Faces of Service: Honoring Commitment Through Community Stories
We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
—Declaration of Independence, 1776
Faces of Service is an educational storytelling initiative that highlights examples of service and civic responsibility in local communities. The project draws inspiration from historic expressions of shared responsibility in American history and focuses on how individuals contribute to their communities through service in everyday ways.
Launched in Pensacola in collaboration with the National Museum and Center for Service, Faces of Service is a multi-year educational project that documents the experiences of individuals who serve their communities in a variety of roles. Featured stories include educators, veterans, first responders, and community volunteers whose work supports local well-being.
In its initial phase, the project engaged a cohort of local high school students in guided interviews with community members recognized for their service. Through this process, students practiced research, listening, and documentation skills while learning about service and civic life through an educational lens. The resulting profiles will be part of a community-curated exhibit designed to encourage reflection on service and civic responsibility in the context of America’s 250th anniversary.
As a commemorative initiative, Faces of Service provides an opportunity to examine how service has shaped communities over time and how individuals contribute to shared civic life.
Profiles collected through this project will be featured on this page as they become available. Additional exhibit details will be shared in advance.
We thank West Florida High School’s library for hosting the exhibition from October through December 2025.
ANIEKAN AKPAN
As a rising senior at Pensacola High School, class of 2026, Aniekan Akpan is making a powerful impact as the founder of the Northwest Florida Red Cross Youth Club. Learn more here.
CINDI BONNER
From age five, Cindi Bonner began a journey rooted in compassion, selflessness, and dedication to her community. Inspired by her parents’ example that “giving back is not about recognition or reward but about doing what is right,” she has devoted her life to helping others. Learn more here.
JEN DEUBLER
Jen Deubler’s dedication to environmental stewardship began when she discovered Ocean Hour on social media and embraced its mission to “defend our natural environment and wildlife by promoting a clean, peaceful, and fulfilling existence through community involvement and education.” Learn more here.
NANCY FELICIANO
Lovingly known as ‘Miss Nancy’ around her community, Nancy Feliciano has spent her life helping others as a mother, military spouse, and community volunteer. Learn more here.
SHRUTI GUPTA
Shruti Gupta has served as a volunteer at Manna Food Bank for over 10 years. She works diligently behind the scenes, inspecting donated food and filling bags, to ensure members of our community have access to the resources they need. Learn more here.
GABBY HULTSTRAND
Gabby Hultstrand combines her love of golf with service to children in her community. Through her partnership with First Tee Gulf Coast, she organizes putt-putt tournaments to raise funds for pillows at Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatric center and to provide scholarships for youth interested in golf. Learn more here.
DANIEL HUNTLEY
Daniel Huntley has spent over a decade serving the Pensacola community, most notably as the dedicated advisor for West Florida High School’s Key Club. Learn more here.
DARYAN “DARE” ROSE-HAVENS
Daryan “Dare” Rose-Havens has built a life of service rooted in compassion and community support. A librarian in her 20s, she devotes much of her time to the Amazing Grace Bully Rescue in Pensacola, where she cleans kennels and fosters animals in need of homes. Learn more here.
ALICIA TAPPAN
Alicia Tappan is the founder and CEO of Survivor-Led Solutions. This company empowers the voices of human trafficking victims and survivors, focusing on “collaborating, uniting, and promoting anti-trafficking efforts locally and around the nation.” Learn more here.
DEBORAH WATTS
Deborah Watts is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur whose work is grounded in providing a “voice to the voiceless.” She is the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, created to honor the memory of her cousin, Emmett Till, and his mother. Learn more here.