HIGHLANDER'S MAY PERSON OF THE MONTH

Gilbert Tuhabonye

• Coach of the Gilbert's Gazelles, one of the largest running groups in Austin, TX and the founder of the Gazelle Foundation, a charity that brings clean water to more than 115,000 people in Burundi for Tutsis and Hutus alike.
• As a high school student and cross-country champion in the East African nation of Burundi, Tuhabonye's Hutu teammates turned against him and other members of the minority Tutsi tribe in 1993 in a murderous rage following the execution of the country's Hutu president by Tutsi extremists. The violence left many of his classmates dead and left Tuhabonye with injuries so severe doctors said he'd never run again.
• "I believe God gave me another chance to live," Tuhabonye told People magazine. "That's why I'm dedicated to making a difference and preaching peace."

HIGHLANDER'S APRIL PERSON OF THE MONTH

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

• President of Ukraine. The comedian-turned-statesman has shown admirable bravery with his refusal to leave as rockets have rained down on Kyiv, the capital, making him an unlikely hero to many around the world.
• Grew up in southeastern Ukraine where his Jewish family spoke Russian.
• Studied law at home. Upon graduation, he found a new home in movie acting and comedy—rocketing in the 2010s to become one of Ukraine’s top entertainers with the TV series Servant of the People.

HIGHLANDER'S MARCH PERSON OF THE MONTH

Shirley Raines

• Created the non-profit, Beauty 2 the Streetz, a service on Skid Row (one of the nation's largest concentration of the homeless) that provides food, clothing, and hair and makeup services to thousands of people weekly.
• What started as minuscule with her children passing out living necessities and Raines giving out beauty treatments, evolved into a full-scale operation with music, elongated lines, and a variety of items and services available to those needing them.
• Has been named CNN's 2021 Hero of the Year
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HIGHLANDER'S FEBRUARY PERSON OF THE MONTH

Hector Guadalupe

• Created the non-profit, A Second U Foundation, that helps formerly incarcerated men and women get certified as personal trainers and build careers in the fitness industry so they can support their families, earning him a CNN 2021 Person of the Year nomination.
• Guadalupe and his team of volunteers offer a free eight-week program for 10-15 students every quarter to prepare for the national certification exam.
• The program also provides each student a free tablet with keyboard, transportation, new clothing, software classes and a $1,300 stipend. Coaches also mentor students, helping with far more than classwork.

HIGHLANDER'S JANUARY PERSON OF THE MONTH

Jenifer Colpas

• Co-founded Tierra Grata, a non-profit that provides access to clean water, solar-powered lights and electricity along with eco-toilets and showers for remote rural communities throughout the country of Colombia, qualifying her as a CNN Hero.

• The 31-year-old Colpas and her team of like-minded counterparts currently serve 35 communities. Their services have helped improve the quality of life for more than 10,000 Columbians

• It was important for Colpas and her team to put local women in leadership positions to assist with the projects.

• "We are working with women because, for us, it's very important to empower them and to re-signify their role inside the community," Colpas told CNN. "So they will be not just social leaders, but also problem-solvers."

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HIGHLANDER'S DECEMBER PERSON OF THE MONTH

Made Janur Yasa

• Founder of “Plastic for Rice”

• Restaurateur, partner in the vegan restaurant Moksa in Ubud, Bali

• In the depths of the pandemic, Yasa began the Plastic for Rice program, a barter system that encouraged locals to trade in collected plastic for rice.

• It provided a double solution: cleaning littered plastic in the environment; as well as providing much-needed sustenance to those in need, especially in rural areas.

• Plastic for Rice became “Plastic Exchange”, spreading to 44 banjars (community) and 1,345 households.

• Today, Plastic Exchange is found in over 200 villages across Bali, has collected 50.000+ kg of plastic and distributed 55.000+ kg of rice.

HIGHLANDER'S NOVEMBER PERSON OF THE MONTH

Kelsie Whitmore

• Signed with the International All-Stars for the Portland Pickles

• Joining the squad as the first female player in the team’s history.

• Also a part of Team USA Women’s Baseball

• Played baseball in the Temecula Valley through her high school years and was a standout asset for the softball team at Cal State Fullerton where she was named Big West Field Player of the Year as a senior this past year.

• Whitmore also played for the Sonoma Stompers, an independent baseball team from the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball and broke the gender barrier of professional baseball in 2016. Her gear from her first season resides in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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HIGHLANDER'S OCTOBER PERSON OF THE MONTH

Sharae Moore

• Sharae Moore is a long haul truck driver.

• She started life behind the wheel by attending a trucking school, then catching on as a company driver. Once on the road full-time, she was surprised by how few female drivers she saw at terminals and truck stops.

• She saw the lack of female drivers for what it was—a golden opportunity for women seeking a new career.

• Today, Moore is one of the most visible professional drivers on social media, with a clothing line for women drivers and a pioneering mentorship program. She is helping to redefine what it means to be a woman in trucking.

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HIGHLANDER'S SEPTEMBER PERSON OF THE MONTH

Heather Abbott

• Lost her leg in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing

• Received one prosthetic walking leg, but her insurance would not cover any additional prothetic legs to run and play paddleboard, two of her favorite past times.

• She learned about the high cost of customized prostheses— ranging from tens of thousands to more than $100,000. Often, insurance companies will only cover a basic prosthesis for walking, deeming cosmetic prostheses medically unnecessary.

• So, she created the Heather Abbott Foundation, and has since raised more than $1 million and helped provide customized prosthetic devices to more than 42 amputees across the U.S. Its beneficiaries range in age from six to 58 and have been gifted prostheses that allow them to wear high heels, run, swim, and play sports.