a Hamel Scholar recipient, and made the honors program at UNH. During their college years, Michael spent time volunteering at the local food pantry, was a STEM and class mentor for the Connect Program, and served as a member of the Diversity Support Coalition.

  • Anna Kual

    Anna is a junior at Manchester Central High school and founder of the Student Advocacy Committee, a student run advocacy group whose mission is, “to reach out and uplift all students regardless of race, gender, or physical ability.”

    Anna also presented the idea to host the very first diversity celebration for Black History month to the Student Advisor Committee. In February 2023, Central High School’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC), in partnership with GEAR UP and the Boys & Girls Club, hosted the first Lift Every Voice Summit.

    When she isn’t advocating for others, you can find Anna studying for her advanced placement courses, playing sports, or interning for Teach for America.

  • Corinne Cloutier

    Corinne is a junior & transfer student at Plymouth State University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in sustainability studies.

    A year and a half post pandemic, Corinne serves as social action trip coordinator, a student impact ambassador in the Office of Community Impact, an orientation leader for the New Student Experience Office, the vice president of the Inter-Greek Council, a member of the Philanthropy Committee for Kappa Delta Phi Affiliated Sorority, and is credited with being an integral part in implementing many on-campus events

    Corinne was recently named 2023 Newman Civic Fellow by PSU President Donald Birx. The fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions.

  • Gemma Soldati

    Gemma is a performing and teaching artist and Artist in Residence at Kimball Jenkins and focuses on clown-inspired work, created in front of live audiences.

    Gemma is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts and was a recipient of a Community Grant by the New Hampshire Humanities, as well as an Artist Entrepreneurial Grant from New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. She is a member of the NH State Council on the Arts in Education Roster.

    Gemma has a gift for conveying both playfulness and deep meaning in her joyous and unique work.

  • Riyah S. Patel

    Riyah is the Founder and President of New American Scholars Inc. and a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy.

    New American Scholars, Inc., founded by Riyah in 2021, focuses on closing the achievement gap between refugee students and their American born peers by providing access to educational resources that enable refugee students to take agency of their learning, and their lives. In under 1 ½ years, Riyah has reached over 120 refugee students in communities across New Hampshire and has 26 volunteer tutors. Riyah has also established several educational programs for refugee students around the state, including a Reading & Writing Program with Southern New Hampshire University, and an online Study-Buddy program that provides education support during the academic school year.

  • Alison Murphy

    Alison is the owner of Penumbra, and former owner of Concord Handmade.

    Penumbra, which opened in April 2020, is an example of a business that thrived during the pandemic, and made the most of a challenging situation with innovative offerings & a can-do attitude. Penumbra is an important part of the Concord community, serving as a safe space for all gender expression, and Affirming Space Project trained staff.

  • Fidelity Investments

    Fidelity cares about their employees, it’s something they show everyday through their $15,000 Student Loan Assistance Program, the organic farm that grows cafeteria food, extended parental leave time, fertility and adoption assistance, and onsite gyms, walking trails, bikes, yoga, games, basketball, baseball, ultimate frisbee, and of course - pickleball.

Awards Categories

  • Artist of the Year

    The Artist of the Year Award honors a young person who, through their creative efforts, is making their community a more vibrant place.

  • Changemaker of the Year

    The Changemaker of the Year honors a young Granite Stater who, through their actions, has affected positive change in New Hampshire or their corner of it.

  • College Student of the Year

    The College Student of the Year Award honors an NH college student who is an academic rising star and is giving back to the community

  • Coolest Employer for Young People

    The Coolest Employer for Young People Award honors an NH company that creates an environment to attract and retain young workers.

  • Entrepreneur of the Year

    The Entrepreneur of the Year Award honors a young entrepreneur in NH who is helping shape the future of our state through their entrepreneurial venture.

  • High School Student of the Year

    The High School Student of the Year Award honors a remarkable high school student in NH.

  • Young Person of the Year

    The Young Person of the Year Award honors an outstanding young person working and living in NH who is a rising star in their industry and giving back to their community.

Retired Awards

  • COVID-19 Crusader

    The COVID-19 Crusader Award honors a dedicated and brave young essential and/or frontline worker, 40 years of age or younger, that impacted their community during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Intern of the Year

    The Intern of the Year Award honors a young person in NH who has made an outstanding impact on a company during their time as an intern.

  • Leadership Development Program of the Year Award

    The Leadership Development Program of the Year Award honored an innovative program initiated and conducted by a NH organization. This award recognized a program aimed at a young audience in NH that helps those young people propel their personal and professional growth

  • Life in the 603 Video of the Year

    The Life in the 603 Video of the Year Award was awarded for a video submission that demonstrated why an individual chose to “stay, work, and play” in NH.

  • Stay Work Play Leadership Award

    The Stay Work Play Leadership Award honored an individual or organization in NH that demonstrates dedicated support for efforts that enhance the recruitment and retention of young workers in the state. This award was designed to recognize ideas that have been put in place within an organization (association, company, nonprofit, etc). The idea(s) have a direct and positive impact on younger workers in NH, create an incentive for them to remain here, create greater awareness of what living in NH can mean to them in terms of quality of life or opportunities, and demonstrate innovation and leadership.