An AmeriCorps volunteer from Kauai has been honored at a White House ceremony.

Desiree Vea of Koloa and 10 other Native American youth leaders were honored in Washington, D.C. Thursday.

The White House says when 24-year-old Vea returned to Hawaii in 2009 after college in New York, homelessness was at its highest since 1997, with the highest rates among Native Hawaiians. 

That inspired Vea to join AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. In the program, she helped homeless families transition to permanent rental homes. 

Vea and the others who were honored are attending the White House Tribal Nations Conference.