Tualatin Announces The 2025 Outstanding Volunteers (Photo) - 04/14/26
More than 1,500 volunteers contributed their time in 2025 to city events, programs, and initiatives.
Tualatin, OR – City volunteers provide a tremendous benefit to the Tualatin community every year. Volunteers plant trees and remove invasive species, lead storytime at the Tualatin Public Library, and bring the fun factor to many of our beloved community events. In 2025, volunteers contributed more than 14,500 hours of service to this community.
On April 13, 2026, the Tualatin City Council recognized April 19 – 25, 2026, as National Volunteer Appreciation Week. They also announced the 2025 Outstanding Volunteers of the Year.
Outstanding Adult Volunteer: Rachel Elliot
Rachel is a long-term Tualatin resident, living here for over 20 years. She began volunteering for the city by picking up litter along the Tualatin River Greenway Trail – an area she knows better than most because she walks nearly every day!
Over time, Rachel began focusing her talents and energy on the Tualatin Public Library. Rachel is a member of the Friends of the Tualatin Public Library, which is a nonprofit that supports the library through fundraising and advocacy. The City Council also appointed Rachel to serve on the Library Advisory Committee. Rachel is a vital team member and leader in these all-volunteer groups and volunteered for over 175 hours in 2025.
Outstanding Youth Volunteer: Nestor Sanchez Carmona
Nestor contributed more than 140 hours in 2025 by serving as the youth representative on the Library Advisory Committee as well as at community events like ¡Viva Tualatin! and the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta. He has also supported many a storytime in Tualatin’s parks during the summer months. The dedication of time is impressive, but what’s most impressive about Nestor is his genuine love of helping others.
“I’m so impressed by Nestor,” reports Tualatin Library Director Jerianne Thompson. “At every Library Advisory Committee meeting, Nestor showed up, stepped up, and spoke up. He has a friendly, easy-going demeanor and is well liked by other committee members.”
Outstanding Youth Volunteer: Cosimah Slider
You can hardly turn a corner without bumping into Cosi – she is a positive force in our community! Cosi started volunteering with the city in 2023 and has been most active as the youth representative on various committees, including the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Advisory Committee, Parks Advisory Committee, Downtown Revitalization Community Advisory Committee, and Youth Advisory Council. In 2025, Cosi volunteered for over 90 hours.
Cosi’s most notable feature is her whirlwind energy and determination to make things better for youth in Tualatin. City Councilor Christen Sacco said, “I am honored to have the opportunity to work alongside such an amazing young person. Cosi is engaged and brings informed perspectives and insightful questions to every meeting. Her spirit is infectious and I know she will grow into an extraordinary leader.”
Outstanding Volunteer Group: Teen Library Committee
The Teen Library Committee was created to ensure that teens have a meaningful voice in shaping the programs and activities for teens at the Tualatin Public Library. By empowering youth to take an active role in program development, the committee fosters creativity, builds confidence, and creates a lifelong (we hope!) connection for those individuals and the library.
The committee is led by Teen Librarian Aimee Meuchel. She says, “Working with the Teen Library Committee is one of my greatest joys because of their enthusiasm, creativity, investment in our community, and hard work. They are our future and I’m excited to see the differences they make in their communities.”
The committee is open to teens entering grades 8 – 12. They meet twice a month in the Teen Room at Tualatin Public Library, and each member commits to volunteering an additional two hours per month for events or other library tasks. Collectively, the Teen Library Committee volunteered for over 200 hours in 2025.
Congratulations to the Teen Library Committee members: Kaiden Edwards, Lauren Ehrhart, Emma Goodell, Percie Horsford, Aspen Lorelied, Daphne Losli, Jay Norris, Olivia Pham, Felicia Rhee, Piper Robbins, Nestor Sanchez Carmona, Kalli Savage, Dhruvika Vadapu, and Olivia Wang.
To learn more about volunteering with the city, visit our website: www.tualatinoregon.gov/volunteers.
###
