LASA graduate Alex Mancevski donated $2,000 of his Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes winnings to the Austin Science Education Foundation.

With Mancevski attending Harvard, his mother, Maria Teresa Graziani, presented the check on his behalf to Austin Science Education Foundation Executive Director Ingrid Weigand.

In a note to Weigand, Mancevski wrote, "Science Fair has been my joy for many years. I know how much the Austin Education Foundation has done and continues doing for youth in the Austin region. With this $2,000 donation, I'm glad I can give back to an organization that gave me amazing moments competing in Science Fair."

Mancevski's donation provides monetary awards to elementary school participants in the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival who submit projects that deal with health-related issues and demonstrate that their research influenced them to make positive changes in their own lives.

The award will consist of $500 each year for four years.

Mancevski won the award through his work in founding and building the organization Health through Science. The main goal of Health through Science is mentorship to elementary students in the areas of healthy lifestyles, science and science fairs.

In his senior year at LASA, his efforts had grown the organization to 140 students from six Austin ISD high schools regularly visiting 20 elementary campuses to mentor students as they worked on their science fair projects.

In her recommendation letter to the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes administrators Austin ISD K-12 Science Special Projects Specialist Barbara ten Brink said of Mancevski, "Without exaggeration, Alex Mancevski's passion for Health through Science has demonstrated and documented more volunteer hours and garnered more fellow students to follow his lead than any student or adult it has been my privilege with which to work."