Ambria Merriex says recognition is like a gift. Imagine, she says, choosing a gift for a friend. It’s precious and beautifully packaged, but you tuck it away, and you never give it to them.

Unspoken words—of admiration, appreciation, kindness, support—are like gifts left on a shelf, she says.

“You appreciate people, but if you don’t tell them, it’s like you have a very special gift you never give them,” she says.

And if you never share that gift, someone may never know what they mean to you.

Ambria, a Denverite and East High School graduate, was surprised last December when she was recognized with the Homegrown Award for Founder of the Year.

The Endurance Run Club she co-founded has become a regular gathering in Denver, bringing people together to connect and engage in activities that promote health and wellbeing.

She didn’t think creating the club was necessarily deserving of an award—but the people around her saw its larger impact. Through the club, people found friendships, support for their wellness journeys, and even life partners. What looked like a fun Sunday run had also become a space where people found community.

“I’m so grateful for the award because it allowed me to reflect on the work that we are really doing and the fact that people recognize that it’s making a difference, versus just a fun, social thing we do on the weekends,” she says.

For Ambria, the recognition of the Homegrown Awards helped her see how her work touched others.

That’s what Ednium’s Homegrown Awards celebrate: backyard brilliance, and the people whose contributions strengthen Denver’s communities—sometimes in ways they don’t yet see for themselves.

Recognition Says ‘I See You’

For many young people, their journeys come with questions: “Am I on the right path? Am I doing the right thing?”

Stephanie Lopez, the recipient of the 2024 Dream Investor Award for Outstanding Community Impact, can relate to those feelings of uncertainty.

And recognition, she says, can offer encouragement when young people need it most.

“An award like the Homegrown Awards says, ‘Hey, I see you. Keep going. You’re building something. You’re creating something, and it’s beautiful,’” Stephanie says. “It can really encourage folks to continue on their path, and it helps others see possibilities of their own.”

As a first-generation college graduate, Stephanie is grateful for the support she had from others.

At a young age, she saw the love her mom and dad had for their community and neighbors. And at East High School, she had a Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) advisor who helped her navigate unfamiliar paths.

That support helped Stephanie imagine her own future and what she hoped to be able to do for others.

“To have someone come alongside me in the process was so amazing that I wanted to know how I could be like them,” Stephanie says. “That’s my hope: As I go about life, it’s about how I can support folks and make them feel seen and loved and cared for.”

Those early experiences eventually led Stephanie back to DSF, where she’s now a Scholar and Alumni Program Manager.

Some of the young women she has served through DSF nominated her for a Homegrown Award, making the recognition all the more meaningful.

“I’m really thankful that I could encourage their growth and learning, and that the impact I had was positive,” she says. “That’s what I want to do. Make people feel seen and loved and cared for, and pour into people the way people poured into me.”

Celebrating Backyard Brilliance

Like Stephanie, Ambria has found purpose in giving back to the community that shaped her. As the Lead College Advisor at East High School, her alma mater, she sees homegrown talent every day. Because people in her community are humble, she says, it’s important that they be celebrated.

“We don’t brag enough,” she says. “We don’t edify ourselves enough. That’s why these awards are important. Other people see us, and they want to celebrate it—they want to celebrate us celebrating ourselves. And it shows us that it’s important to take up that space.”

That’s the spirit of Ednium’s Homegrown Awards. They give us a chance to name the brilliance in our own backyard and to tell people that their contributions matter.

Do you know someone whose work has made a difference in your life or your community? Maybe it’s someone who creates opportunities, brings people together, or who helps others feel seen.

“Someone’s worth isn’t limited to the work they do or to any one thing,” Stephanie says. “But this can celebrate how someone is growing and learning and supporting others. It celebrates the journey and what people bring to the table.”

Recognition can reflect something back to someone: what their community sees in them and why their effort matters. A nomination is one way to show others what you appreciate about them.

Submit a Homegrown Awards nomination by Oct. 25 and give someone the gift of knowing their community values them and the work they do. You can also reserve your tickets to the awards and join us in celebrating the brilliance in our own backyard—because recognition matters when we choose to share it.