South Heart teen becomes youngest recipient of distinguished award

May 1—SOUTH HEART, N.D. — Lee O'Brien found himself in disbelief as he watched his mom stride onto the gym floor during South Heart High School's end-of-year award ceremony. Even as his name echoed through the room amidst cheers, the 16-year-old sophomore struggled to comprehend what was unfolding.

Surrounded by his family and the entire school assembly, O'Brien received an unexpected honor as the 2024 March recipient of the Stark County Spirit of Excellence award. He was selected among 43 submitted nominations and is the youngest reciepent of the award. Reflecting on the moment, O'Brien expressed his astonishment, never imagining receiving such recognition.

"It is incredible that I actually got recognized for this," O'Brien said. "I thought it was going to be one of those things that maybe a family member would mention once in a while."

What earned O'Brien this prestigious recognition was a selfless act of kindness over a year prior. On April 29, 2023, he displayed courage and quick thinking when his grandfather was injured in a four-wheeler accident while sorting calves. Without hesitation, O'Brien sprang into action, racing through the pasture on a 4x4 to summon help. Together with his grandmother, they assisted his grandfather until emergency services arrived.

Throughout his grandfather's recovery, O'Brien assumed additional responsibilities on the family ranch, especially during the demanding calving season. Embracing the workload with pride, he operated tractors, fed cows, and tended to various tasks and through it all he discovered a newfound appreciation for the tranquility and self-reliance of ranch life.

As he contemplated his future, O'Brien is now starting to entertain the idea of continuing the family legacy by maintaining the ranch.

"I think I would want to keep the family ranch going," O'brien stated. "I haven't been certain about it over the last couple of years, but after spending almost the whole summer in the tractor made me realize that this isn't that bad. As long as the radio's working then I could do this all my life."

Despite his modesty, O'Brien's mother and family recognized the significance of his actions and nominated him for the award. Grateful for the acknowledgment, being his first real award, O'Brien expressed particular enthusiasm for all the gifts that it came with. His top three items were the Yeti cooler, tools voucher, and personally engraved fishing rod holder he received, making him eager to grow his collection of rods and to go out and enjoy the favorite pastime.

Looking ahead, O'Brien plans to leverage this accolade when pursuing future opportunities, particularly in his aspirations to join CTE programs and eventually work for Butler. As the ceremony concluded and the reality of the moment sank in, O'Brien extended heartfelt gratitude to his family, the Richards, and the community at large.

"Apparently my mom applied for it last year and kept it hidden from you for this long. I guess she really can keep secrets," O'Brien facetiously said. "Helping others has always felt natural to me. I guess it's just the way I was raised."