Hannah McKeel works with students at Buena Vista Elementary School. (Mar. 13, 2013/FOX Carolina)GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) -
While many teenagers are worried about who is going to ask them to prom, one Upstate teen is more concerned about what's happening on the other side of the world and how she can help change lives.
Hannah McKeel is a senior at Greenville Tech Charter High School and also works part-time with an after-school program at Buena Vista Elementary School.
Far from typical, Hannah said she is most happy when she is helping others. She has already been on two mission trips to the Dominican Republic and New Orleans to help after Hurricane Katrina.
"It's beautiful how language barriers don't even come into effect when you're in places such as the Dominican Republic," McKeel said. "You just build relationships with people just by serving them. It's incredible. You come back to the States changed."
Now she is on a quest to win "Ticket to Give" sponsored by Toms shoes to win a trip to an undeveloped country where she will hand out shoes to children in need.
To win, she needs to be one of the top 50 contestants with the most votes.
"That's why I need the community to join arms and vote for me so I can go and make an impact and bring that back to South Carolina and impact my peers and impact these kids I work with," McKeel said.
If she gets enough votes, she will spend seven days later this year on the giving trip. Voting ends on April 12 and the announcement will be made at the end of April.
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