Zach Sparks

Ten-year-old Simon Anders has been doing community service since he was in diapers — well, almost. At 6 years old, he participated in an Anne Arundel County Public Library diaper drive. By 9, he started his own fundraiser. “My mom suggested a flag business,” Simon said. “On that Fourth of July, I made a video and I put flags around the front of people’s yards.” Simon posted the video in a neighborhood group chat last year, asking his Whitehurst neighbors for a suggested donation of $20.

Kiriakos “Rocco” Katsikides has proven to be one smart cookie. Thanks to his baking business, the Severna Park High School student just made Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s 18 Under 18 list for 2026. Coordinated in partnership with Baltimore magazine, the 18 Under 18 initiative recognizes students across the region who are launching businesses, advocating for their communities, and leading with purpose well before graduation. Honorees attended an awards ceremony in May.

Posted Thursday, May 7, 2026 6:43 pm “Moon joy” — the term coined to capture the awe and enthusiasm astronauts and people worldwide felt as Artemis II became the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years. From the Florida launch of NASA’s Orion spacecraft on April 1 to splashdown off the coast of San Diego on April 10, the mission marked a new stage in human space exploration, and two Severna Park residents had roles in its success.