Vivian Liu, age 16, of Katy has been named a winner of the 2025 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, according to a September 16 press release from the organization. The Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. Fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education.

Liu founded Origami For Good, a global nonprofit that has inspired more than 7,000 volunteers to create over 825,000 pieces of origami for people in hospitals, nursing homes, and children’s centers around the world. She has seen countless times how these small, carefully crafted gifts can bring comfort, spread joy, and foster a sense of connection and has grown her project to 200 chapters across 50 countries including Japan, India, and the U.S. Liu has also built partnerships with corporations such as Krispy Kreme and Panda Express to cover shipping costs and new chapter activities. In her recent TEDxThirdWard talk in Houston, Liu spoke passionately about the power of something as small as origami to create far-reaching ripple effects.

Her passion for origami began in childhood, sitting at her grandmother’s kitchen table, watching as she turned a piece of paper into something beautiful and full of life -- a crane, a butterfly, or a flower. When Liu began volunteering in nursing homes and saw how many elderly residents spent their days alone, she began folding cranes and giving them as gifts. Seeing the joy they brought, she asked a few friends to join her at school for folding sessions -- and Origami For Good was born.

Today, volunteers in chapters across the globe gather weekly or monthly to fold paper into beautiful gestures of kindness and deliver them to more than 150 facilities. “I used to think that making a difference required lots of money or massive action,” said Liu. “But Origami For Good started with just some paper and a desire to make a difference. I’ve learned that impact isn’t about size -- it’s about the lives you touch.”

“Nothing is more inspiring than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world,” says T. A. Barron. “And we need our heroes today more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes – people whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose of the Barron Prize: to shine the spotlight on these amazing young people so that their stories will inspire others.”

For more information, visit www.barronprize.org.