DALLAS (KDAF) — The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders, fifteen winners and ten runners-up, who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. The fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Barron Prize.
Vivian Liu, age 16, has been named a winner of the 2025 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Vivian is from Katy, Texas and attends the Texas Academy of Math and Science in Denton, Texas.
Vivian 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. Vivian has seen countless times how these small, carefully crafted gifts can bring comfort, spread joy, and foster a sense of connection. She has grown her project to 200 chapters across 50 countries including Japan, India, and the U.S. She 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, Vivian spoke passionately about the power of something as small as origami to create far-reaching ripple effects…