Ryder Hadt is only 10 but he’s already got a string of acting credits to his name at both the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre and Regis Community Theatre.

“I like the challenge of memorizing the lines and speaking in front of people,” says Ryder, who just finished fifth grade at St. Mary’s in Altoona and will attend Regis Middle School in the fall.

Even more impressive is his commitment to doing good work in the community. For example, last Christmas he arranged to get a Toys for Tots donation box placed at his karate studio, Zimmerman’s Freestyle Martial Arts in Eau Claire.

“We had some (boxes) in our school and other areas, and I just thought it would be a good idea to put one there to see how much people would donate,” Ryder says. “And it got pretty full, so I was happy about that. …

They go to a good purpose.” Ryder has also served meals at Hope Gospel Mission, rung the bell for the Salvation Army, helped sort tons of food (literally) at Feed My People Food Bank, and volunteered at the Market Match table at the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market.

“I like helping people because it makes me feel good that I helped out,” he says. “And then if other people are watching it, it helps them help people.” In his free time, Ryder enjoys playing trumpet, swimming, playing soccer, and taking part in 4-H.

He’s looking forward to earning his black belt in karate later this summer, and after that he plans on continuing to attend classes so he can help teach younger kids. For Ryder, helping other people comes naturally.

When they called Katie’s number, she was ecstatic! She was going to dance a duet with one of the ballerinas with The Moscow Ballet on RCU stage in the Pablo Center at the Confluence.

She was excited to dance with someone so talented. “It was kind of nerve-wracking, because you’re with these professional ballerinas that are really, really good, and once I was dancing I felt really nice, but I was really scared or nervous that I was going to do something wrong,” Katie remembers.

“But they were actually really nice.” Katie is an athlete of many talents; she plays soccer and basketball, she runs, swims, and dances, among many other interests. “I really like trying new things to see what I want to do when I’m older,” she said.

“It’s hard to do them all, but it’s worth it.” In her free time, Katie likes to run races with her family, play Uno Attack, and goof around outside. “I really like that Eau Claire is a small town, and there’s everything in it,” Katie said. “It’s calm, and there’s everything that you need, but it’s like a perfect little world.”

When he joined the Chippewa Valley Woodturners Guild, Adrian York undoubtedly reduced the group’s average age: Adrian is 10, and most of the guild’s members are around retirement. “Some of them seem a little surprised,” he says of other woodturners when he got involved.

Still, the age gap hasn’t prevented Adrian from turning his attention to the hobby. “My grandpa mentioned it one day, and I started getting really interested in it, watching videos on YouTube and reading books,” Adrian explains. That was about a year and a half ago, and now you’ll often find Adrian working the lathe in his grandfather Joe’s woodshop (when he’s not playing on his Xbox or beating grandpa at Monopoly).

Adrian began making spindles and soon advanced to bowls. His favorite project so far is a large cherry wood bowl that he’s still working on. Despite his youth, two of Adrian’s pieces were included in a recent display by the Chippewa Valley Woodturners Guild at the Menomonie Public Library.

Beyond his woodturning prowess, another factor sets Adrian apart from the other soon-to-be-fifth-graders at Mound View Elementary School in Elk Mound: He’s a globe-trotting traveler who enjoys seeing new places. His most ambitious trip was a visit to Egypt, where he visited the pyramids at Giza and other sites.

Back home in the Chippewa Valley, however, you’re more likely to find him exploring the woods near his home, looking for material for his latest project.

Samuel Bergeman wants to be a ninja when he grows up — or, as he says, “a ninja who fights bad guys.” He knows that in order to be a good ninja, he needs to have a big heart.

Samuel was adopted from Ethiopia, and he enjoys sharing his background with his friends at school and celebrating diversity by being a friend to all people. Samuel acts as a helping hand to his big brother, who has multiple disabilities. He also spreads love to his classmates at school.

“When anybody’s hurt, like at school, I cheer them up,” he said. In addition to having a big heart, Samuel knows that in order to be a ninja, he needs to have a good education. As a second grader, Samuel is well on his way to ninja status as he learns many important things at school.

He likes learning about math, numbers, and types of rocks — river rocks, volcanic rocks, and salt rocks. “I’m really interested in lava and volcanoes,” he said. His favorite subject is science, and he’s also interested in bugs. Specifically, he really likes caterpillars, which is pretty cool because they turn into butterflies.

Sophie just might be one of the youngest reiki healers in the state. Maybe even the country. At the age of nine, Sophie is already wildly passionate about wellness, whether its balancing people’s energies with reiki, giving readings with her spirit animal oracle cards, crafting essential oil bracelets, or planting fairy gardens.

“I just want to make sure that everybody feels good about themselves and that they’re happy,” she said. She’s a young entrepreneur with a business called Sophie’s Creations. She loves crafting with her grandma, painting, and creating all kinds of awesome things.

In the last year, she’s had three sales in Baldwin and Osseo all by herself, where she sells fairy gardens made out of tackle boxes or teacups, garden accessories, and essential oil bracelets. “They’re really nice because if you don’t want to get the essential oils on your skin you can wear the bracelet,” she said, adding: “Plus, it’s fashionable.” Sophie is already an expert on healthy, natural living and is well-versed in plants, oils, crystals and all kinds of cool stuff.

In the summer, you can most likely find Sophie outdoors taking in the scenery of nature or, if you’re lucky, you can buy a bracelet or fairy garden at her next sale.