It was a typical Friday at school for Kiara Thompson — until it wasn’t.

Dr. Kate Hoof is helping Richmond kids put the pedal to the metal.

“Ms. Gordon, how would you rebuild a relationship with someone that was released from prison?”

A chance encounter led Lucia Medek to take up the cause of animal advocacy in Richmond in a major way.

Whether it’s finding profes- sional attire for a job interview or receiving a guiding hand to stay employed, Bianca Stewart Williams is making sure area women are well-equipped and prepared for the world of work. Ms. Williams has been lead- …

For the last six years, Sharon Simmons Jennings has helped put pep in the step of women throughout Richmond.

For the last seven years, Ellery Dean Lundy has strived, in his own words, “to make broken youth better men.”

Growing up poor in Clarksville, Dr. Regenia A. Perry was regarded as a lost cause by some teachers in the community, unlikely to amount to much because of her outspoken and inquisitive nature.

In late 2020, Carolyn Glenn Ethridge Harrington began working with a group of Chesterfield County women looking to establish a resource to help address the needs of area schools, families and youths.

William F. “Bill” McGee’s life has been closely connected to the fight for civil rights.

Dr. Audra Yuki-Wright Jones is helping put a bright smile on the faces of Virginians.

Kathryn Baum “Katie” Ricard is looking to turn an outpouring of support in the wake of an unexpected, catastrophic event into an opportunity for education in Richmond — and a fulcrum for community unity.

Dr. Arcelia “CC” Jackson is bringing a caring, thoughtful approach to the issues and stigmas surrounding mental health in the Richmond community across her multiple disciplines and roles.

In the midst of a pandemic marked by death, large-scale action and change for African-Americans, Michelle Evans-Oliver is working to ensure the stories of Black people in Richmond are preserved and promoted.

The history of African-Americans remains obscured because of the effects of slavery and white supremacy. It’s this lack of information that Lawrence “Larry” Clark seeks to resolve as president of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society’s Greater Richmond Chapter.