At 26 years old, Vanessa Favela knows what it’s like to grow up fast. At the age of 15, she immigrated with her family from Mexico, and entered Great Bend High School in her freshman year as an ESL student. Since then, the unassuming and pleasant young woman has gone on to serve her community in many ways. She has pursued higher education and found work in the field of nursing. She is an ESL teacher’s assistant in the schools. And most recently, served as a volunteer translator for Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis during a recent Kendal’s Koffee online event, helping to provide the Hispanic community with vital information about the city’s response to COVID-19.